Most companies aren't great; indeed, they struggle to stay "good."
And that average ordinariness is what events are for.
Gartner Group upset the apple cart in 2011 when it predicted that by 2020, thanks to martech, B2B customers would manage 85% of their relationships with suppliers without ever interacting with a human being.
But in the years since, the event spend has grown by double digits. Last year alone, it grew by 6% (today, events are used by 73% of B2B marketers.)
So did Gartner get it terribly wrong?
Advocates of events say, yes: Gartner's prediction will never come true because we crave contact.
Advocates of events say, yes: Gartner's prediction will never come true because we crave contact.
Advocates of martech say, no: martech adoption is merely lagging Gartner's prediction.
I think there's another reason for B2B events' enduring popularity.
The reason's economic, and lies in average ordinariness.
The reason's economic, and lies in average ordinariness.
While the owners of the overwhelming majority of companies would love to lay off everyone, they can't afford best-in-class martech. They're good, but not great.
But the overwhelming majority can afford events... and that's okay.
But the overwhelming majority can afford events... and that's okay.
