How industry conferences can connect companies with the right audiences

It’s funny, isn’t it?

Despite all the advances made in facilitating virtual interactions and the explosive popularity of platforms like Zoom thanks to Covid-19, many organizations are striving to bring back what’s been missing in the last two years: meeting other people in person.

It affirms a simple fact: Humans are social creatures, and nothing beats the face-to-face meeting.

Attendees chatting at the Tech in Asia Conference in 2022 / Photo credit: Tech in Asia

However, when it comes to making the right industry connections, just networking and talking shop – even if it’s face-to-face – may not always be enough. In this regard, industry events play a key role. Not only do they facilitate in-person meetings but they also provide opportunities for attendees to share more content and larger ideas – for example, how companies can navigate the depths of a funding winter.

There’s also many different goals and objectives at play. Some may be looking for brand awareness, while others are eyeing lead generation, new funding opportunities, or even just a chance to say hi to a potential partner.

All these elements were taken into consideration at Tech in Asia’s 2022 Conference, which was held in-person at Marina Bay Sands Convention Center last October. The team behind the event emphasized working with partners to figure out how to best bring their programs and content to their target audiences. Beyond just providing a space, a lot of work went into helping clients develop their programs and event strategies to best fit their audience’s needs.

“What we want to achieve is to be really community-driven,” says Kelyn Koh, events team lead at Tech in Asia. Her group, which includes Eng Zhiting and Jasmine Teo, is in charge of putting together our events, big and small.

Managing content

According to the events team, one of the most important elements about the TIA Conference is helping clients execute their respective visions. That’s because while many firms are experts within their own fields, handling content marketing and branding at industry events is a whole different beast.

“We’ll never just be like: ‘OK, here’s your slot and booth, you’re on your own,’” says Eng. “The good thing about us being smaller compared to other operators is that we can be a little more boutique.”

(From left) Jasmine Teo, Kelyn Koh, and Eng Zhiting / Photo credit: Tech in Asia

To this end, the events team prioritizes understanding partners’ needs and customizing TIA’s offerings.

“We have to see what the client’s objectives are,” she adds. “For instance, if you want to reach out to a particular bucket of people, then we can offer something with a smaller crowd but that’s more intense and interactive. Not every answer is ‘mainstage keynote’ or ‘panel discussion.’ We can do many different things.”

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Hello, 2023!