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In the digital-first era of SaaS, it's easy to get caught up in the allure of purely online strategies. SEO, paid ads, content marketing, and social media are all undeniably powerful channels. Yet, as many early-stage B2B SaaS founders and GTM leaders discover, there's a potent, often overlooked channel that continues to deliver unparalleled results for customer acquisition and retention: in-person events.
While digital channels are essential — you can reach anyone, anywhere, and at anytime! — the tangible connection forged face-to-face remains an irreplaceable asset in building trust, demonstrating value, and accelerating growth.
Events Rated As Most Effective Go-To-Market Channel Across All ARR Cohorts
We’ve seen a growing trend in GTM channel effectiveness across our portfolio over the past 12 months: investing in events has led to real pipeline growth, deals won, and renewals for existing customers. And what we believed to be true (events are outperforming other channels when looking at direct impact on pipeline) was also confirmed in our 2025 SaaS Benchmarks Report.
When asked to choose the most effective GTM channels over the past year (respondents were allowed to select more than one option), events rose to the top. Whether a company is under $1 million in ARR or greater than $50 million ARR, events are consistently rated as a high-performing GTM channels for their teams and businesses — with 79% of respondants at SaaS companies wtih $20M-50M ARR identifying events as an effective channel for their teams.
Reported Effectiveness of GTM Channel by Company ARR
Our data shows that channel effectiveness can ebb and flow as companies start small and get bigger. For example, while outbound sales can be crucial in the very early stages of a SaaS company (peaking in the $1M-5M ARR range, as 41% of respondents noted it as an effective channel), its impact tends to diminish as a company scales (just 20% of respondents reported outbound effectiveness in the Greater Than $50M ARR cohort).
In contrast, more robust strategies like account-based marketing tend to become more impactful as a company scales, as 45% of companies $20M-50M ARR reported it as an effective GTM channel compared to just 16% of companies with less than $1M ARR. And, for early stage startups, founder-led evangelism is much more effective than at the later stages: 37% of SaaS companies with $1M-5M ARR reported it as an effective channel compared to just 10% of SaaS companies with $20M-50M ARR.
But the channel that consistently ranks high for both smaller and larger SaaS companies alike? Events. This is also consistent with other data we’re seeing. Both intimate events and large conferences landed in Kyle Poyar’s “Tried-and-True” quadrant in his State of B2B GTM report:
Why this enduring power for events? In a world saturated with digital noise, human connection cuts through. SaaS, particularly B2B, often involves complex solutions and significant investments from businesses. Meeting prospects and existing customers in person allows for:
- Building trust and rapport: There's an innate human element to sealing a deal or deepening a relationship that a video call simply can't replicate.
- Demonstrating product value directly: Live demos and hands-on workshops at events provide a far more engaging experience than pre-recorded videos.
- Gathering unfiltered feedback: Direct conversations lead to invaluable insights for product development and customer success.
- Networking and serendipitous connections: Events are breeding grounds for partnerships, referrals, and unexpected opportunities.
- Memorable experiences: Events allow for incredibly personalized, unique experiences. From bespoke user conferences to creative excursions — we’ve seen companies hire color experts and stylists to engage with their ICP — thoughtful experiences tend to be remembered.
- Interesting merch: We’re not talking about the generic YETI mug. Merch has the ability to break through the noise and say something about your brand, team, and product when executed in a tasteful way.
Maximizing Your ROI: Strategies for Impact
By now, it's apparent that events can be highly effective no matter the stage of your company. But to truly leverage in-person events, you need a strategic approach that goes beyond simply showing up.
The Booth Is Just the Beginning
While agreeing to sponsor a conference and securing a booth can definitely be impactful, taking your event strategy to the next level requires thinking outside the booth.
Strategic Sponsorship: Choose conferences whose attendees perfectly match your ideal customer profile. Don't just set up a booth — aim for speaking slots, panel discussions, or sponsored workshops that position you as a thought leader.
Targeted Networking: Research attendees beforehand. Schedule meetings, attend relevant sessions, and actively seek out decision-makers. Use event apps to your advantage.
Engaging Experiences: In addition to handing out thoughtful swag or merch, offer interactive demos, host a small, exclusive dinner for key prospects, or create a unique experience at your booth that sparks conversation.
Exclusive VIP Events: Host small, high-touch events for your top-tier customers. These appreciation events reinforce relationships and can lead to upsells and advocacy.
Integrating Offline Engagement into Digital Systems
The true power of in-person events is unlocked when integrated with your digital strategy. One part of hosting or showing up to events that oftentimes gets overlooked is the work that goes in before the event (getting the right people to register and show up) and after the event (following up, reporting, understanding true impact).
Some things to keep in mind:
Pre-Event Digital Buzz: Promote your event, speaking slots, or workshops heavily across your digital channels (social media, email, blog). Create landing pages for event-specific registrations or content.
Partnerships to Drive Attendance: Consider strategic partnerships that allow you to tap into complementary networks to boost event attendance and excitement.
1:1 Invitations: Oftentimes, getting the right people to your event requires a 1:1 approach, not just a 1:many approach. Consider personal outreach to high-visibility brands and people — then use growing attendance numbers to encourage others to attend as well.
Lead Capture & CRM Integration: Ensure you're not only capturing relevant information, but that the data also makes it way back into your CRM.
Content Creation Goldmine: Repurpose event content (presentations, panel discussions, interviews) into blog posts, videos, podcasts, and social media snippets. This extends the event's reach and value.
Post-Event Digital Nurturing: Follow up diligently with all leads gathered at the event through personalized email campaigns, retargeting ads, and outreach from your sales team. Segment based on interaction level.
Social Amplification: Encourage attendees to share their experiences on social media. Live-tweet sessions or post real-time updates from your company's social accounts.
Lastly, Consider Events As a Brand Building Lever
Events — especially those you host — are a brand building experience, and an opportunity to leave a lasting impression.
We host an annual CEO retreat for our portfolio, which we call XO Summit. This isn’t a novel idea, but rather how we execute it and the choices we make are important in reinforcing our brand. Some non-negotiables for XO Summit include:
- Hosting the three-day event in a semi-remote location (we’ve been everywhere from Jackson Hole, Wyoming to Wanship, Utah)
- Capping attendance to ensure it feels intimate
- Bringing in world-class speakers and experts, and
- Adding a touch of adventure (in Tucson, everyone jumped on horses for “team penning”).
For us, this event is about building relationships, embracing adventure, and gaining inspiration from some amazing speakers. We plan each and every detail to meet that goal.
Wrapping It Up
In-person events remain a vital cornerstone of the marketing mix. When B2B SaaS companies elevate their execution through intentional, branded experiences, they unlock a scalable channel that does what digital can't: build deep trust and accelerate growth at every level.
