Startup Playbook: How to Make Events Work for You

As the busiest stretch of the B2B calendar approaches, startups in deep tech, climate tech, and related industries have a unique opportunity to leverage event participation to elevate their visibility, foster connections, and drive business growth. With flagship events like Hello Tomorrow in Paris on the horizon, a strong public relations and communication strategy is critical to standing out amidst the crowd.

Drawing from our expertise at EDERA Lab, here are four essential strategies to ensure your company maximizes its impact during this event season.

1. Build an Events and Milestones Calendar for Maximum Impact

Effective event participation begins with detailed planning. A well-structured calendar not only helps you stay organized but also ensures your communication efforts align with key milestones and deadlines.

Action Steps:

• Identify events most relevant to your industry and target audience, from major conferences to niche summits.

• Map out critical dates such as speaking engagements, panel discussions, product launches, or announcements.

• Integrate these milestones into your LinkedIn content strategy to promote your participation and generate pre-event buzz.

Pro Tip: Advance announcements on LinkedIn are particularly effective in increasing event visibility. These posts inform your audience, signal activity to investors and media, and build anticipation. Schedule posts several weeks before the event for optimal reach.

2. Leverage Events to Build Stakeholder Engagement

Events and summits are much more than networking opportunities—they are platforms to actively engage with stakeholders. Whether your goal is connecting with investors, securing media attention, or cultivating industry partnerships, LinkedIn can be a valuable tool.

Action Steps:

• Proactively tag key individuals or organizations in your LinkedIn posts to signal your intent to connect.

• Highlight your participation in event panels, roundtables, or speaking engagements to reinforce your credibility and position as an industry leader.

• Use event hashtags and live updates during the event to expand your reach and showcase your active involvement.

Why This Works: Direct tagging increases post visibility while signaling your interest in specific connections, ensuring your outreach feels intentional and personalized. This approach can also create touchpoints for more meaningful in-person conversations.

3. Collaborate with Your PR Agency to Build Media Relationships

In a world dominated by virtual interactions, in-person meetings remain one of the most effective ways to build meaningful connections—especially with journalists and media representatives. Events provide a rare opportunity to establish or deepen these relationships, which are critical to securing coverage.

Action Steps:

• Partner with your PR agency to identify journalists attending key events. Focus on those covering your industry or innovation niche.

• Schedule one-on-one meetings with journalists, ensuring you provide tailored information about your company that aligns with their coverage interests.

• Prepare press kits and talking points that emphasize your company’s unique value proposition, recent milestones, or upcoming announcements.

Long-Term Impact: Strong journalist relationships often result in more frequent and favorable coverage. Personal interactions allow you to effectively communicate your message and build trust beyond what’s possible through email or press releases.

4. Align News Releases with Strategic Moments

News releases timed around events can act as powerful amplifiers for your messaging, drawing attention to your company at the right time. Whether it’s announcing funding, launching a product, or unveiling key partnerships, timing is everything.

Action Steps:

• Work closely with your PR or communications team to coordinate announcements before or during key events.

• Ensure that your news is relevant to the event’s theme or audience to create natural connections in discussions.

• Use your news release as a conversation starter during networking sessions or panel discussions.

Strategic Advantage: Well-timed announcements ensure your accomplishments remain top-of-mind for event attendees. A compelling release not only grabs attention but also positions your company as an industry leader at a moment when stakeholders are actively seeking new opportunities.

Takeaways

Event season is not just about showing up, it’s about showing up prepared, strategic, and ready to engage. With a robust calendar, a clear LinkedIn engagement strategy, strong media relationships, and timely announcements, startups can turn their event participation into a launchpad for lasting impact.

As you prepare for the upcoming event season, remember that the goal is not only to participate but to stand out. By adopting these strategies, your company will be well-positioned to capture attention, foster meaningful connections, and drive growth.