growing your show attendance
TRANSCRIPT
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Growing Annual Meeting Attendance in a Challenging Environment
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
It is not about You…
It’s about your attendees!
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Ideas to Grow Attendance
No Brainer/Do Now
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Great/Won’t Happen
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Luv!/Need Help
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Membership changes.
Shouldn’t your marketing?
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Key Changes
1. How and when we talk to attendees
2. Expanded conversations with potential attendees
3. Better ties to other NACS departments
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Key Changes
4. Provided better consistency of messages
5. Enhanced the event experience
6. Told a better story
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
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GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Great communication is like a great first date – don’t monopolize the conversation.
I love that she listens.
How great to not hear sports stories all night
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
How and When
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
How and When
• State benefits instead of features– We vs. You– So What?
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GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
How and When
• Showcase photos and quotes in marketing
“The cap swap was great! I love meeting new people and sharing stories about our school!”
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
How and When
• Review marketing and promotions timeline– Market your show year-round!
From Designboom.com on Pinterest
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Expanded Conversations
• Use demographics to target market
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Expanded Conversations
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Ties with Others
Where else do you promote your event in your association?
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Ties with Others
• Membership renewal• Your magazine
or newsletter• All!
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Ties with Others
• Special event• Your digital magazine
or e-newsletter• All!
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Ties with Others• Vendors
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Better Consistency
• Clear, timely, and relevant
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Better Consistency
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Better Consistency
• Call to action – Urgent
(if appropriate)– Easy
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Better Consistency
• Targeting
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Better Consistency
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Know Your Audience
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Event Experience
Capitalize on the great on-site experience!
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Event Experience
• Involve staff and members to help make improvements
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Event Experience
• Make a connection
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Event Experience• Make a connection– Volunteers– New members, lone attendees,
first-timers– Receptions
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
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Event Experience
Receptions bring together old friends!Help the newbies connect too.
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Event Experience
• Involve your Exhibitors
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Event Experience
• Use strong testimonials
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Event Experience
“(The MIA was) able to get us full access to a variety of facilities on this tour that normally would not have been possible. The atmosphere fostered comradery and networking with others in the industry.”
— David Castellucci, Kenneth Castellucci & Associates, Inc.
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
How do you solicit quotes?
Interviews Questionnaires
Committee MembersYour Board
The Secret: Write it for them!
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Event Experience• Encourage, engage, and let go – Social Media!– Facebook– Twitter– LinkedIn
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Event Experience
– YouTube
http://youtu.be/v1WxG12mefk
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Event Experience
• Interactive and engaging– Encourage
participation!
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Event ExperienceWhere are your attendees?• LinkedIn• Facebook• Twitter• Pinterest• Your private social network
How else are you engaging? 25 Ways To Use Social Media For Your Next Event
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Event Experience• New
mobilesite
“The mobile site kept me up-to-date about where I should be and at what time. I could have managed without anything else.”
CAMEX Survey Respondent
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Event Experience
• Social Media Hub
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Event Experience
• Microsite
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Event Experience
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Tell a Better Story
It is easy to forget that your volunteers are people first.
Membership and attendance at your event may be lower on their priority list.
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Tell a Better Story
Members are our story
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Stories in Photos
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Outcomes for last five years:
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
It’s about them…
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Resources to check out:Ron Rosenberg , Consultant Seth GodinPresident, QualityTalk, Inc. Writer, Speaker, An Agent of [email protected] www.sethgodin.comwww.qualitytalk.com Seth’s Blog
Velvet Chainsaw Consulting http://jeffhurtblog.com/velvet-chainsaw/25 Ways To Use Social Media For Your Next Event
Presentation to share:
Contact info for questions/comments:
Anne MendenhallDirector, Marketing CommunicationsNational Association of College StoresPh: (800) 622-7498, ext. [email protected]
Wendy Holliday Vice President, Marketing and Member ServicesNational Association of College StoresPh: (800) 622-7498, ext. 2303 [email protected]
Thank You!
GCSAE Meeting | May 10, 2012
Questions to ask:
Do you have a people strategy?
Hard to imagine a consultant or investor asking the CMO, “So, what's your telephone strategy?”
We don't have a telephone strategy. The telephone is a tool, a simple medium, and its only purpose is to connect us to interested human beings.
And then the Internet comes along and it's mysterious and suddenly we need an email strategy and a social media strategy and a web strategy and a mobile strategy.
No, we don't.
It's still people. We still have one and only one thing that matters, and it's people.
All of these media are conduits, they are tools that human beings use to waste time or communicate or calculate or engage or learn. Behind each of the tools is a person. Do you have a story to tell that person? An engagement or a benefit to offer them?
Figure out the people part and the technology gets a whole lot simpler.
1. Is the headline working?2. Is there a call to action with
contact information?3. Can you target the message to
key groups?4. Is there a testimonial?5. Are you using member and
event photos instead of stock photos?
6. Are you trying to do too much in one piece?
7. Is there too much about you?8. What does your attendee
want to hear/see?
Seth Godin’s Blog April 26, 2012