Your Event’s Got Great Vibes—Turn Them Into Pipeline

According to Forrester, 49% of CMOs say events are more important today than before the pandemic. And for good reason: they can capture rich, real-time intent from buyers in ways digital campaigns alone can’t.

So why do marketing teams still treat event data like a post-mortem? Well, acting on that data quickly is easier said than done. Most teams don’t have streamlined access to event metrics, and a lot of this technology is still new or locked behind expensive platforms 👀

We think the future of real-time intent data is seriously cool. But you also don’t need a hyper-connected martech stack to do better.

Today’s most advanced event tech can track session attendance, booth dwell time, poll responses, resource downloads, badge scans, app engagement, live chat interactions, and even participation in Q&As or breakout rooms.

Why the deep dive into event ones and zeros? Gartner tells us that 83% of the typical B2B buying journey happens before a buyer engages directly with a sales rep. This pre-sales engagement extends to the time during and immediately after events, as well.

And while most teams aren’t wired to use all of that data in real time, that doesn’t mean you can’t work with what you’ve got. Even faster-than-average beats same-old-slow. Acting on signals while the event is still happening (or right after) can:

• Find patterns in how buying teams engage
• Route high-value accounts to the right play and channel
• Turn an engaged conversation into a pipeline opportunity

Make sense?

One great example came from Liz McComas, our AVP of Digital Media, during the Wednesday Women coffee meet-up at this year’s SaaStr Conference in San Mateo, CA. “The meet-up sparked several conversations with other women leaders in marketing, including a follow-up with a potential SEO lead,” Liz explains. “It’s a good reminder that even casual connections—like a coffee chat—can lead to meaningful opportunities.”

You don’t need a 15-tool stack to pull off smart mid-event outreach. But you do need a shared plan and a bias for action. Here’s a playbook that works:

Pull what you can, from badge scans and app logs to booth notes and survey responses. Even a shared Google Sheet can be a step up.

Set triggers by signal type. Attended a pricing session? Drop them into a mid-funnel email stream. No automation? No problem. Assign someone to tag high-intent attendees each day and prep next steps.

Ditch the rote follow-ups. Customize copy and CTAs based on the content attendees interacted with, rather than generic post-event push messaging.

Predictive scoring can spotlight which accounts are showing heat and which are just browsing. If you’ve got it, use it to focus spend and sales effort.

Push summaries into your CRM. Make it easy to know who did what, and what to say next.

Another example: We use Qualified’s Piper tool for inbound chat, where it helps identify whether a visitor is part of our TAL or attended a recent event. Our Marketing Technology Manager Corinne Tippett notes, “One of our clients uses these insights to deliver differentiated experiences. Piper references this data to tailor everything from chat introductions to content offers to routing.”

It’s one of the ways even light event data—like who visited your booth or downloaded a session resource—can carry through to onsite engagement and live chat follow-ups that feel more impactful.

Intent-led campaigns can seriously improve lead quality. That’s because teams get to work from data-driven signals rather than outdated personas or guesswork. That said, don’t go overboard 🚢 Respect timing and tone. Hammering someone with three follow-ups in 12 hours can hurt more than help.

What makes event intent data uniquely powerful is its immediacy and specificity. Even without fancy predictive AI or full automation, you can use:

• Dynamic segmentation: Group by behavior instead of just job title
• Sequential messaging: Plan 3-4 touches that build context instead of urgency
• Content prioritization: Personalize with a partner like PathFactory or Mutiny to ensure your landing pages reflect the offer and themes from the event.

Our head of Marketing, Gina Inks notes, “With PathFactory, we turn static follow-up into smart, personalized content journeys that match what your prospects saw at the event—so they keep clicking, learning, and converting, all in one seamless flow.”

Bottom line? When you pair real-time intent with personalized, event-aligned content, you’re not just following up—you’re following through. And that’s what turns booth buzz into actual pipeline.

Final Word: Events Are Loud. Intent Is the Signal.

Every booth visit, download, and session question is a window into what your buyers need. When you act on those signals, you turn fleeting interest into momentum. The good news? Not every tool needs to be cutting-edge. Not every signal needs to be instant.

But for teams who are ready to shift from passive collection to proactive engagement, event intent data offers an exciting edge. It offers the opportunity to follow up faster and more meaningfully, while your message is still fresh.