Competitive intelligence at conferences and events
Live events offer a glut of valuable information on your competitors.
This is unsurprising given that exhibitions and conferences are marketing opportunities – and that means showing off your best products and celebrating your biggest achievements.
As well as the scheduled talks, sessions and stands, there is all of the informal conversations that take place in-between. Lunch breaks, intervals and after-parties are all rich sources of impressions, opinions and gossip about your competitors.
And because many conferences and exhibitions cultivate a fairly relaxed vibe, you can often get a more accurate account of competitors from unguarded customers.
Planning your conference intelligence gathering
Major professional conferences and exhibitions don’t happen every day. And it’s rare that an event is taking place precisely at the time when you want to gather intelligence.
The key is to plan ahead and conduct the research routinely so that it’s available when you need it.
Being spotted by competitors at conferences
You have two choices: you either approach competitors directly and accept that they will see you, or you recruit an intelligence agency like Aqute to conduct research on your behalf.
Should you choose to conduct research independently, it’s usually best to be up front. There is no harm in looking at your competitors’ stands and marketing collateral; in fact, it would be weird to ignore them. Be naturally curious about your commercial peers and don’t be afraid to say hello to their team.
Attend talks and presentations
In addition to learning from the content of plenary sessions, panels and workshops, you can often pick up a broader sense of market sentiment towards your industry and your competitors.
Need a competitive intelligence partner?
Corporate conferences and expos can be a whirlwind of talks, meetings, workshops and running a stand. In this environment, performing a systematic analysis of competitors can be a challenge. Aqute has one major advantage in that we are free to focus on the singular task of compiling intelligence. We know where to look, who to ask and how to listen.
Contact Aqute to discuss your competitive intelligence requirements.
