Higher Attendance, Lower Acquisition Cost: How The MedTech Conference Cut Its CPA by 74%
As attendees grew accustomed to virtual and hybrid events, mdg helped The MedTech Conference make the case for returning in person — exceeding attendance goals while dramatically improving conversion efficiency.
Case Study
- 292% increase in digital conversions, with CPA reduced from $68.65 to $17.55
- In-person attendance exceeded target by 21%, attracting representatives from 45 countries
- Investor participation grew from 3.4% to 8% of total attendees
Client
AdvaMed — The MedTech Conference
Challenge
Following several years of virtual and hybrid event experiences, The MedTech Conference needed to persuade attendees to come back in person — and set ambitious attendance goals. At the same time, the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) was looking to grow investor and international participation. Success depended on reaching these audiences efficiently and reminding them of the value that only comes from gathering with their industry, face to face.
Approach
mdg developed a multi-channel digital marketing campaign informed by a comprehensive research and discovery process. The team analyzed event performance data, marketing materials, industry trends and the competitive landscape to better understand the audiences it needed to reach. A detailed audit of attendee behavior and customer journey touchpoints revealed opportunities to better align audience needs with the conference experience, while social listening and keyword research uncovered valuable insights into industry conversations and search behavior. Those findings shaped an evolution of the conference’s “Power of Us” theme, reinforcing the relationships, collaboration and in-person connections that attendees couldn’t replicate online.
Results
The campaign successfully reengaged audiences and exceeded key attendance goals. Digital conversions increased 292%, generating 1,490 total conversions while reducing CPA from $68.65 to $17.55. In-person attendance surpassed the target by 21%, attracting representatives from 45 countries (the most in show history) and demonstrating strong demand for face-to-face engagement. Investor participation also more than doubled, increasing from 3.4% to 8% of total attendees and helping strengthen one of the conference’s most important audience segments.
Frequently asked questions
Attendees are more likely to return to in-person events when the value of being there
is clear and relevant to their goals. For The MedTech Conference, campaign messaging
directly addressed the value of face-to-face connection in a community built on
dealmaking and partnership — something no virtual format can replicate.
Investors often seek out information rather than waiting for it to find them, making intent-driven channels (such as paid search) particularly effective. For The MedTech Conference, keyword research around investor-related queries helped the campaign reach investors actively exploring industry events, contributing to a significant increase in participation.
International attendance rarely grows through a domestic campaign alone. It requires dedicated geographic targeting, messaging tailored to international audiences and search strategies built around how those audiences discover events. For The MedTech Conference, international participation was treated as a distinct objective, helping attract attendees from 45 countries.
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