Redefining Law Firm Events - How Event Technology Can Transform In-Person Experiences

Jul 26, 2023 Shruti Shah

A few decades ago, the idea of law firm marketing was met with skepticism, as the legal profession was seen more as a conventional professional pursuit than a business endeavor. Today, legal marketing is no longer merely reactive, responding to requests and queries; it has become a proactive function, focused on strategic value addition and brand building. Law firms are becoming more open to creative ideas for marketing legal services. While the legal industry is growing fiercely competitive, law firms must constantly seek innovative ways to stand out.

Building a Brand with Events
The two core aspects of law firm marketing revolve around building and maintaining a strong brand and providing proof points to showcase the firm's differentiating characteristics. And events can accomplish this effectively. The roadmap includes effective collaboration among lawyers, marketers, and event planners, focused on demonstrating why a client should choose the firm for legal matters, and going beyond traditional credentials to present tangible results and accomplishments. Ordinary marketing tactics are no longer sufficient today and your marketing plan needs to be proactive, with innovative ideas to target new clients, enter new markets, and approach existing clients in unique ways.
In-person events have long been recognized as powerful tools for networking, education, and business development within the legal community. Navigating the modern legal landscape demands more than traditional marketing approaches. Technical know-how becomes a vital asset in this pursuit, and event technology emerges as a game-changer. 

Types of In-Person Events for Law Firms  
Events offer a unique opportunity to engage with people on a deeper level, facilitating development of trust—a vital element in the legal sector. While online law firm events hold value, in-person gatherings foster more immediate and personal relationship-building. Undoubtedly, organizing a law firm event demands hard work, but the potential rewards far outweigh the efforts. Here, we present the five types of in-person events that a law firm can consider hosting: 

1. Legal Seminars and Conferences - Legal seminars and conferences are the most traditional type of events for law firms. These are organized to share industry insights, updates, and expertise with peers and clients and event technology can help take these gatherings to new heights. Here’s how. 

• Event Registration - Use it to streamline attendee registration, check-ins, and data management with reliable platforms like Eventcombo. It ensures smooth crowd control and navigation, and better engagement for attendees. 
• Virtual Event Integration - Consider live streaming and social media integration for in-person events to offer virtual attendance opportunities. A firm can connect with clients from across the globe, and virtual integrations can help with wider reach and attendance flexibility.  
• Interactive Audience Engagement Tools - Today, events need action and interaction based on their type and target audience. It will never be out of style to enhance attendee participation with live polling, Q&A sessions, and real-time feedback using specialized applications. Fostering the core attendee expectation enables a dynamic learning environment and encourages active participation. 

2. Client Appreciation Events - Fierce competition doesn’t only make attracting new clients difficult but retaining existing clients too. Client appreciation events come to the rescue for nurturing client relationships and showing gratitude. You can use the following event tech solutions to elevate these events and make them more memorable. 

• Comprehensive Event Management Software: When your focus needs to be on clients, it is wise to let technology handle administrative and repetitive tasks. You can simplify event planning, organizing, and logistics with efficient software solutions and ensure efficient execution and better resource management. 
• Personalized Event Apps: Make your clients feel special and offer tailored event experiences with mobile apps that provide event agendas, speaker bios, and networking opportunities. Having a feature-rich app, with personal branding can give a big push to your marketing strategy. 
• Digital Branding and Displays: Involve sustainability and make way for digital signage and displays to showcase brand highlights and success stories during the event. However, adhere to the codes and regulations promulgated by the state bar associations regarding advertising and promotions. 

3. Legal Workshops and Training Sessions - Curiosity is a trait a law professional cannot survive without. Legal workshops and training sessions are an integral part that helps enhance the skills and knowledge of top lawyers, new associates, and clients. To make sure the event experience aligns with your goal, integrating these event technologies is important. 

• Virtual Reality (VR) Training - Real courtroom scenes are nowhere near what someone expects. Employing VR simulations and offering realistic legal scenarios for lawyers to practice can enable skill development in a controlled environment. 
• E-learning Platforms - Carrying a stack of paperwork around events can become a put-off for the attendees. Using interactive online training modules, accessible before and after the in-person event, to provide continuous learning opportunities and real value for knowledge seekers can be a game changer. 
• Real-time Collaboration Tools - One-way communication cannot foster collaboration and brainstorming during workshops. You need interactive tools like a mobile event app integrated with collaborative features that encourage active participation and idea-sharing.  

4. Community Initiative Events - Community initiative events provide law firms with an opportunity to give back to society and demonstrate their commitment to social responsibility. Firms can align their CSR initiatives with these events and create a positive impact while enhancing the firm's reputation. 

• Volunteer Management Platforms - Collaborate with NGOs or specific platforms to organize and manage volunteer opportunities for employees and clients, streamlining the volunteering process and maximizing community impact. 
• Fundraising Technology - Implement fundraising technology solutions to raise funds for community causes and track donation progress, ensuring transparency and accountability. An API integration with the fundraising platform can let you manage contributions in a much simpler and secure way. 
• Interactive Event Displays - Having interactive, strategic displays, placement of kiosks during community events to showcase the firm's community involvement, or legal services offered, and pro-bono success stories, can inspire others to join in these initiatives. They must feel connected to the initiative to be able to participate with self-motivation.  

5. Social Seminars and Panels - Members of the legal industry are one of the institutional pillars of society, and social seminars and panels provide law firms with a platform to address critical social issues, advocate for change, and engage in meaningful discussions with the community and stakeholders. Having event tech to support these pioneering events can enhance their influence and, in turn, boost lead generation. 

• Live Streaming Platforms – When it comes to the audience, the more, the merrier. Hence enabling live streaming of seminars and panel discussions allows remote audiences to participate actively, promoting inclusivity and wider engagement. Easy live-streaming features in comprehensive event management platforms can be helpful in achieving this.
• Virtual Reality (VR) Experience - Enhancing engagement level by using VR experiences to immerse attendees in the topics being discussed can further make it an impactful and memorable event.
• Audience Response Systems - To record and gather real-time attendee feedback, it is important to employ audience response systems. Panel discussions require a quick response system to address audience questions and clarify their doubts, which in turn fosters an interactive and inclusive environment.  

Compliance With National Law Bodies 
Law firm events must adhere to the rules and regulations set forth by their country’s legal bodies to ensure ethical conduct and maintain professional standards. In the United States, law firms' event practices are governed by the American Bar Association (ABA) guidelines, while in Canada, compliance falls under the purview of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA). It is crucial for law firms to stay updated with the latest guidelines and requirements issued by these authorities to avoid any legal complications and uphold their reputation.

Supercharging Law Firm Marketing through In-Person Events & Technology  
While complying with regulations is paramount, law firms can leverage in-person events to amplify their marketing efforts and showcase their professional prowess. Face-to-face interactions foster stronger connections and trust-building with clients and prospects. Events provide a platform for law firms to demonstrate their expertise in specialized areas of law.

Furthermore, event technology enhances marketing endeavors by providing powerful features, enabling firms to extend their reach beyond the physical event space, engaging a broader audience through live polls, social media integrations, etc. Additionally, post-event content like blogs, videos, and webinars can be created and shared to prolong the event's impact and keep the audience informed. 

Event technology is revolutionizing the way law firms approach in-person events, offering innovative solutions to cater to modern demands. These transformative events become powerful tools for marketing, allowing law firms to showcase their expertise, reinforce their brand, and foster lasting connections with clients and peers. The synergy between event technology and law firm events undoubtedly has the potential to reshape the legal industry's future, driving success and growth. 
Do you need help choosing right event format for your law firm? Book a demo now - https://bit.ly/3DlpAZC