Developing Innovative Event Marketing Campaigns

for Growth

Nicola CrosslandAMA Events

Event marketing for growth is about the strategy and

communicationsIn equal part

Outbound and Inbound marketing

is where it is at now

Part 1 – Where to Begin

Event

Idea

Objectives

Audience

Business Model

Event Marketing For Growth

Website Technology Partnerships

Part 2 - Communications

Workshop Teams

1. Introduce yourself - name, title, role2. Appoint a chair person/spokesperson3. Name the team 4. Name yourself

5 minutes

Part 1 – Where to Begin

Event

Idea

Objectives

Audience

Business Model

Task 1

Agree the Idea/Type of Event

5 minutes

Examples - Type of Event• Conference• Symposium • Roadshow• Advisory board• Motivational • Team building • Seminar• Festival• Party in the park• Awards dinner • Forum• Summit

Measurable Objectives

1. 600 delegates2. B/E 500 delegates & $825K3. 80 exhibitors4. 12 stream programme5. 85% excellent event score 6. Grow 10% year on year

Task 2

List top 5 Objectives For Your Event

5 minutes

Business Model

Facts: 1. Your event does not work in isolation 2. Commercial events offer good benchmarks3. Don’t forget your objectives 4. Overlook income and spend at your peril

Event Business Model

InfrastructureKey Partnerships

Key ActivitiesKey Resources

OfferEvent/Product

Value Proposition

CustomerRelationships

Segments

Revenue Streams Costs

Task 3

List Top 5Incomes Streams

& Areas for Expenditure5 minutes

Business Model – ExpenditureTop 8 Expenditure Accommodation $150,000 Venue $125,000 Logistics $100,000 Networking/Social Events $100,000 Production $80,000 Exhibition $50,000 Marketing $50,000 Materials (or Substitute) $40,000

Total $695,000

Business Model - IncomeTop 8 Income Exhibitors $425,000 Delegates $125,000 Accomodation $100,000 Sponsors $100,000 Client $50,000 Speakers $25,000 Advertising $15,000 Competitions/auctions $10,000

Total $850,000

The Audience & Segmentation• Who are they? – Age, gender, industry, title, role?– Do they have a segment name ie Consultant Cardiologists

• What do they want? • ASK THEM– Previous events– Questionnaire – website/conference site, E-mail, Linked In,

Facebook, Twitter– Telephone– Newsletter (E-news and paper based)

The Audience & Segmentation

• How do they behave?– Techno junkies (or not)– Linked In? Facebook? Mobile?– Read?– Spend their time how?– Loyalty schemes – watch what they buy

• Who pays most? and least?

Go Where They Go

1. With what they read2. With what they do3. With what motivates them

Speak to Each and Everyone

1. Talk to them all – more than once2. In their language 3. In a place they will find it4. Advertising benefits5. Appealing on both a practical and emotional

level

Task 4

Who Are They?Who Spends Most And Least?

During the Break

Event Marketing For Growth

Website Technology Partnerships

Part 2 - This Afternoon

Task 4

Sketch a Member of Your Target Audience

Who Are They?

5 minutes

EventMarketing

Mix

Product

Place

Price

People

Process

Promotion

European Respiratory

Society Annual Congress

ProductSymposia,

Workshops & Exhibition

PlaceAmsterdam24-28 Sept

2011

Price€550 to €735

Peoplethe worlds respiratory

professionals & experts

ProcessHow

customers consume this 5 day event

PromotionStrategy &

Communications

Event Website

1. User Friendly 2. Information RICH and RELEVANT3. SEO

Task 5

Design an Event Website Homepage

10 minutes

Event Home Page Content 1. Branding2. Theme3. Understand what it is about immediately4. Key search terms (250 words)5. Messages relevant to your segments – top 3?6. Pedigree – who is supporting, brands, awards7. Register now8. Shared travel - green 9. Recommend a friend10. Letter to the boss11. Social media – Blog/Twitter/Facebook/Linked In/Mix12. Ask the audience13. Sign-up – news alerts

Event Websites We Love

• http://www.oracle.com/openworld/index.html• http://techandebs.ukoug.org/ • http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/

dynamicsaxtechnicalconference2011/ • http://www.vitalitylive.co.uk/• http://www.jamieoliver.com/thebigfeastival/

Web Technology in Event Marketing

WebsiteRegular Updates

BlogVideo

White PapersE-book

Analytics SEOKeyword Analysis

On-Page OptimisationLink Building

Social MediaTwitter

Linked In Facebook

BlogsForums

Task 6

Technology for Event Promotion

You Are Using Brainstorm 4 minutes

Event Marketing TechnologyOutbound• Digital Press – personalize what you send– PURL a personalised URL – watch responses of Email and

Direct Mail • Email Marketing – audience segmentation• Event Apps – contact building • E-networker – contact sharing • RFID – larger audience in real time• Issuu & SlideShare – people can visit after the event

and share

Event Marketing Technology

Inbound• Web optimisation• Event optimisation

Leveraging Partnerships

Intelligent packagesthat give you increased frequency and reachin return for little or no cost or contribution

Media Partner Example• Objectives:

– To raise awareness with delegates at the event– Increase registered numbers

• Offer– Delegates given opportunity to ‘sign up’ as they register– Logo on window decals, small stand space, advertised on website,

direct mail, in Email campaigns• Return

– Banner advert on home page 3 months prior to event– Included in 3 x E-newsletters to @20,000 registered– Editorial in two editions with appropriate features– Their logo - credibility

Task 7

Create a Sponsor Partner Package 5 minutes

Exhibitor Partner Toolkit – Promotional Text – paragraph– PR advice– Marketing overview and advice

• Invite top 10 customers• Invite top 20 prospects• Add to website, Email footer, Blog, Tweet, Linked In• Join conference group on Linked In

– Promotions eg:• Taking their data and Email through third party• Reduced rates for customers • Special packages for their customers

– Banners, buttons, logo, Email templates

Banner, logo and buttons Library

Conclusion

• Apply a measure to quantifiable objectives• Check your business model regularly• Carry out audience research – technology can

help• Create engaging, SEO and connected websites• Use both old and new ways – direct mail and

invitations still have there place• Leverage partnerships – networking is now!

Questions

Thank You

To see all team work, email me your address: nicola@amaevents.co.uk

http://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolacrosslandwww.amaevents.co.uk