How to grow business through events

About this episode

In this episode, Shan A Salam sits down with Afthab Shoukath, Founder and CEO of Xpresso Global, to explore how businesses can use events as powerful branding and revenue-generating vehicles. Afthab breaks down the core categories of events, highlighting activation events and intellectual property (IP) events as models delivering the highest return on investment. Reflecting on past campaigns, he explains how Xpresso Global executed major events including the Mind and Music festival, the Scale Up summit, and the massive retail launch of Weds India featuring actress Rashmika Mandanna. He also discusses their role as the branding and marketing partner for football club Calicut FC in the Super League Kerala, the creation of Money Conclave, and the ambitious multi-day Summit of the Future with Jain University. Throughout the conversation, Afthab underscores that events succeed only when integrated into a 360-degree marketing mix combining digital momentum, PR, and disciplined post-event follow-up.

Key takeaways

1. 1Activation events that facilitate direct customer engagement often yield higher returns on investment than pure digital marketing.
2. 2Events should not be treated as isolated one-day affairs but executed as comprehensive end-to-end campaigns across pre-event, live, and post-event phases.
3. 3Hiring high-profile celebrity ambassadors for launches delivers maximum value only when leveraged across digital and outdoor teaser campaigns months in advance.
4. 4IP events generate revenue by commercialising exhibition stalls, brand walls, and multiple tiers of corporate sponsorships.
5. 5Real-time content creation and on-the-spot social media publishing during an event capture viral momentum that cannot be replicated days later.
6. 6Integrating print media with interactive digital technology like augmented reality and QR codes can bridge mass traditional audiences to digital touchpoints.

Chapters

1. 0:00Introduction
2. 0:57Strategy-First Communication Agency
3. 5:43Types of Events
4. 7:26First IP Event
5. 12:41Event Means Not Just an “Event”
6. 16:12How Events Are Monetized
7. 17:47WEDS INDIA Success
8. 23:18Celebrity Management
9. 28:42Post-Event Promotion
10. 30:50Calicut FC
11. 38:26Money Conclave
12. 52:12Summit of Future & Xpresso Team
13. 1:01:18Conclusion