What Is IPM (In-Person Marketing) Strategy?

In-person marketing is no longer just about showing up — it’s about showing results.

Today’s revenue teams operate in fast-paced, high-pressure environments where capturing qualified leads in real time is critical. Whether it’s a bustling trade show, an intimate executive dinner, or a campus recruiting event, your team needs more than branded swag and badge scanners. They need a modern, data-driven strategy to turn live interactions into a measurable pipeline.

At Popl, we believe in-person marketing (IPM) is the key to making face-to-face engagements as actionable and trackable as digital ones. It's not just about being physically present — it's about owning every interaction from handshake to CRM.

By combining real-time data capture, seamless integrations, and enriched insights, Popl's digital business card with enhanced lead capture capabilities is redefining how teams generate revenue on the ground.

Let's dive in and break down what in-person marketing truly means today — how it differs from outdated event tactics, why it matters more than ever, and how Popl equips your team to make every conversation count.

A Modern Definition for Today’s Revenue Teams

Event floors are crowded. Prospects are busy. Booths are buzzing. And somewhere in that high-stakes environment, your team is trying to create meaningful connections and capture qualified leads — fast.

That’s where IPM (in-person marketing) comes in.

At Popl, in-person marketing isn’t just about being at the event. It’s about owning every touchpoint — from the first handshake to the follow-up email. It means turning live conversations into a trackable pipeline, and doing it with tools that match the speed and sophistication of today’s B2B go-to-market teams.

So, what exactly is in-person marketing? And how does it differ from traditional field marketing or event logistics?

Let’s break it down:

A Functional Definition: In-Person Marketing at Popl

IPM is the strategy of using face-to-face interactions — at events, conferences, trade shows, meetings, or activations — to generate pipeline, capture leads, and accelerate deals using digitally connected tools.

At Popl, this means:

Real-world engagement, powered by real-time lead capture, enriched data, and automatic CRM integration — all from a mobile device or smart badge.

Whether it’s your sales reps at a booth or your CX team hosting a breakout session, Popl enables them to engage, scan, qualify, and sync leads in seconds — no hardware rentals or post-show data clean-up required.

The Problem With Traditional In-Person Marketing

For decades, in-person marketing has been treated as a logistical or “brand” function. Teams showed up at events with giveaways, banners, and rented badge scanners. If leads were captured at all, they were often:

• Trapped in rental devices until the end of the event

• Disconnected from your CRM or MAP

• Lacking enrichment or qualification

• Impossible to attribute to actual revenue

In short, teams were present, but not equipped to scale revenue.

Even worse, when badge scanners crashed or systems failed (as we’ve seen happen at major global events), marketers were left without their most valuable outcome: leads.

How Popl Redefines In-Person Marketing

Popl modernizes in-person marketing by turning every interaction into a digitally tracked conversion point.

Here’s how it works:

1. Capture Leads in Real Time

Using Popl’s mobile app, NFC badges, or QR code profiles, reps can instantly capture contact info during any face-to-face interaction — at a booth, networking event, or VIP dinner.

2. Qualify and Tag on the Spot

Customize your lead capture form with lead qualifiers, tags, product interest fields, and more — so every scan includes context. Reps can even assign hot/warm/cold status on the fly.

3. Enrich Data Automatically

Popl’s digital business card platform enriches leads using public data sources and social profiles (like LinkedIn), adding firmographics, job titles, and more — instantly and accurately.

4. Sync to Your CRM or MAP

Popl connects natively with platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Marketo. No manual uploads. No spreadsheet wrangling. Just clean data flowing to the right place.

5. Analyze and Optimize

Get visibility into rep performance, event ROI, lead quality, and follow-up speed. Popl’s dashboards give marketers real insights — not just badge counts.

Why In-Person Marketing Matters More Than Ever

In a world flooded with automated email sequences and digital noise, in-person marketing is uniquely powerful. It’s human. It’s memorable. And it converts — when done right.

According to a study by EMS Exhibitions, 92% of trade show attendees are there to discover new products or services, and 81% have buying authority.

But capturing that intent requires more than a badge scan. It requires a system.

With Popl, in-person marketing becomes measurable, repeatable, and scalable — not a one-off booth experiment, but a real demand generation channel.

Use Cases: Where In-Person Marketing Shows Up

Popl powers in-person marketing across a range of live interactions:

• Trade Shows & Expos – Booth reps use Popl to scan, qualify, and sync leads instantly.

• Field Sales Meetings – AE teams use Popl to capture contacts during site visits and lunches.

• Partner Events – Channel teams track leads across regional activations and sponsored sessions.

• Executive Dinners – CXOs use Popl badges to facilitate casual but trackable networking.

• Campus or Onsite Recruiting – Talent teams scan and tag prospects in real time.

Wherever your team meets prospects face-to-face, Popl makes that moment actionable.

Key Benefits of In-Person Marketing with Popl

Let’s recap what makes this modern approach so effective:

Feature	Traditional Method	With Popl
Lead Capture	Rented badge scanners	Mobile app, QR, or smart badge
CRM Integration	Manual upload post-event	Real-time sync to Salesforce, HubSpot
Data Enrichment	Not included	Automated enrichment on every lead
Customization	Limited or fixed forms	Full control over qualifiers & tags
Attribution + Analytics	Difficult to track	Full visibility into ROI and outcomes

 

In-person marketing doesn’t have to be disconnected.
With Popl, it becomes part of your pipeline engine.

Don't Just Show Up — Show ROI

Being present at an event is table stakes. What separates high-performing teams is how they capture, track, and convert what happens there into real revenue.

That’s what in-person marketing means today.
Not giveaways and badge scans.
But smart systems, owned processes, and measurable outcomes.

If your team is still relying on rented scanners, manual uploads, or PDF exports to track event success, it’s time for an upgrade.

Take control of your in-person marketing with Popl.
Start the journey of capturing real leads, in real time, from real conversations by requesting a demo today.