Your congress should be a content engine

You’re already putting a lot into your next congress. But are you getting everything you could out of it?

The experts you want to interview. The demonstrations that show what your products can actually do. The presentations and symposia you’ve spent months preparing.

At a congress, they’re all in one place. For anyone with a content calendar to fill, it’s an opportunity that would be verging on criminal to miss.

That very thought, coupled with seeing too many great stands fly under the radar on his travels, prompted our Joint MD, John, to recently make the case for content that works as hard as your stand.

It’s an observation that’s built on an irrefutable premise: with the right approach, your congress can become one of the hardest-working investments in your calendar.

So, in that very same vein, here are five effective ways of revving that engine.

1. Your experts are already there. Let’s get their thoughts

A congress naturally brings together the people your audience wants to hear from. With our crew on the ground already, you have everything you need to capture their thinking while you’ve got them.

With a bit of agility, a few well-planned conversations can give you a whole bank of thought leadership resources. We’re talking:

Importantly, the congress gives you access to thought leaders, but it doesn’t have to set the agenda. The floor is yours to ask about the topics your audience cares about, whether that’s an industry challenge or an emerging trend. The setting is simply the facilitator.

There you have it, weeks or even months of content just from one interaction.

2. Let key opinion leaders do the talking

You can explain what your products offer until the cows come home, but nothing hits quite as hard as hearing first-hand from the people who’re using them in real-world scenarios.

Those people are also notoriously tricky to get in front of a camera. Handy, then, that they’re already coming to you.

Crucially, this is your chance to get beyond an endorsement and into the detail. That could mean:

All of which give you a wealth of experienced voices sharing the practical details their peers want to hear, plus plenty of content to repurpose across everything from social campaigns and websites to internal comms and future product launches.

3. Don’t let the learning leave with your audience

A lot of time and effort go into your product demonstrations, workshops, presentations, symposia and expert sessions. Once they’re delivered, why leave all that knowledge in the congress hall?

Record those sessions and you’ve got the foundations for:

And viewers don’t have to sit through the whole session. We can turn longer recordings into shorter, focused edits, making it easier for different audiences to pinpoint what’s useful for them.

4. Get your leaders in front of the camera, too

A congress often brings your senior team together in one place. If you’ve ever tried to find a filming slot in their diaries, you’ll know how fleeting those opportunities can be.

With the crew already there, a little time set aside could give you:

Think about what your colleagues need to hear over the coming months and get those conversations in the diary.

They don’t necessarily have to be polished; sometimes that’s actually part of the charm. A relaxed, off-the-cuff conversation can feel far more personal than a carefully rehearsed script.

5. Make the most of the moment

Up until now, we’ve looked at how your congress can keep your content calendar ticking over for months. But let’s not forget there’s plenty to make the most of while it’s happening, too.

As John explores in his piece, the benefits of capturing what’s happening on your stand and getting it out into the world while the things are still in full swing can be huge.

It’s not just anecdotal. With an on-site filming and live edit team, we’ve recorded:

Every single client who’s used this service has also chosen to repeat it the following year.

The immediate response is part of a bigger picture. By giving people a reason to care in the moment, your next video, article or training module has something to build on. Less starting from scratch, more carrying on the conversation.

Turn the ignition

The best time to start your content engine is well before your next congress gets underway. Get in touch and let’s discuss how those on-stand opportunities could fuel your content calendar for months to come.