8 ways to increase quality attendance at your next event

8 Ways to Increase Quality Attendance at Your Next Event

June 17, 2014

INTR

OD

UCT

ION

SKimberly

Hardcastle-Geddes

Marketing Design Group

David Saef

Global Experience Specialists

Steve Suhm

Association of Equipment

Manufacturers

Sam Lippman

Lippman Connects

I am:

A. Meeting Planner / Event Producer / Exhibit Manager

B. Event Marketer (Responsible for Audience Generation)

C. Supplier / ContractorD. Work for a venue / facility / hotel /

destinationE. Other

My event is:

A. Medical / Scientific

B. Professional

C. Business to Business

Experience in Events:

A. 0 – 2 years

B. 3 – 6 years

C. 7 – 15 years

D. More than 15 years

1. Telling Stories

1. Telling Stories

• Use characters with which your audience will identify

• Tell the truth• Illustrate your event’s UVP• Target your stories• A testimonial is not a story • Illustrate results

2. Content Marketing

2. Content Marketing: Stay Relevant Year-round

• You may already have the content• Data Collection Key• Tools – SEM– Social– Email– Retargeting

3. Personalization

3. Personalization

• Mine Your Data• Establish Clear Segments• Develop Targeted Messaging• Consider Best Communication Channels• Deliver Timely, Relevant Messages• Focus on WIFM

4. Website Traffic = Event Traffic

=

• Use long-tail keywords• Focus on valuable content• Create an industry blog • Engage your experts• Link to others• Don’t go quiet

4. Website Traffic = Event Traffic

5. Email Deliverability and Open Rates

5. Email Deliverability and Open Rates

• Don’t underestimate the importance of “FROM”

• Clean house! • Ask permission. Ask permission. • Become a SAFE SENDER • Provide great content• Customize• Keep in touch• Manage your reputation carefully

6. Facilitating Word of Mouth

6. Facilitating Word of Mouth

• Remember WHY people share • Be creative • Market to PEOPLE, not businesses • Show them that they aren’t alone• Give them valuable, sharable content • Tell stories

7. Relationships (VIP Hosted & First-time) Buyers)

7. Find your VIPs and Treat them like VIPs

• Data mining the key targets

• Develop a VIP / First-timer offer

• Use old school B2B approaches to deliver offer

8. Multipliers (exhibitors, media, associations)

Multipliers

• Speakers (social media, networks)• Exhibitors (Invites, blog posts, infographics)• Media (list rentals, email blasts, swaps)• Reciprocal associations (regional, local, etc.)• Bloggers• Social media (Linked/Facebook ads, groups)

Attendee Promotion Spend

Average Range % Change Yr to Yr

Attention Promotion Spending $380,000 $5k - $3.2m +10%

Promotion Spending per Attendee

$30.70 $2.68 - $88.64 +3%

% Total Event Direct Costs represented by Attendee Promotion

13% 2% - 41% +3%

Total Revenue $6,800,000 $280k - $42m +6%

Source: “2014 Attendee Acquisition Metrics and Practices Study,” Exhibit Surveys and Lippman Connects

Marketing Budget Allocations

Source: “2014 Attendee Acquisition Metrics and Practices Study,” Exhibit Surveys and Lippman Connects

* Other includes Web develop, design (3 mentions), Creative (3 mentions)

Public Relations

List Purchases

Social Media

Telemarketing

Digital Ads

Print Ads

E-Mail

Direct Mail

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

4%

5%

5%

6%

6%

10%

20%

20%

Other*

Mktg Automation

Guerilla Mktg

Mobile Mktg

Mktg Research

Travel to Register

SEO/Pd Search

Radio/TV Ads

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

7%

1%

2%

2%

2%

3%

3%

4%

Kimberly Hardcastle-GeddesMarketing Design Group

kimberly@marketingdesigngroup.com

Sam LippmanLippman Connects

sam@lippmanconnects.com

David SaefGES MarketWorksdsaef@ges.com

Steve SuhmAssociation of Equipment Manufacturers

Ssuhm@aem.orgC O

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A C

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