Our VP of Sales forwarded me an email from a regional sales rep: "Can we sponsor the Healthcare IT Summit in Dallas? It's only $25K and all our competitors will be there."
It was the fourth event sponsorship request that week. We were already committed to $180K in conferences for the year. Sales kept finding more.
I said yes to Dallas. And to the DevOps conference in Austin the next week. And to the Finance Tech Summit the week after that.
By June, we'd spent $420K on events—nearly double our budget. Our CFO asked me to justify the ROI. I pulled the data: we'd generated $380K in pipeline from 23 events. Some events returned 8x our investment. Others returned nothing.
We were treating a $15K regional conference the same as a $60K tier-one industry event. We were sending the same resources to every show. We were measuring success the same way for events that had completely different purposes.
I had no strategy. I had a list of events we'd said yes to.
That's when I learned the hard way: the quality of your event strategy matters infinitely more than the quantity of events you attend. Attending 23 shows without a framework is less effective than strategically attending 12 with the right tier assignments and resource allocation.
Here's the framework I built to tier events, allocate budget, and turn conference chaos into a predictable pipeline machine.
The Problem With "Just Attend Everything"
Most companies don't have an event strategy. They have an event wish list that sales creates and marketing funds.
The pattern:
- Sales rep attends conference, sees competitors
- Rep emails: "We should sponsor this next year"
- Marketing says yes to avoid conflict
- Event gets added to the list
- List grows every year
- Budget explodes
- ROI becomes impossible to measure
We were stuck in this cycle. Every event felt important because someone believed it was. We had no framework to say no.
The breakthrough came when I stopped thinking about events as individual decisions and started thinking about them as a portfolio with different objectives.
Not every event exists to generate pipeline. Some exist to build brand in new markets. Some exist to retain customers. Some exist to gather competitive intelligence.
The mistake is treating them all the same and measuring them all by pipeline ROI.
The Three-Tier Framework That Changed Everything
I divided our events into three tiers based on objectives, investment level, and expected outcomes:
Tier 1: Strategic Flagship Events
- Large industry conferences where our entire market gathers
- High investment ($40K-$80K per event)
- Objective: Pipeline generation + brand positioning + market presence
- Example: Our industry's largest annual conference (20K+ attendees)
Tier 2: Targeted Market Events
- Mid-size conferences focused on specific verticals or regions
- Medium investment ($15K-$35K per event)
- Objective: Qualified pipeline in target segments
- Example: Regional healthcare IT conference (2K attendees)
Tier 3: Tactical Presence Events
- Smaller events, local meetups, partner co-marketing opportunities
- Low investment ($3K-$12K per event)
- Objective: Relationship building, competitive intelligence, customer engagement
- Example: Local product-led growth meetup (200 attendees)
The tier determines everything: budget allocation, staffing levels, booth size, pre-show outreach intensity, success metrics.
A Tier 1 event gets a $60K booth, six staff members, 40 pre-booked meetings, and a VP keynote. A Tier 3 event gets a branded table, one person, and a goal to have 10 quality conversations.
Once I started tiering events, our ROI became predictable because we were investing appropriately for the expected outcome.
How I Decide What Tier an Event Belongs In
Sales was still requesting events. But now I had criteria for evaluation.
For Tier 1 (flagship), events must meet 4 of 5:
- 5,000+ attendees with 60%+ from our ICP
- Top 3 competitors will have major presence
- Our leadership can secure speaking slot
- Historical data shows sub-$2K cost per qualified opportunity
- Event is recognized as "must attend" in our industry
We only do 3-4 Tier 1 events per year. These are non-negotiable budget commitments.
For Tier 2 (targeted), events must meet 3 of 5:
- 500+ attendees from a target vertical or region we're expanding into
- At least 2 target accounts attending (verified)
- Opportunity to generate 15+ qualified conversations
- Event theme aligns with our recent product launches
- Competitor presence suggests market validation
We do 8-10 Tier 2 events per year. These are where most pipeline comes from.
For Tier 3 (tactical), events must meet 2 of 4:
- Strong local customer or partner presence
- Low cost ($5K or less for sponsorship)
- Opportunity for customer case study, speaking, or thought leadership
- Competitive intelligence value (seeing what competitors are messaging)
We do 15-20 Tier 3 events per year. These are high-volume, low-cost relationship builders.
Anything that doesn't meet tier criteria gets declined. Sales initially pushed back. Then they saw the ROI improve and the pushback stopped.
Budget Allocation by Tier
Our total annual event budget: $280K (down from $420K the previous year).
How it breaks down:
Tier 1 events: $160K (57% of budget)
- 4 flagship events at $40K average
- Includes: Premium booth space, large booth build, 5-6 staff travel, promotional spend, entertainment/dinners
Tier 2 events: $90K (32% of budget)
- 9 targeted events at $10K average
- Includes: Standard booth, booth build, 2-3 staff travel, modest promotional spend
Tier 3 events: $30K (11% of budget)
- 18 tactical events at $1.6K average
- Includes: Sponsorship table, 1 person travel, minimal swag
The common mistake is spreading budget evenly. That means your flagship events are under-resourced and your tactical events are over-invested.
I'd rather dominate four major events than have mediocre presence at 15.
Staffing and Resource Allocation by Tier
Different tiers require radically different staffing models.
Tier 1 flagship events:
- 5-6 people for 3-4 days
- Mix: 2 sales reps (for qualification), 2 SEs (for demos), 1 PMM (for messaging), 1 executive (for strategic conversations)
- Pre-work: 6 weeks of account research, 40-50 pre-booked meetings
- Booth: Large enough for 3 concurrent demo stations
- Goal: 60-80 qualified conversations, $400K+ pipeline
Tier 2 targeted events:
- 2-3 people for 2-3 days
- Mix: 1 sales rep, 1 SE, optionally 1 regional PMM
- Pre-work: 3 weeks of account research, 15-20 pre-booked meetings
- Booth: Standard 10x10 with demo station
- Goal: 20-30 qualified conversations, $150K+ pipeline
Tier 3 tactical events:
- 1 person for 1-2 days
- Usually: Local sales rep or field marketer
- Pre-work: Minimal, maybe 3-5 customer meetings booked
- Booth: Branded table or pop-up
- Goal: 10-15 quality conversations, relationship building, competitive intel
The biggest waste I see at events is over-staffing Tier 3 events and under-staffing Tier 1 events.
You don't need four people at a 200-person local meetup. You do need six people at a 15,000-person industry conference.
Success Metrics by Tier
Measuring all events by pipeline ROI was killing our ability to evaluate strategy.
A Tier 3 event that costs $2K and generates zero pipeline but results in three customer case study commitments is a massive win. If I'm measuring it purely by pipeline, it looks like a failure.
Tier 1 flagship metrics:
- Pipeline generated (target: $400K+ per event)
- Cost per qualified opportunity (target: <$2K)
- Brand lift (measured through survey pre/post)
- Speaking opportunities secured
- Competitive insights gathered
Tier 2 targeted metrics:
- Pipeline generated (target: $150K+ per event)
- Cost per qualified opportunity (target: <$3K)
- New logo opportunities (vs. expansion)
- Regional market penetration
Tier 3 tactical metrics:
- Quality conversations (target: 10-15)
- Customer engagement (case studies, testimonials, references)
- Partnership development
- Competitive intelligence value
- Cost per conversation (target: <$200)
Now when sales asks "was that event worth it?" I have tier-appropriate answers.
The Annual Planning Process
Every October, I build next year's event calendar using this framework:
Step 1: Tier 1 flagship events (locked by November)
I identify the 3-4 must-attend industry events. These are non-negotiable. Budget gets allocated first. These events get booked 8-12 months in advance for best pricing and placement.
Step 2: Tier 2 targeted events (locked by December)
I work with regional sales leaders to identify 8-10 vertical or regional events that align with expansion plans.
Questions I ask:
- Which regions are we expanding into next year?
- Which verticals are we prioritizing?
- Where are we seeing competitor momentum that we need to counter?
Step 3: Tier 3 tactical events (flexible throughout year)
I reserve 10-15% of budget for opportunistic events that emerge during the year. Local customer events, partner co-marketing opportunities, competitive response events.
These don't get locked in annual planning. We evaluate quarterly.
Step 4: Scoring and prioritization
For events we're considering, I score them:
- Audience fit (0-10): What % of attendees match our ICP?
- Timing (0-10): Does this align with product launches or campaigns?
- Competition (0-10): Will our competitors be there? Do we need presence?
- Historical ROI (0-10): If we've attended before, what was the return?
- Strategic value (0-10): Does this support expansion, retention, or brand goals?
Events scoring 40+ are strong candidates. Events below 30 get declined.
This scoring framework ended the political battles over which events to attend. It's not my opinion vs. sales opinions. It's objective criteria.
When to Say No (And How)
The framework gave me a defensible way to decline events.
Before the framework: Sales: "We should sponsor the SaaStr conference." Me: "I'm not sure we have budget." Sales: "But all our competitors will be there!" Me: (anxiously checking budget, eventually saying yes to avoid conflict)
After the framework: Sales: "We should sponsor the SaaStr conference." Me: "Let's score it. Audience fit: 7/10. Timing: 5/10. Competition: 9/10. Historical ROI: We haven't attended. Strategic value: 6/10. Total score: 27/50. That's below our threshold for Tier 2 events. We could consider it as Tier 3 with a small table, but we wouldn't do a booth."
The framework makes the decision criteria transparent. Sales understands why we're saying no and what would change the answer.
Real ROI: Before and After Tiering
Before tiering framework (2023):
- Events attended: 23
- Total spend: $420K
- Pipeline generated: $1.2M
- Cost per opportunity: $4,100
- ROI: Impossible to calculate cleanly (mixed objectives)
After tiering framework (2024):
- Events attended: 31 (more events, strategic allocation)
- Total spend: $280K (33% budget reduction)
- Pipeline generated: $1.8M (50% increase)
- Cost per opportunity: $1,850 (55% improvement)
- Tier 1 ROI: 7.2x
- Tier 2 ROI: 5.1x
- Tier 3 ROI: Not measured by pipeline (relationship/intel focus)
The shift: Fewer expensive events where we didn't belong. More strategic presence at the right events with appropriate investment.
Common Tiering Mistakes I See
Mistake 1: Too many Tier 1 events
Companies try to treat 8-10 events as "flagship" level. You can't. You don't have the budget or resources to execute 10 events at Tier 1 level.
If everything is a priority, nothing is a priority.
Fix: Limit Tier 1 to 3-4 events maximum. Be ruthless. These are the events where you're going all-in.
Mistake 2: Spending Tier 1 money on Tier 3 events
I see companies spend $30K on a 500-person regional event that should be a $5K table sponsorship.
Fix: Match investment to tier. Don't over-invest in events that don't warrant it just because "we're already sponsoring."
Mistake 3: Measuring Tier 3 events by Tier 1 metrics
A $3K local meetup won't generate $200K pipeline. If you measure it that way, it looks like a failure when it might be succeeding at its actual purpose (customer relationships, competitive intel).
Fix: Define tier-appropriate metrics before the event. Measure what matters for that tier.
Mistake 4: No criteria for tier assignment
Events get tiered based on gut feel instead of objective criteria. Sales argues their favorite event should be Tier 1. Marketing doesn't have a framework to push back.
Fix: Use the scoring framework. Make criteria transparent. Remove emotion from the decision.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Event Strategy
Most companies don't have an event strategy. They have an event calendar that accumulated over years through sales requests and marketing trying to keep everyone happy.
They're spending $300K-$500K annually without knowing which events actually drive business outcomes vs. which events exist because "we've always attended."
The hard truth: attending fewer events with strategic tiering will drive better ROI than attending every event with equal investment.
Three Tier 1 events with full pre-show outreach, proper staffing, and excellent execution will outperform 15 events with mediocre presence.
But saying no is hard. Sales will push back. Leadership might question why you're not at a conference where competitors are present.
That's why the tiering framework matters. It gives you objective criteria to defend decisions.
What doesn't work:
- Saying yes to every sales request to avoid conflict
- Treating all events equally regardless of size or purpose
- Spreading budget evenly across all events
- Measuring tactical events by pipeline ROI
- Making tier decisions based on politics instead of criteria
What works:
- Clear tier definitions with objective scoring criteria
- Budget allocation weighted toward Tier 1 (57%+ of budget)
- Tier-appropriate staffing and resource allocation
- Tier-specific success metrics
- Annual planning that locks Tier 1/2, keeps Tier 3 flexible
The best event strategies:
- 3-4 Tier 1 events where you dominate (large booth, full staffing, pre-booked meetings)
- 8-10 Tier 2 events aligned with expansion priorities (standard booth, qualified pipeline focus)
- 15-20 Tier 3 events for relationships and intel (small presence, low cost)
- Objective scoring framework that removes politics from decisions
- Tier-appropriate metrics that measure what actually matters
If you're attending more than 6-7 events at "Tier 1" investment levels, you're spreading yourself too thin and under-performing everywhere.
Build the framework. Tier the events. Invest appropriately. Say no to events that don't meet criteria.
Your CFO will thank you when ROI becomes measurable. Your sales team will thank you when pipeline quality improves. Your event team will thank you when they can actually execute well instead of scrambling across 30 mediocre activations.
The goal isn't to attend the most events. The goal is to attend the right events with the right investment to drive measurable business outcomes.
That requires strategy, not just a calendar.