18 Comments
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Aatir Abdul Rauf's avatar

Thanks for inviting me to share my thoughts on the topic, Maja. Hope it helps the GTM community.

Maja Voje's avatar

Loved it! My team literally commented that it is the best newsletter we've sent out in 2026 :)) the year is still long, but I think we are looking at an evergreen piece here. Huge thanks!

Maja Voje's avatar

Thanks so much for this awesome guest post, Aatir! This is the closest thing to the B2B event bible that I've ever seen- extremely well done.

Aatir Abdul Rauf's avatar

Thank you so much for inviting me, Maja. The topic is really close to my heart, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to clarify some of the potential events in the GTM world. As I speak to our customers, there's a lot more formats folks are exploring (from sales kickoffs to customer advisory board events), so there's definitely room for a follow-up post later in the year.

Waleed Tariq's avatar

Great insights, from an engineering and systems perspective, events become a powerful GTM channel not just because of human connection but because of how we instrument and operationalize them.

Shoaib's avatar

Great reminder that events still work when they’re designed with intent—not treated as a checkbox channel.

Maja Voje's avatar

Absolutely, so glad you liked it.

Ali Amjad's avatar

This was such a refreshing take on events. I love how you reframed them from “line item expense” to “strategic infrastructure.” When you match the right format to the right GTM motion and capture real behavioral signals, ROI stops being luck and starts being design. Loved the portfolio mindset and the emphasis on pre-event momentum. That’s where the real pipeline is built. This is really insightful, Aatir.

Sami Sharief's avatar

Great read. The 'portfolio mix' approach to events makes so much sense especially moving away from the idea that one big conference is the only way to go.

Sarah Shaukat's avatar

Bookmarking this. The 15 plays are immediately actionable, especially the satellite event strategy around conferences we're already attending. We've been doing this and have seen a decent pipeline coming from these dinners.

Alina Sajjad's avatar

Strong perspective. When done with intent, events become one of the most durable GTM channels.

Ureeda Asim's avatar

Great read for B2B event planners, especially. The part about webinars vs. virtual events really stood out to me. The distinction between webinars and actual immersive events is something more teams need to understand. Capturing behavioral signals during events (which sessions people attended, who they connected with) makes such a difference in follow-up conversion compared to just collecting contact info.

Afnan's avatar

Really enjoyed this take. Events are one of the few GTM channels where attention is earned, not rented.

When done intentionally, they do more than “generate leads” they accelerate trust and shorten buying cycles. The real impact shows up when events are tied to clear GTM goals, not treated as standalone.

MK's avatar

This piece makes a strong case for events as a core go-to-market (GTM) channel in 2026, and I appreciate how it goes beyond the usual “events drive awareness” narrative to explain how and why events create deeper business value than many digital tactics.

Maja Voje's avatar

Indeed, they can be such a strong pillar for many marketing and sales activities. Some of my clients do like two fairs a year, and that is the core of their marketing strategy. Don't fix what is not broken.

MK's avatar

Absolutely, if it’s already delivering results, there’s no need to over engineer. It’s interesting though, how even small tweaks like pairing those fairs with targeted follow ups or virtual content can sometimes amplify the impact even further.

Huda Zaman's avatar

This framework nails it. Running both demand gen and events, the biggest shift for me has been treating events as a full-funnel channel, not just top-of-funnel lead gen.

We focus on three things: warming up target accounts before the event, capturing actual behavioral signals during (not just badge scans), and using session attendance to segment post-event nurture.

The intimate dinners close deals faster too. Definitely worth the coordination effort.

Amna Bajwa's avatar

Love the honesty about being an introvert at events. The best event strategies don't require working the room like a politician. They require designing the room so that meaningful conversations happen naturally. I feel so seen!