As you might expect, 2020 event marketing plans are going through some major changes to adapt to the evolving economic landscape we're seeing today. Leaders are already reallocating their event budget toward digital channels that will help them drive growth while reducing spend more broadly.

But what about the event content and assets that you've put so much of your company's resources into creating? Don't worry. There's no need to trash all that hard work. In this post, we'll walk through eight ways to repurpose assets you might've created or ordered for your live event, as well as ways you can salvage some event-related expenses while you're at it. Let's get started.

#1 Booth Collateral & Graphics – Any sales collateral that you've created for your booth can be repurposed as downloadable assets on your website. You can also reuse graphics for digital campaigns (ads, emails, landing pages) or repurpose them as infographics.

If you've already had items printed, you can salvage anything that is evergreen for a later date and reuse the design files for digital assets. Create a resource or blog section on your site or create top-level landing pages where you can incorporate those assets.

Pro Tip: To get the most value out of your efforts, consider gating the really valuable content and using it as a lead magnet with a call to action to download the content in exchange for contact information.

#2 Product Demos – If you were planning to conduct a demo at your event, go ahead and record the demo and add it to your website or invite prospects to a virtual demo in place of seeing it in person. If you were going to play a video of your demo at the event, then you can very easily convert that video to a digital file and do the same thing virtually by email or on your website.

#3 PowerPoint Slide Decks – Similarly, if you developed a PowerPoint slide deck for use in a session or live in-booth presentation, you can easily use that digitally in a webinar or in a pre-recorded presentation. You can also add the slides to SlideShare to share with your webinar attendees and repurpose that content further as blog posts or other short-form content on your website.

#4 Live Presentations – If you were planning to give a live presentation without a pre-recorded demo or PowerPoint slide deck, you can record your presentation or run it as a webinar. We recommend adding some visual elements via a slide deck to make it more engaging. Afterward, you can repurpose the presentation for your website in your resources section, blog, or as gated content if appropriate.

#5 Explainer Videos – Were you planning to have an explainer video playing at your event? You can add it to your resources section as well. Write a blog post to go along with it so you can get better search engine optimization for the video. You can also use your explainer video as an introduction or part of a presentation if you plan to hold a webinar or virtual event.

#6 Giveaway Items – Do you have t-shirts, thermoses, or other swag that you had ordered to distribute in your exhibit? No problem! We've already advocated having a virtual event or webinar in many of our suggestions. So when your attendees register, collect their mailing address and send the swag as a thank you for attending. You can also send swag as current customer appreciation gifts or even sell the swag on your website.

#7 Event Staffers – Don't be so quick to let those event staffers go. These vendors can be repurposed to help with a virtual event or digital campaign as they tend to be pretty great project managers as well as event planners. Maintaining relationships with multi-talented contractors is always a good investment for a company looking to make the most of every investment.

#8 Event Reservations – You might think that money deposited toward reservations is just a wash, but don't rush to judgement. First, many establishments are very accommodating when it comes to cancellations if you call and speak with them, particularly when we're in the middle of a pandemic and they're just hoping they'll get your business again one day.

If, however, you're not in a position to get a refund, there may still be a way to salvage that expense. If you've put deposits down with hotels, see if you can reserve that deposit for a future event or if you can get a general credit. Alternatively, you could ask to sign a multi-year agreement that only applies if a state of emergency is cancelled.

So there you have it: eight effective ways you can repurpose your event assets, resources, and contracts to avoid taking a hit on those expenditures. If you're lucky, you're actually experiencing cost savings and extra cash flow from your cancelled event that you can now reinvest in digital campaigns.

If not, try to think positively and strategically about how you can take those investments and use them to break out horizontally with content. Don't forget, you're no longer bound to a time or location. You also have the freedom to spread out your content instead of being forced into one specific, make-it-or-break-it date.

Overall, remember that the best thing you can do right now is be smart about your spending. Make the most of what resources you have and repurpose or reallocate event expenditures where it makes the most sense to avoid taking a loss.

Ben Lack is the Founder and CEO of Interrupt Media, a full-service digital marketing agency that helps companies generate more leads, pipeline, and revenue. Ben has spent the past 15 years in a digital marketing and demand generation capacity, helping to start and grow various B2B companies.