Event Public Relations

Because of economic pressures on the media industry, many business-to-business events are attracting fewer members of the press than they were in years past (because of fewer publications, fewer reporters, and reduced funds to send reporters to events).  Rather than settle for diminished returns on your public relations effort, this session will demonstrate how to generate more press coverage at your next event. The session demonstrates how to make it more likely that the coverage your event receives will be positive, and support the position of your event.  Suggestions are made for how to get broad, national coverage of your vertical event.  The session will also focus on methods to directly impacting public opinion, not just press opinions,and also focus on analyzing your event messaging, implementing an event messaging plan and using new methods to communicate your event’s messages, including social networking.

Michael Goodman, President, Extra Mile Media presented and the video link is here.

Your Digital Gameplan: Results from Digital + Exhibit Marketing Insights 2010

Benchmark your digital spend as a proportion of your overall exhibit marketing budget. Understand how online and social media tactics fit within the overall exhibit marketing portfolio. And make smarter decisions about how to incorporate digital into your next trade show as well as across your portfolio in 2011.

Hear one of the industry’s top experiential strategists share results from the 2nd annual Digital + Exhibit Marketing Insights report, created by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research in partnership with George P. Johnson Experience Marketing, co-produced with The Jordan Edmiston Group, Inc. and with support from the Event Marketing Institute. Special attention is paid to translating findings into specific recommendations on how to move forward and drive better results from exhibits using digital.

This session was presented by Kurt Miller Executive Director, Program Strategy George P. Johnson Experience Marketing.  The video link is here.

Extreme Makeover: Audience Development Edition

Many events are finding it challenging to grow attendance. In this session, attendees  look at how to increase attendance using innovative marketing strategies based on predictive modeling, data mining and “test and learn” strategies. A real-life case study illustrates how to improve the effectiveness of audience development programs including email, direct mail, telemarketing, banner ads, website optimization, social media, search engine optimization, pay-per-click ads, and co-marketing programs.

Robert M. Hodgson, President, Predictive Marketing presented this session and the video link is here.

As always, we would welcome your comments on these topics.

Virtual Events- Friends or Foe?

Producers of face-to-face events once viewed virtual events as a threat to physical event attendance.   Now they’re discovering that the technology can help physical shows.   This session explores strategies and case studies on the synergistic use of virtual event environments by physical event producers.   It explores how they use virtual events to increase attendance, create new revenue streams, expand audience reach, and extend the duration for live events.   It examines some virtual event best practices and learnings — what works and what does not.   Lastly, it provides an open forum discussion of the different timing strategies for launching the virtual component of such “hybrid” physical-virtual events and suggests how finding the right hybrid event deployment strategy for you can drive new levels of success in achieving your event’s business goals.

Melinda Kendall VP Business Development Immersa Marketing led this panel.  The video link for this session is here.

Broken! Can it Be Fixed?- The Service Contractor Pricing Model

Exhibitors complain about rising costs.  What can show management do to contain costs?  Is there a new model to replace what is being done now?  How do we justify the costs?  Should there be an open floor?  This session  addresses the options that are open to everyone to reduce the cost to all exhibitors of doing our shows.

Chuck Schwartz, CEM Chairman, ConvExx was the moderator of this panel and the link for this video is here.

Trade Show Growth and the Role of Capital

This session  provides an overview of the trade show industry and where we are today. Discussion topics  include opportunities and challenges for the trade show industry, requirements for capital, sources of capital, and projections of where the trade show industry will be by 2015.

Jack Withiam, Executive VP and General Counsel, dmg world media was the moderator of this panel and that link can be found here.

Please add your thoughts to the discussions started in Boston my clicking on our comments link.  Thank you!

I thought the panelists did a great job of addressing the topics presented by the moderator and answering the  questions from the physical audience.  It is interesting to note, that more “pointed” questions came from the virtual guests.  Maybe because they were anonymous certain constraints fell to the way side.

Jason McGraw, CTS, CAE, Sr. Vice President of Expositions, InfoComm International

Jason led the panel discussion on Exhibition and Event Industry Makeover.  Below is the description of this panel discussion from the IAEE website:

What will it take to create a new and better trade show business model?

That is the question it seems everyone is asking today. Never before has the business model of the modern exhibition come under more scrutiny or more criticism. Amid all the noise, there is precious little evidence of any real solutions. Here, for example, are actual excerpts from current online discussions:

• “Costs, regulations in F&B and building services need rehab.”
• “All industry segments share in the responsibility for what is happening.”
• “Organizers must stop “shaking down suppliers.”
• “Show cost pricing is out of control and exhibitors struggle to get the ROI needed to continue to participate in shows.”
• “Any business that has, essentially, been doing the same thing in the same way for the past 20 years needs revitalization.”
• “Cost shifting is killing our golden goose.”

This session featuring savvy and thoughtful industry professionals is designed to identify innovation, new thinking and real world solutions. Do not attend this session if its theatrics, shouting and finger-pointing you are looking for. That will not happen here. We will be too busy talking about crafting new solutions together.

The link for you to view this presentation can be found here.  Once you have watched the material, please share with us your thoughts on the content.  We would like to keep the conversation which was started in Boston going intil New Orleans and beyond.

BizBash Hive

Exhib-it

2nd green revolution

Skyline Trade Show Tips

Internet Marketing Tools Central

Barry positions this report by saying:

“First, it is important to understand that the purpose of the display is to attract attention. While this may seem obvious, making that happen can be challenging. Attendees generally have a short attention span and quickly become overwhelmed with too much information and stimulation.

Booth display is a three-dimensional expression of a department or agency’s marketing statement. The display’s objective is to make an immediate impression on decision makers and give them a compelling reason to visit - all in less than three seconds.

There is a lot that goes into making a display work properly: the right objectives, a winning promotional plan and motivated people. But without a dynamic eye-catching display, an exhibitor’s objectives quickly fall short.”

When queried about his interest in writing these  reports, Barry responds by saying:

“Governments exhibit in a number of ways. The most common venues are large international pavilions, medium-sized booths shared with other departments, standalone booths at fairs and booths in malls, lobbies or in a meeting room. A lot of time and energy is invested to ensure that the physical display conveys the right message and attracts the right audience.  The purpose of my newest series of  reports is to address the specific concerns of governments and not-for-profit exhibitors.

A few years ago the CEIR census revealed that government and not-for-profit was the largest growth sector of all exhibitors, yet very little information was available to address their unique concerns. More often than not, a government exhibitor would read self-help books or sit through a workshop focused on the private sector and then be challenged with bridging new skills to their reality. That was the underlying reason I wrote a series of  reports focused on this group’s needs.

When I first joined the exhibition world, some 25 years ago, government booths were pretty dismal. Over the years I have seen a remarkable change. They have become more focused on their message, more centered on their audience and better able to attract attention. But there is still room for improvement.  When I address government audiences, I have learned how important it is to talk to them with their very specific concerns in mind. Where the private industry focuses on profit, governments and not-for-profit for the most part are exhibiting for other reasons such as branding, awareness, and outreach. What this means is that everything from the development of an effective strategy to the execution of a display and a show plan needs to be carefully thought through.”

To obtain your copy of this 13-page report, please click here.

From the report:

Selecting a space allocation method that has long-term application and validity is essential. A consistent approach increases the event’s chance of success. Changing methods without careful thought and proper advance notification to all exhibitors may result in confusion, rebellion or worse. The method and procedures selected should be applied to all exhibitors equally to avoid the appearance of favoritism and anti-trust implications.
Event organizers may utilize one or more of the following space allocation methods, depending on when and how space is selected by the exhibitor:

• a. Face-to-face scheduled appointment (whether before, during or after an event)
• b. Application process (an application is submitted with exhibit space choices)
• c. Telephone appointment (typically used with an electronic floor plan management tool)
• d. Electronic submission and/or selection of space choices (again, typically with an electronic floor plan management tool)

In the report there is a brief description or outline of each methods.

To obtain your copy of this report, please click here.

Dana was able to gain the support of her boss Ray Pekowski in fulfilling it.  This was a live experiment on a show floor.  It could be a total failure or quite a success.  In my estimation it was an outstanding success and should be reviewed and considered for other shows.  Over time I am sure there will be other versions of this original concept.

Let’s take a look at how they position this effort:

Social Me-Jay Emilie Barta will interview industry thought-leaders live from the IN Zone which is located in the middle of the TS2 trade show floor. The virtual audience will not merely be watching a webcast, but will be able to join in the conversation through Twitter as well as chat and question features on Digitell’s ProLibraries Live 2D platform. In fact, the virtual presentation will begin prior to the F2F presentation so that the virtual audience has their own experience unique to them. This “Virtual Pre-Show” will showcase how beneficial it is to have a virtual event, and consequently connect to a whole separate audience, right from a trade show booth.

Continuing the Conversation…bringing onsite and online together on the trade show floor!

In an e-mail to those of us who were to be interviewed, Emilie informs us on how it would work:

Onsite and online will definitely be united into one conversation between myself, you, the F2F audience, and the virtual audience. The F2F audience will not be “lectured at” or “talked to” by us; rather they will be participating in a conversation.  The virtual audience will not merely be watching a webcast, but will be able to join in the conversation through Twitter as well as chat and question features on the virtual platform. In fact, the virtual presentation will begin prior to the F2F presentation so that the virtual audience has their own experience unique to them.

Be a part of this trendsetting vehicle for experiential marketing and integrated communications where you can get your message to 2 audiences from 1 location!

Highlights of Coming Attractions

Dana talks about how these show floor virtual events are like movie trailers.  They give the virtual audience a flavor of what is happening as a way to entice them to come to the event next time.  A show is planting seeds with future face-to-face audiences about the quality of the content they can produce, and that the show is something that should not be missed in the future.

Will all of the non-attendees attend in person because of the virtual event?  No, but a percentage will make it a point to appropriate the necessary funds to attend next year’s show.  How large of a percentage will be based on the continued engagement a show has with their community.

Each show has a community.  Unfortunately, all too often the show forgets those individuals who are not in attendance.  They are concentrating on those who actually show up.  There can be missed opportunities of solidifying this audience for future attendance due to poor communication channels.  If they are included and empowered, they are more likely to have a favorable impression and might be a future on-site attendee.

Having the Right Suppliers

Dana met Emilie Barta on Twitter through a trade show and events community called #eventprofs.  The first time Dana saw Emilie live in action was when Emilie was the Virtual Host of Event Camp NYC in February 2010.  She was impressed in how Emilie and her enthusiasm carried through the camera to the virtual audience.

It was Emilie who introduced Dana to Jim Parker of Digitell Inc.  Once the team was gathered and their plan was rolled out, they knew they could run with it and put a press release out on July 5^th.  It is remarkable to me that they only started gathering the virtual audience six days before the show!      Of course the team would have preferred to have had more advance time to produce this event, and it is one of the considerations they will be mentioning to future clients.

There was a virtual audience gathered and they were highly engaged.   In fact, due to word of mouth and Tweets, the audience grew 106% from the beginning broadcast.  Emilie Barta did a fabulous job as the host of the show.  Dana talks about how Emilie is a “pioneer in making the virtual audiences feel as if they were with us on the show floor.”  A fun example of this is when Emilie and I did a “group hug” with the virtual audience.  There were plenty of Tweets about it over the cyber wires because they felt included.

Jim Parker remarked that the TS² audience was highly engaged.  He states that other virtual event audiences with many more participants were not nearly as engaged as the TS² audience was.

Creating the Buzz

It is paramount that various media channels are established and maintained throughout the virtual engagement.   Like we tell our exhibitors to conduct pre-show, at show, and post show marketing, it is the exact same scenario for the virtual world.  Suggested media outlets are Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and other social media groups.

Will this replace the actual show?  No!  It is a way to augment the show’s community.  As Jason McGraw, Senior Vice President of InfoComm stated last week at IAEE’s Senior Executives Roundtable held in conjunction with TS², “you cannot have a beer over the internet.”  Nothing can replace face-to-face!

Yesterday I had a conversation with Rick Calvert, CEO and Co-Founder of BlogWorld.  Rick  has done a tremendous job of creating and growing this show.  If you visit its blog site, you will see that it is very active with blog posts, and this is what you want to have for your show blog - frequent posts.

Not surprisingly they now have a blog editor, Nikki Katz who shared with me the history which is as follows:

BlogWorld Blog Past:
The BlogWorld blog began in 2007 prior to the first BlogWorld & New Media Expo event, with posts about the new media industry, blogging and events for new media businesses and individuals.  Pre-event posts covered the conference and expo - informing attendees, speakers, and exhibitors about the show.  Followers were able to garner information about the upcoming sessions, keynote speakers, and engage in dialogue as excitement built until the event took place.  Afterward, the blog served as a place to showcase videos and interviews from those who attended the conference, and for ongoing debate and expert viewpoints on the fast-emerging new media space.  Over the past couple of years, the blog has continued to cover the company, the event, provide commentary on the blogging and social media industry, and offer up news on innovative new companies, practices and technology in the new media space and social media networking for business.

BlogWorld Blog Present:
Dave Cynkin and Rick Calvert decided earlier this year to really begin focusing on growing the blog, with the goal of turning it into an industry portal of news and information surrounding blogging and social media—the event is the epicenter of new media, and the blog naturally needed to follow suit.  They brought me on board in April as the Managing Editor to help facilitate that.  In the past few months, we have put together an extensive editorial calendar, have developed contributing editorial relationships with past conference presenters, and brought our own staff blogger into the fold.  We continue to build our marketing behind the blog and work to offer a diverse array of posts – covering social media for business, blog, podcast and video content creation, distribution, and monetization –– and also providing topics for all vertical niche areas of blogging (parenting, sports, real estate, military, politics, etc) and all levels of business and personal interest bloggers.

BlogWorld Blog Future:
We are currently redesigning the blog layout to provide for the diverse array of industry-wide topical coverage and news reporting, and hope to launch that in the next few weeks, engaging with our growing audience of readers from across the Net.

The blog will continue to be a place to learn about the event itself (with breaking news about panels, information on early-bird registration deals and interviews with our keynote speakers and more than 200 conference presenters) but it will provide you with a wealth of information to help grow your business, audience and following long after the event ends.

Jason McGraw, CTS, CAE, the senior vice president of Expositions for InfoComm International shared in the webinar last week, Ensuring Exhibitor Success, that they have relaxed their rules about videotaping on the show floor.   In the past it was restricted.  But now, for non-commercial use, anyone can get their flip camera out and shoot some film.

Jason shares that an industry online publisher and professional AV industry consultant Gary Kayye, producer of  rAVe, launched his rAVe Now online social video coverage of the InfoComm 2010 show floor with eight college interns who took flip cameras and took hundreds of short videos, testimonials, product reviews, interviews, etc. to capture the color and excitement from the InfoComm show floor.  They uploaded their videos regularly throughout the show and also tweeted like constantly.  They also did a number of tweet-ups for sponsors in their booths.  To date they have 470 videos from InfoComm!!  Here is a link to their site with the videos.  An example of this short and sweet video is below.

Example: rAVe’s Man on the Street Video

A more traditional video:

Jason also shares that “for years we’ve had an “InfoComm TV News” daily TV program produced by one of our industry publishers who covers the show floor and events and puts exhibitors’ advertising spots into 30-minute daily programs that we show online, around the halls and lobby areas, in hotel rooms and on the shuttle buses.”   These are archived and accessible online after the show - here’s a link to this year’s programs.

How are you using videos to create excitement and extending the life of your show?  Please share with us and we can highlight you too.

Key Findings

To gain a deeper understanding of how marketers are defining and acting on customer engagement, Forbes Insights, in association with experience marketing agency George P. Johnson, surveyed more than 300 marketing leaders of large companies.

Key findings of the study include:

• As traditional “interrupt and repeat” advertising models are fading as brand-defining tools in favor of customer “conversations” and advocacy, engagement is becoming the way marketers are creating brand experiences worth discussing.

• CMOs are building their customer-facing programs with engagement in mind, and making it a KPI in their dialog with top corporate management.

• Coming up with a definition of customer engagement appropriate to their organization and brand-and the accompanying metrics to measure it-is a core responsibility of the CMO.

• In assessing engagement, experiential and digital opt-in methods are frequently rated as the methods that engage with customers most deeply. Yet CMOs aren’t necessarily aligning their marketing budgets to these priorities.

• Companies may be getting in their own way when it comes to drafting their engagement strategies. Among the top inhibitors: lack of a well defined approach to engagement, and poorly articulated benefits for loyal customers.

• Despite an understanding of the importance of engagement, more than a quarter of companies don’t have a specific engagement strategy in place. More than a third believe their companies are doing only a fair or poor job engaging their audiences.

• For most marketing executives, effective engagement translates into greater sales, higher margins, and repeat purchase behavior. Still, given the value they place on engagement, a high number are not measuring its impact.

• Employees are an important element of the engagement formula; inspiring employees and equipping them to over-deliver to customers is crucial to success.

• Marketing channels that emphasize engagement are increasingly favored by executive marketing decision makers.

We would be interested in your feedback on the report and how these findings will change your marketing efforts.  Please leave a comment for us.