If you’re investing in conferences, there’s a good chance you’re overspending… and underutilizing LinkedIn.
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In a recent conversation with Jack Caspino, we broke down a few strategies that can completely change how you approach events: before, during, and after.
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Here’s what stood out.
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1. Your Best Attendee List Is Already on LinkedIn

Most marketers still rely on purchased attendee lists.

The problem? They’re often outdated, incomplete, or just inaccurate.

Jack shared a much simpler approach:

Search the conference name on LinkedIn and look at the posts.

You’ll instantly find people announcing they’re attending, and more importantly:

- They’re actively looking to connect;
- They’re planning meetings;
- They’re open to conversations.

That makes outreach much easier.

Instead of a cold message, you can lead with:

- “Hey, saw you’re going to [event]! Are you taking meetings?”

Way more natural. Way more effective.
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2. Conference Sponsorships Are (Very) Expensive

We talked about a real example:

• $80,000 for a booth;
• $20K–$30K for a “marketing package”.

And what do you actually get? A few banner placements. Maybe a newsletter mention.

That’s it.

Meanwhile…

- You could take a fraction of that budget;
- Run highly targeted LinkedIn Ads to attendees;
- And show up in their feed before, during, and after the event.

As I put it:

- “You could take that same budget and reach everyone at the conference directly, and probably get more value.”
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3. Use Ads Before the Event to Drive Booth Traffic

Most attendees plan their time before they even arrive.

If they don’t know who you are ahead of time…

- They’ll walk right past your booth

But if they’ve already seen your brand?

That changes everything.

- “It’s a great icebreaker when someone walks up and says, ‘I’ve been seeing your stuff everywhere.’”

Running Ads ahead of the event helps you:

• Build familiarity;
• Create curiosity;
• And give people a reason to seek you out.
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4. Stay Top of Mind After the Event (This Is Where Most Fail)

This is where most companies drop the ball.

You meet dozens (or hundreds) of great prospects, and then?

Nothing.

People get busy. They forget. Deals disappear.

Jack put it simply:

- “If you’re not following up and staying top of mind, the deal isn’t going to go through.”

One of the most effective ways to fix this:

- Upload your event leads into LinkedIn;
- Retarget them with ads after the event.

Now you’re reinforcing your message while it’s still fresh.
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5. You Can Reach the Entire Event Audience for Cheap

Here’s the part most marketers underestimate:

Even large events are surprisingly affordable to target with ads.

- “If there are 10,000 attendees, you might spend around $500 to reach all of them.”

That’s a fraction of what most companies are spending on sponsorships.

And you get:

• Full control over messaging;
• Consistent visibility;
• And measurable results.

Final Thought

Conferences aren’t just about showing up anymore.

They’re about:

• Building awareness before;
• Creating connections during;
• And staying visible after.

LinkedIn Ads let you do all three, often for a fraction of the cost of traditional event marketing.
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