Use it or Lose it: 3 Tips for Making the Most of Your Q4 Events Budget

Marketing budgets are more precious than ever at the moment. Gartner recently reported that budgets have fallen by 15% on average in 2024, and that CMOs are consistently being asked to “do more with less.” 

To deliver consistent — or even improved — results with a smaller budget, marketing leaders need to invest in the right programs and ensure those investments are delivering the highest possible yield. And despite the fact that many CMOs’ budgets are under scrutiny, Gartner’s 2024 CMO spend survey found that marketing leaders continue to prioritize events, allocating the largest share of their offline marketing budget to event marketing and sponsorships. 

With increased pressure to end the year strongly and to secure budget for 2025, what can CMOs do to maximize the impact of their events budget in Q4? In this article, we’ll dive into three tips for delivering events that not only generate revenue but also improve marketing’s credibility across the organization. 

1. Align events plan to your Q4 goals

Different marketing organizations have different goals, and objectives may vary significantly from quarter to quarter. If you’re running behind on your annual Closed/Won new logo target, for example, marketing (and sales) will likely be laser-focused on bringing late stage deals over the line. If, on the other hand, you’re tracking well against your annual revenue target, Q4 focus may shift to building pipeline for 1H 2025. 

Different types of events are suited for different objectives. For your Q4 events to deliver notable results, they must align to your key goals for the quarter. 

If you’re focused on closing late stage pipeline, allocate budget to more intimate, white glove experiences. Use these engagements to connect key contacts with your executive leaders and build trust. These high-touch events are often great for generating quick ROI, as direct, in-person conversations can often unlock pain points and push deals over the line. In recent months, for example, we’ve partnered with marketing leaders to rent out private rooms in Michelin star restaurants, booked star chefs for live cooking experiences and chef’s table meals, and rented spaces in stunning locations such as MOMA for after-hours tours and networking. 

If you’re working on building early-stage pipeline for 1H 2025, invest in high-visibility sponsorship programs and branded pop-ups. These viral moments can also serve as fuel for content and social media. Though be sure to get creative here to stand out from the crowd – more on that next!

2. Make the most of upcoming tentpole events and conferences

The significant number of major events in the second half of the year present marketing leaders with both a challenge and an opportunity. While industry gatherings such as Cannes Lions and Dreamforce offer a unique chance to engage numerous key stakeholders in one (often picturesque) location, they’re also jam-packed with competitors trying to do the same thing. Furthermore, official event sponsorships are often limited and extremely expensive, making it difficult to generate positive ROI. 

To maximize impact in Q4, you need to be able to take advantage of these industry gatherings without burning through the entirety of your event budget. With a little ingenuity and creative planning from Prospect Events, brands can invest in ancillary activations that deliver returns far beyond the dollars spent. 

One way to capitalize on industry gatherings is by launching interactive experiences such as branded food trucks, coffee carts, and pedicabs–particularly handy for bouncing between happy hours in cities such as New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. 

When leading RevOps platform Clari wanted to increase brand awareness amongst their target audience, they knew Dreamforce, which attracts thousands of marketing and sales leaders from leading B2C and B2B brands, was the right place to do it. As opposed to spending a fortune on an official Dreamforce sponsorship, Clari partnered with Prospect Events to launch a coffee and doughnut truck activation alongside the event. The truck increased brand awareness across the conference vicinity and also drove potential customers to visit Clari’s private event space nearby, all while providing delicious refurbishments to conference attendees. With Prospect Events handling all the planning, branding, city permitting, and logistics, Clari’s team could dedicate their focus to creating a remarkable experience for their target audience.

In addition to brand awareness plays, industry conferences also offer teams an opportunity to engage their key contacts directly. These VIP experiences can offer a relief from stuffy conference halls, enabling you to connect with current or potential customers in a unique and memorable way. 

Looking to stand out at Cannes Lions this year, data platform Audigent partnered with Prospect Events to organize a rooftop terrace gathering for their key customer contacts and executive stakeholders. Far from your average cocktail hour, Prospect Events helped Audigent hire leading rock band St. Lucia for an intimate live performance, delighting attendees and allowing Audigent’s team to build stronger relationships with their key stakeholders. 

3. Turn the holiday season into a revenue driver

Towards the end of Q4 comes the holiday season, which is often recognized as a time to wind down. The annual holiday party, in particular, is traditionally a ritual of communing with colleagues and bonding over the wins of the year, though is often associated with high costs and low-to-no ROI. 

But marketing teams under pressure to make the most of their Q4 budget may not have this luxury. By leveraging the holidays strategically, marketing leaders have the opportunity to turn the festive season from a cost center to a revenue driver. 

One way in which to do so is by capitalizing on the annual holiday party itself. If it makes sense for your company culture, leverage a portion of your Q4 events budget to elevate the opulence of your company holiday party and invite VIP customers and late-stage prospects to attend. Such experiences offer a great chance for key contacts to get face-to-face time with your leadership and an insight into your company culture. Alternatively, if you’re after a more intimate affair, you can also leverage the holiday season as a reason to plan an invite-only end-of-year gathering for these key contacts.

For a more scalable, remote-friendly option, you can also engage VIP contacts with personalized holiday gifting, distributing high-end swag and/or seasonal gift baskets. This can serve as a great way to increase loyalty with existing contacts, or to engage new contacts within existing customer accounts and set up expansion opportunities for 2025. 

How can Prospect Events help?

Every marketing organization is unique, and therefore needs to employ events in a unique way. At Prospect Events, we compliment your team in any way required to help you hit your objectives, whether that means working with Marketing, Sales, Customer Success, or even the CEO. 

We’ve spent years in-house and know how much each marketing dollar matters. While many event agencies will simply focus on making an event look pretty (with little thought of impact), we go beyond that and ensure events are additionally serving your goals and delivering ROI. 

But don’t just take our word for it, for more insights on what we’re seeing work in the field, you can subscribe to our monthly newsletter. 

Have an event you could use some support on? Book a time to chat with us.

Written By: Joey Colvin