WFF case study

Case Study: Women’s Foodservice Forum

Snapshot | Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) is an association dedicated to elevating women leaders in the foodservice industry through ongoing education and networking opportunities, mentoring, and assessment tools. Today, they are almost 4,000 members strong.

Their Annual Leadership Development Conference – their biggest event – brings together foodservice executives at all levels for three days of workshops targeted to the core competencies WFF established for executive leaders, in addition to general sessions and networking events.

I began working with WFF in 2004 on behalf of Creative Group, but it was not until 2005 that we had the opportunity to address their goals with a targeted marketing program. It was at that time that WFF went from volunteer marketing personnel “borrowed” from its member organizations to a small, full-time professional marketing staff.

Engaging the audience. Attendance at its Annual Conference had been a problem for WFF. Working with WFF, we sought to redefine the Conference in the participants’ eyes as information vital to their career development and customized to their respective levels of development. Instead of just a traditional meeting theme, we sought to engage the audience with a marketing campaign based on a set of flexible design elements designed to support its key messages and theme. Our goal was simple: engage the audience and bolster attendance.

The results were amazing. WFF expected 1,700 to attend; Enrollment had to be closed several weeks before the conference when it exceeded 2,300 and the two overflow hotels were completely filled. Below are some snapshots of the the look and feel of the 2005 marketing campaign.


All photographic material was aspirational in nature and comprised of the four core competencies WFF chose to focus on for the ‘05 conference. This tactic illuminated the “Bridging the Gaps” theme and engaged participants from the start.

2005 Save the Date postcard

Advance Agenda. This piece provided prospective participants with snapshots of the workshops, information on the speakers, a general agenda and registration for and information.

Conference Ad featuring keynote speaker


Program Journal cover, shown flat above, without body; at right, with body and tabs. Includes the ROI Toolkit CD – an interactive PDF designed to bring added value to conference attendees by helping them remember what they learned and share their experience with others. It featured conference takeaways, self-assessment tools, workshop and speaker info, and an overview of WFF’s services and vision.

agendahotel m

apsAbout WFF ..................

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...96

WFF Board of Directors .................

..........45

WFF Bylaws .................

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...........63

WFF Committees .................

................2

| 55

WFF Member Benefits .................

............44

WFF Mentor Programs .................

...........43

WFF Mission & Staff ..............

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41

Agenda ..................

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...........3

Sunday .................

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....4

Monday .................

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...5

Tuesday .................

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..7

Wednesday .................

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...............8

Awards .................

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.........29

Reach for Your Dreams Awards ...............34

WFF Director’s Award .................

.............30

WFF Emerging Leader Award .................

31

WFF President’s Award ..................

..........32

WFF Trailblazer Award .................

...........33

General Information .................

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.....69

Hotel Maps .................

.... back fold-in panel

Network with the Leaders ..................

.............25

ROI Toolkit

CD .................

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. inside back panel

Journal ................

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..71

Speakers

Keynote Speakers .................

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....9

Workshop Speakers & Panelists .............12

Sponsors .................

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......37

Women Making Their Mark ................

............22

contents


Advance Agenda cover & first inside spread, 2006 campaign. With the success of the 2005 campaign, WFF took the bold move of doing away with their conference theme in 2006 and thereafter, and directed us to promote their brand statement, elevating women leaders, in the visuals. The campaign in 2006 was supported by a series of rising, transparent circles, business silhouettes, and a typescape from one of their keynote speakers: “When you walk with purpose, you collide with destiny.”


Program journal, spread with tab. WFF celebrated the achievements of its members through “Real Women, Real Stories,” vignettes of women who were promoted during the course of the year. I designed the RWRS logo and suggested featuring selected “real women” on the tabs of the program journal. Photos with the women relaxing with family, on vacation or otherwise at play were used to maintain WFF’s friendly, approachable brand personality.

Animated email blasts. The campaign was extended to email in a series of animated blasts using campaign design elements and themes.

Registration Headers & Counters. Participants were greeted onsite with now familiar look and feel.


Advance agenda cover. In 2007, WFF chose to focus the campaign on the diversity of its offerings, which we represented with mulit-colored rectangles played against the curve mirroring the WFF logo..

Program Journal Cover. Aspirational images continued to flesh out the identity of the organization and connect with participants.

From 2006 to 2008, conference enrollment increased from 2,300 to more than 3,200. Participants began to view the conference as a not-to-be-missed industry event. This was likely the result of the multifaceted marketing campaigns, the educational content and networking opportunities targeted to specific career levels, and the way WFF reached out to participants on a personal level with personalized agendas and sub-campaigns such as Real Women, Real Stories.


Program Journal Cover.

In 2008, I used mosaics made entirely from WFF member photos to illuminate the strength of the organization and the uniquely tailored experience the conference sought to provide for each individual.


E L E V AT I N G W O M E N L E A D E R S2008 WFF Annual Leadership Development Conference

save the dateapril 13-16, 2008

Save the Date postcard

Conference Planner, inside cover

Documents

WFF case study