Why most Partner events underdeliver
Events remain one of the fastest ways for Microsoft Partners to generate pipeline - a well-run stand at a Microsoft event or a sharp customer roundtable can produce more qualified conversations in a day than a quarter of paid social. But most Partners we speak to still walk away from events feeling underwhelmed, and the reason is almost always the same.
The event gets planned in silos. Sales owns the invite list, marketing owns the stand, someone junior owns the collateral, and nobody quite owns the follow-up. The result is a stand that looks fine, a delegate list that never gets worked, and a pile of business cards that goes cold within a fortnight.
The fix isn't more effort. It's a proper checklist, agreed early, with clear owners against every line. This is the one we use with Microsoft Partners.
8-12 weeks before: strategy and planning
- 1
Agree the objective
What does 'success' actually look like? Number of qualified conversations? Meetings booked on stand? Executive briefings with named accounts? Write it down before you spend a penny.
- 2
Define the audience
Which buyer personas do you want on the stand? Which named accounts are you actively trying to pull in? Share the list with sales and Microsoft account teams so they can help drive attendance.
- 3
Nail the proposition
One line that explains why a busy CIO or CFO should stop at your stand. Not a list of Microsoft Solutions Partner designations - a reason they'd care.
- 4
Agree the budget
Stand, build, promo items, collateral, hospitality, on-the-day team, travel. Get it costed properly up front rather than absorbing 'small' extras as you go.
- 5
Check Co-op / MDF eligibility
If the event ties to a Microsoft solution area or joint campaign, it's often Co-op or MDF eligible. Get that conversation started with your Microsoft contacts early - approvals take time.
6-8 weeks before: creative and build
- 1
Stand and exhibition design
Design that reflects your brand, not the venue's template. Clear headline, clear proposition, clear call to action visible from ten metres away.
- 2
Physical build and logistics
Book the stand build, storage, transport and rigging. Confirm what the venue provides (power, wi-fi, furniture) so you don't pay twice.
- 3
Collateral and content
One-pagers per solution area, a pitch deck for on-stand demos, printed leave-behinds and digital assets ready to email as follow-up.
- 4
Promotional items
Give something people actually want. Well-made, on-brand items with a purpose beat a bowl of branded pens every time.
- 5
Pre-event campaign
Email, LinkedIn, sales outreach and Microsoft co-marketing to drive named accounts and target personas to the stand. 'Come and see us' is not a campaign - offer a reason.
2-4 weeks before: readiness
- 1
Brief the on-stand team
Everyone on the stand knows the objective, the proposition, the qualifying questions and how to hand off a hot lead. Run a dry run - don't wing it.
- 2
Lead capture set up
Agree how you'll capture leads (badge scan, form, app), where they land (CRM), and who owns follow-up before the event, not after.
- 3
Meetings booked in advance
The best stands run half-full of pre-booked meetings. Have sales and Microsoft account teams book named-account conversations into the schedule now.
- 4
Executive presence agreed
Which of your leaders will be on stand, when, and for what conversations? Executive time is your most powerful magnet - schedule it deliberately.
On the day
- 1
Arrive early and set up properly
Test the AV, straighten the graphics, brief the team once more, make sure lead capture is working before doors open.
- 2
Work the stand actively
Nobody engages with a stand where people are on their phones. Stand up, face the aisle, open with a question - not 'can I help you?'.
- 3
Qualify hard, follow up faster
Not every scan is a lead. Tag hot conversations in the moment and get a follow-up email out that afternoon while the memory is still fresh.
- 4
Capture stories and content
Photos, short video clips, quotes from customers and Microsoft contacts. This is the content that fuels your post-event marketing.
The week after: follow-up and reporting
- 1
Follow up within 48 hours
Personalised email from the person they met on stand. Not a generic 'thanks for visiting' blast. This is where most events lose 80% of their pipeline value.
- 2
Nurture the warm middle
Not every conversation is ready to buy. Add them to a proper nurture sequence tied to the solution they showed interest in - not your generic newsletter.
- 3
Debrief the team
What worked, what didn't, what to change next time. Do it within a week while it's fresh - not next quarter when you're planning the next event.
- 4
Report against the objective
Qualified conversations, meetings booked, pipeline influenced, cost per opportunity. Tie it back to the objective you agreed 12 weeks ago.
What most Partners forget
The bit that separates good event marketing from great is the follow-up plan - and it's the bit that's almost always thrown together in the final week. If you only get one thing right from this checklist, make it that.
The other quiet killer is not involving Microsoft early enough. Your Microsoft account team, Partner Development Manager and any relevant specialists can help drive attendance, co-fund the moment and open executive doors - if you brief them in time. Bring them in at the strategy stage, not the week before doors open.