That is rarely a problem with the event. It is a problem with the promotion: a flyer taped up a week out, one email, and nobody following up with the contractors who said they would come. We run event promotion as a campaign with a date on it, and every piece is aimed at one number — how many of the right people walk through the door.
Event Marketing for Distributor Branches and Contractors
A manufacturer rep drives in, the branch orders lunch, the demo is set up — and eleven people come, most of whom were going to be at the counter that day anyway.
Event marketing is the promotion of a business's in-person events — vendor training days, open houses, grand openings and customer appreciation events — so the right people register and show up. A&B Consulting Group runs event promotion for building supply distributors, contractors and local businesses: flyers, email, social, registration pages and follow-up. We are based in Burr Ridge, Illinois and serve Chicago and the western suburbs, and remotely for clients in 17 states.
Turnout is decided in the three weeks before the event
Contractors plan their weeks around jobs, not around your calendar. An invitation that arrives four days out competes with a crew that is already booked; one that arrives three weeks out, followed by a reminder and a text the day before, gets a slot.
So the schedule works backward from the event date. Announcement first, a registration page live from day one, reminders at set intervals, and a last nudge close enough to the day that nobody forgets. Each step is small. Skipping them is how a good event ends up with an empty room.
What we promote
Most of our event work is for distributor branches, and most of it falls into a few types that repeat every year.
- Vendor and manufacturer training days — product training, installer certification and demo days, built with the rep and to their brand standards
- Open houses, grand openings and showroom relaunches
- Customer appreciation events — holiday lunches, cookouts, year-end parties
- Vendor promotion days run across several branches with one message and local details
- Trade nights and vendor showcases where several manufacturers share a room
What a campaign includes
Not every event needs all of it. A small open house may need a flyer and a QR code. A multi-vendor showcase needs the full sequence. We scope each one to its size rather than selling the same package every time.
- Event flyer for the counter, for reps to hand out, and for mailing
- Email invitation and timed reminders as the date gets close
- Social posts, and paid social targeted to the branch's trade area where it is worth it
- Registration page or form with a QR code, so you know who is coming before the day
- Confirmation and reminder messages to everyone who registers
- Direct mail or self-mailers to your contractor list when the event warrants the postage
- Photos and a recap post afterward, and a follow-up to attendees while the event is fresh
Built for multi-branch distributors
A distributor with branches in several states can run dozens of events a year, and starting each one from a blank page is where the time goes. We build one approved template per event type and drop in each branch's address, date, manager and vendor.
Manufacturer approval is handled as part of the work. Vendor logos, product claims and legal lines are checked against the manufacturer's guidelines before anything goes to print, so a rep is not asking for changes the day before the mailer drops.
Events also go on a calendar rather than arriving as emergencies. When branch events are planned by quarter, promotion starts on time and print runs are not rushed.
Events and co-op funds
Some manufacturer co-op programs reimburse part of the cost of promoting an event that features their product — flyers, mailers, email and ads. The rules differ by program, and claims are won or lost on compliance decided before production, not after.
When an event involves a manufacturer, we check what their program covers and produce to spec, so the material that fills the room can be partly paid for by the brand being promoted in it.
Knowing whether it worked
Registration is the measurement. Because people sign up through a form, you have a count before the day, a list afterward, and a comparison between the two. That list is also the follow-up audience — the contractors who came are the warmest leads the branch will have all month.
How It Works
What the engagement looks like.
1
Brief
The event, the date, the vendor and who you want in the room. Four weeks out is ideal; two weeks is workable without direct mail.
2
Plan
Channels chosen for the size of the event, with promotion dates set backward from the event day.
3
Produce
Flyer, registration page, emails and posts, checked against the manufacturer's standards and approved in one round.
4
Promote and follow up
Everything goes out on schedule, registrations are tracked, and attendees hear from you after the day.
InvestmentGet a firm number
Priced to the scope of the work.
Priced per event. A flyer-only event is a small fraction of a full campaign, and repeat events get cheaper once the template exists.
What moves the number:
- Which channels the event needs, from a flyer only to a full sequence
- Print quantities and whether direct mail and postage are involved
- Whether the event runs at one branch or is repeated across several
- Whether paid social is part of the promotion
- Whether co-op claim documentation is included
Platforms & Tools
What we build and report on.
Jotform registrationQR codesActiveCampaignFacebook & InstagramDirect mail and self-mailersManufacturer co-op portals
Service Areas
Where we work.
In person across Chicago and the western suburbs, and remotely for clients in 17 states. Our office is at 1333 Burr Ridge Pkwy Ste 200-260, Burr Ridge, IL 60527.
Burr RidgeOak BrookOakbrook TerraceHinsdaleDowners GroveNapervilleLemontWillowbrookDarienWestmontLombardElmhurstLa GrangeWestern SpringsBolingbrookOrland ParkJolietChicago
Related
Where to go next.
Co-op programs
When the manufacturer can fund the promotion.
Learn more →Design & print
Flyers, mailers and signage for the day.
Learn more →Email marketing
Invitations, reminders and follow-up.
Learn more →Sales enablement
Line cards and leave-behinds for the room.
Learn more →Construction distribution
Where most of our event work happens.
Learn more →Plan an event
Learn more →FAQs
Event Marketing — questions we get asked
How far ahead do we need to start?
Four weeks is ideal. Two weeks is workable for a flyer, email and registration page. Anything involving direct mail needs time for printing and postage, so plan on three to four weeks for those.
Can you just do the flyer?
Yes. Plenty of events only need a flyer and a QR code to a registration form. You decide the scope, and we will tell you if we think the event needs more to fill the room.
Do you work with the manufacturer's rep?
Yes. We get logos, product claims and approvals from the rep so the material matches their standards — and qualifies for co-op where their program covers event promotion.
Can you run the same event at several branches?
That is most of what we do. One approved template per event type, with each branch's address, date and manager dropped in.
How do we know if it worked?
Registrations come in through a form, so you have a count before the day and a list afterward. We compare registrations to attendance and send the follow-up to everyone who came.
Let's talk about your event marketing.
Tell us where you are now. We'll tell you what we'd do first — and if you don't need us yet, we'll say so.
Get Started