Or: Why Product Marketing Deserves More Than a 10x10 Booth and a Couple of Coffee Chats

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:
A great event isn’t just about the moment — it’s about the momentum.

But momentum takes intention.
And that’s where a lot of well-meaning teams fall short.

They get the space. They show up. They print the signs.
And then the event ends… and the impact? Disappears.

Not because the event wasn’t good.
But because no one planned for what happens after.

Let’s Talk About Product Marketing for a Second.

Product marketing is often the role asked to “pull it all together.”
To translate product into value. To make the message land. To prove the story works.

Events should be your playground.
But too often, they’re just one more fire to manage.

Instead of using the booth to bring the strategy to life, product marketers are:

• Finalizing decks

• Handing out one-pagers

• Chasing down salespeople for soundbites

• Begging for demo updates

• Managing sponsor approvals

• Trying not to cry into their hotel breakfast buffet

(I’ve been that person. I see you.)

But here’s the thing:
When done right, events are the best product marketing tool you have.

They don’t just tell people what you do — they show it.
They let people experience your value — live, messy, human, and unforgettable.

And if you design for that?
You get content that actually feels like you.

So How Do You Build a Digital Footprint That Lasts Longer Than the Footprint on Your Giveaway Flip-Flops?

1. Design for Capture — Not Just Attendance.

If you want reusable content, you have to plan for it before the event starts.

Think like a content producer:

• Set up your booth like a mini studio

• Script for video-friendly interactions

• Get partner permissions ahead of time

• Assign someone to gather moments (not just media)

You don’t need a camera crew.
You need a plan.

2. Don’t Beg for Soundbites. Build Them.

Stop hoping a customer “says something great.”
Start designing moments that invite them to.

That might mean:

• Scripting value stories into the demo

• Prepping staff with two powerful sentences

• Building signage that says what someone might forget to

You’re not just collecting content.
You’re shaping memory.

3. Think in Layers. Build for More Than the Moment.

Every interaction can serve more than one purpose:

• A live demo becomes a customer win story

• A partner handshake becomes a case study

• A quote becomes a sales deck

• A walk-through becomes onboarding content

• A shared use case becomes a pipeline accelerator

You’re not doing extra work.
You’re doing better work.

4. Treat Your Event Like a Team Training, Not Just a Showcase.

Product marketing isn’t just external.

Your event can also teach:

• Your sales team how to tell the story

• Your engineers what the value actually sounds like

• Your executives how to explain it without slides

• Your partners how to talk about the solution with confidence

Let them feel the energy when it lands.
Then package it so they can reuse it.

5. Plan the Follow-Up While You Plan the Floor.

You can’t maximize your digital footprint if your content dies in a Dropbox folder.

Before the event begins, answer:

• What’s being captured — and by who?

• Who needs to see it next?

• What platform is it going to?

• What sales message does it support?

• What do we want the audience to do with it?

No more “we should do something with this later.”
Build reuse into your run-of-show.

Bottom Line? Product Marketing Deserves Better.

You’ve spent weeks refining the message.
Now let’s design a space that proves it works — and a follow-up plan that keeps telling the story long after the carpet’s rolled up.

Because one great event can power:

• A year’s worth of content

• A hundred sales conversations

• A stronger story

• And a team that finally understands what you’ve been saying all along

Let’s stop wasting good stories.
Let’s build events that make them stick.

Want help making it happen? We’re here when you’re ready.