If you’re heading to the European Collaboration Summit in Düsseldorf at the end of this month, you’re about to step into one of the best content marketing opportunities of the year. With over 3,000 delegates expected to gather to discuss Microsoft 365, Copilot, Viva and SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Modern Work, and more, this event is set to be a goldmine for fresh, relevant content for your audience.
From years in content marketing, we know that conferences are packed with content opportunities. Blog posts, podcasts, video snippets, social media updates – you name it, it’s all there waiting for you. But the key to standing out is finding your own unique angle on topics everyone else is covering.
So, here are the tips we share with clients that are most effective for creating standout content at events like this…
Before the event
- Set clear goals: Be intentional. Decide beforehand which sessions you’ll live-tweet on X, who you’d love to interview, and which topics will click most with your target audience.
- Scout the agenda: Dive into the schedule early. Look for sessions on M365 Copilot, Security, Viva and SharePoint, or Teams, and plan your approach around what your customers will want to know about.
- Reach out early: Make connections before you arrive. Set up meetings ahead of time so that you’re guaranteed quality conversations, making for richer content during and after.
- Promote your attendance: Let your audience know you’ll be there. Post a quick update on LinkedIn or your blog, sharing your excitement and inviting your followers to keep up with your live updates.
At the summit
- Capture content in real time: Once there, go live – share insights, live-blog sessions, and behind-the-scenes glimpses. Real-time content is highly engaging and positions you as an active part of the conversation.
- Focus on a single platform: Instead of spreading yourself thin, choose one primary platform that aligns best with your audience – whether that’s X for instant updates or LinkedIn for deeper reflections.
- Interview thought leaders: If possible, grab a quick chat with speakers after their session to garner extra insights, so you can differentiate your content and bring added value to your audience.
- Get visual: Take plenty of photos and video clips. Don’t worry about them having to look professional, ‘authentic’ content adds personality.
Advice for sponsors with a booth:
If you’re a sponsor, take advantage of your position. For example, if you know you’re going to be close to the break-out area bring your own refreshments to entice people in.
- Have meaningful conversations: Once people are at your booth, avoid hard selling, it’s really off-putting. Instead, engage your booth visitors with open-ended questions that help to reveal their real needs and interests. For example, a hot topic at the moment, “How are you currently approaching the introduction of AI/Copilot into your organisation. What are the biggest hurdles?”
- Create interactive moments: Make your booth memorable by displaying engaging backdrops or pull-up banners, conduct live demos or plan to have some fun giveaways. And once they’re at your stand, encourage your visitors to take a selfie with you and share their experience on socials.
- Take a note: Have someone on your booth dedicated to makings notes of conversation topics, sound bites, and even interviews. Put them in charge of taking candid photos of visitors interacting with your products and team, which are great to use on socials to drive awareness and a buzz.
After the event
After the event, it’s time to put the work in, transforming the content you’ve gathered from various formats. This is where a team like ours can help. We can turn your session notes into blog posts, create infographics from key insights, and turn loose interviews into long-form thought-leader articles. Either way, if you do it or commission a team like us, these are some of the tips we recommend:
- Create evergreen content: Transform notes and interviews into advice-led long-form articles, downloadable guides, podcasts, or infographics. Keep the content evergreen, which means it will still be valuable in 12 months’ time. And remember, the content should serve your target audience’s needs. Put yourself in their shoes and ask, what will be the most useful take-aways they’d like to know?
- Summarise your insights: Compile your experiences into digestible pieces like “Top 5 Insights from ECS2025” to engage your audience post-event and pick up likes/shares from the event host.
- Keep conversations alive: If you’ve mentioned or quoted a speaker or attendee in your piece, remember to tag them on socials when you come to share the content, this helps to keep the conversation going.
Post event reflections: Measure and improve
Once the dust has settled and you’re back into your old routine, take the time to use analytics to track the success of your content. Pay attention to what resonated most with your audience.
Identify content winners: Was it your videos, social posts, or detailed blogs? Understanding this will help you to refine, inform, and enhance your approach to content creation at future conferences.
Events like the European Collaboration Summit provide unmatched opportunities to connect, learn, and produce authentic content that truly resonates with your audience. If you’re looking to elevate your content strategy or need support turning event insights into impactful campaigns, reach out to our experienced team – we’re here to help you turn conversations into compelling stories.
