Top 10 Ways to Market Your Event

Over the years, our Greenfield team has had to "rescue" numerous programs because they had not be promoted well to begin with.  Whether you are promoting for a FAM, a client appreciation event, or even a paid conference, here is our prescription for a successful event marketing campaign:

1. Get permission first: with the implementation of Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) July 1, 2014, make sure you get permission before you start marketing electronically.  Even if you're in the USA or anywhere else on the globe permission these days is key.  It's not easy, but you can build your list and get people to agree to receiving your information by reaching out by phone, in-person at another event, or through social media connections.  In Canada, with the new law's requirements, ensure you stay on top of your database; otherwise you may soon be running out of option for your marketing list!  
2. Maintain your database meticulously: With the CASL, if there is a complaint, the burden will be on you to prove that permission was obtained.  Don't risk a fine by sending unwanted messages to recipients whose information you haven't updated in your database.  Keep it clean!
3. Make it about ME: who cares if your event has a record-breaking number of exhibitors, sponsors or break-out sessions?  If your communication isn't articulating what's-in-it-for-ME, as your attendee, then you likely won't get me to register, regardless if your event is free or paid.
4. Twitterize your message:  Don't send long emails telling me ALL there is to know about your event.  Since your message is mostly likely to be viewed on a mobile device, keep your message short and to the point.  If there's more to your story, give links where the recipient can go for more.
5. Make it easy to share: An increasing number of business event attendees are active on social media.  Make it easy for attendees to share your event with peers by using ShareThis or other social media sharing platforms. That way they can tweet, post to Facebook or LinkedIn, or whatever social medium they prefer.
6. Tell them who else likes you & who else will be there: When you tell your event's story, impart the experience through the voice and words of people like your prospective attendee. The testimonial of a REAL person, with a name, title, company and photo, will go a long way to convince them your event is worth their time.  And while you must respect attendees' privacy and not reveal their personal information, it's OK for you to tell the names of the organizations who will be represented at your event.  This will help your prospective attendee – and their boss, if they need approval – better decide if the event is for them.
7. Show them too: If a picture is worth a thousand words, then video is worth a million.  Use this powerful tool to show clips of speakers, testimonials from attendees, exhibitors, sponsors.  Score double points by showcasing a video showcases of someone with similar attributes to your prospect.
8. Vary your channels: Unless recipients have "white listed" your email address, there's a 30-40% chance that your mass-deployed email will be caught in spam filters.  So while your audience may be interested, they may never see your message; you must vary the ways you reach out!  Pay special attention to the groups where your prospects hang out on LinkedIn.  Get the influential people in your industry, those with lots of followers, to tweet about your event.  Or even send something by mail – something that'll pique recipients' curiosity, something that'll get them to check out your event online.
9. Understand my communication preferences: While Boomers and GenXers may appreciate getting information by email, younger professionals may not be so interested.  Millennials are said to be less inclined to read email.  This, coupled with the CASL, may require you to shift resources to building a following on social media.  But make sure you know which ones first!
10. Don't be so business-like: Learn from what gets shared online; I'm not talking about silly cat videos (unless your event is about cats), but we all enjoy funny or touching stories. Your promotion will rise about the clutter if you show emotion, humour, or an edge.  Business need not be so serious!

Do you have any other smart ways to promote your event?  Share them here!

A Meeting Planner's View: What an Outdated Mailing List Says to Your Customers

This post is by guest contributor Cara Tracy, CMP, CMM. Cara is a meetings industry professional who has been on the supply side of the industry, as well as the planning side. She offers great advice to hotels, CVBs and anyone else who provides proposals to meeting planners -- check out her blog.

Want a surefire way to waste money, kill trees and show how out of touch you are with your customers? Use an old mailing list!

When was the last time you updated yours? I received a promotional brochure from a meeting industry supplier last week that was addressed to the person who had my job sixteen years ago. Sixteen years, people.

Now one could argue, the brochure made it to me so the supplier accomplished one of it’s goals. Yes—it made it to me because my predecessor’s title was also on the mailing label. The person in my office who sorts our mail doesn’t have a list of former employees that goes back that far.

But here’s the issue … I received it and the first thing I noticed was the addressee and the next thing I thought was “Boy, are they out of touch!” Not “Wow! What a great promotion!” or “This would be great for my next meeting.” In fact, I don’t even remember who sent the piece.

Guess it didn’t meet the rest of their goals, did it?

If you insist on using snail mail to reach out to your customers, keep your records up to date. I assume you make regular solicitation calls. As part of that process, confirm the customer’s information, including designations (they may have earned a new one recently and it’s a nice way to honor them.) Or have an assistant or an intern make calls to verify information. If that is the only purpose of their call, I recommend they call the client’s main switchboard rather than taking up the planner’s time.

How do you feel when you receive mail addressed to a predecessor or with wrong information on the mailing label? What else can you do to ensure this doesn’t happen to your customers?

And of course, Greenfield Services can help you update that mailing list... Give us a shout!

Ten Steps to Make Your Meeting Proposal Stand Out From Your Competition

This post is by guest contributor Cara Tracy, CMP, CMM.  Cara is a meetings industry professional who has been on the supply side of the industry, as well as the planning side.  This post offers great advice to hotels, CVBs and anyone else who provides proposals to meeting planners!

Don’t you love getting requests for proposals? It’s like someone handing you a piece of business … almost. Follow these ten simple steps and you will make a positive first-impression which will help you stand out from your competitors.
 
1. Follow all instructions
The planner has told you what they want and what is important to them. Pay attention to this. If the RFP says not to call, do not call. If the RFP asks for average menu prices, distance from the airport, whatever—provide the information that is requested.

2. Do your homework
Check to see if the planner and/or organization has used your property before and acknowledge it. I don’t feel like a valued customer when I’m treated like a new piece of business. I appreciated a proposal I received recently from a property that I’ve used in the past. In addition to thanking me for my loyalty, the sales manager also left out the “fluff,” since I am familiar with her property, and just gave me the information I requested.

3. Address my concessions
If you can’t offer all of the concessions requested, contact the client to find out what’s most important to them, what they can live without, etc. If I ask for a certain number of upgrades, it’s for a reason (in my case it is for my board of directors—I can’t give some upgrades and not others.)

4. Don’t waste my time
If I am looking for a rate under $150 in February, don’t offer me a $300 rate in January.

5. Don’t use acronyms
In one proposal, a hotel offered my group “comp HSIA in guestrooms.” I assume that means high-speed internet access but since that term is not widely used, it’s best to spell it out.

6. Don’t call something a concession that isn’t
Oooh, thank you Mr. Hotel Sales Manager for offering my group a complimentary registration desk and conference office. Do you charge other groups for this?

7. Know your client
Planners who work directly for a corporation, association or government agency typically do not have clients, so don’t refer to their “client’s attendees” in your proposal. Just say “your attendees.” Also, don’t invite the planner over for lunch next week if they live across the country.

8. Watch your wording
If you aren’t sure about the definition of a word, look it up. A hotel sales manager promised “You will have a successful meeting at the XYZ hotel with every detail being overlooked by your dedicated event manager.” Um, I don’t want ANY detail of my meeting to be overlooked.

9. Be reasonable
Don’t mention in your proposal “I will call you in a few days to see if we can move forward with a contract.” Really? Does anyone make a decision that quickly? Instead, look at the due date on the RFP and say something like “I will contact you after (due date) to see if you have any questions or if I can provide you with more information about ABC hotel.”

10. Review your proposal before you send Check for missing information, spelling and other errors. Make sure you didn’t leave someone else’s name and/or company name in the template. Look for inconsistencies. Did you offer complimentary parking under “concessions” but list parking charges in another part of the proposal?

Your potential client took the time to create an RFP specifically for their meeting and their organization's needs. Honor and respect them by taking the time to respond in an equally—if not more—thoughtful manner. If you crank out a standard “form” proposal, you are not showing your genuine interest in their business and will sound and look like everyone else, even if your property and service are superior.

What are other best practices you can use when responding to RFPs?

Image by Flicker user gary_foulger CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Advice from a Meeting Planner to Suppliers

This post is by guest contributor Cara Tracy, CMP, CMM.  Cara is a meetings industry professional who has been on the supply side of the industry, as well as the planning side.  This post was originally titled: "Know your customer … or make it seem like you do!"  

One of my biggest pet peeves is a sales pitch or presentation from someone who doesn’t know their audience. I don’t expect you to know me or my organization personally (although doing your homework will get you further in my book), however there are a few basics you should know when selling to meeting planners.

• Watch your wording
  UKnow the differences between market segments and tailor your pitch accordingly. For example, do not refer to an association as a “company.” If you aren’t sure, call it an “organization.” Also, unless the planner clearly works for a third party or is an independent, don’t assume they have clients. When you refer to my “clients”, it tells me that you do not understand my business or associations in general. A safe term to use is “attendees”. All meeting planners have attendees.
• Don’t claim to be something you’re not
  A fellow planner received an email from a 160-room hotel claiming to be a “perfect match” for her meetings. In fact, the hotel’s website touts “The perfect fit for your next meeting or social event.” In my friend’s case, they aren’t even close—her program attracts over 4,000 attendees! Once you’ve done your research and know your property can accommodate my program, say something like “other national associations with similar size groups have found our hotel ideal for their annual convention.” And remember “fit” doesn’t necessarily mean size. In my case, I look at the feel of the property, location, amenities, among other things—and what’s important to me varies from meeting to meeting.
• Don’t spend time telling me things that don’t interest me
  On a recent site inspection, my hotel sales manager incorrectly assumed that because I work for the National Speakers Association we have high-profile or celebrity presenters who require private access onto the property. She spent a great deal of time walking us to the “secret entrance” and discussing how they can discreetly bring our VIP guests into the hotel. By simply asking “do you have high-profile guests that require a separate entrance?”, she could have avoided wasting our time and making herself look like she didn’t know her customer.
• Look me up
  If you are making a ton of solicitation calls or sending a mass email and don’t have time to “do your homework” on every customer, at the very least, check your database to see if I’ve used your property before. Nothing turns me off more than an introduction call from a new sales manager asking if I would consider using their hotel when we were just there the year before. Even worse is if I have an upcoming program! On the other hand, don’t over-generalize and assume everyone on your list has used your hotel and thank me for business I didn’t book.

When it comes down to it, the more time you spend preparing the better. You may not get through as many calls but the quality of those calls (and the outcome) will improve significantly. How do you learn about your customers and potential customers?

How do you learn about your customers and potential customers?

Image: www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Six tips to make your client events more impactful

This post is by guest contributor Cara Tracy, CMP, CMM.  Cara is a meetings industry professional who has been on the supply side of the industry, as well as the planning side.

You hold client events to show your current and potential customers that you appreciate them, right? To make sure you are effective, there are a few things to consider before rolling out the red carpet. It starts with the invitation and ends with the follow up.

1. Double check your invitation list
   Unless it is an overnight event and you are providing transportation and lodging, make sure you are inviting only local customers. I am based in the Phoenix area and have been invited to luncheons in DC and ballgames in various cities around the U.S. Sure, I can just toss or delete the invitation—which I do—but why make a customer think you aren’t on top of things? If you know a specific customer travels frequently to your area, send them an invitation with a personal note that says “I know you live in Phoenix, but if you happen to be in our area...”
2. Make it easy to RSVP
   Allow the client to simply respond to the email or include a hotlink to respond “yes” or “no.” Don’t make them fill out a complicated form to say they aren’t coming. If you want to get updated information from them (title, address, etc.) give them the option.
3. Details, details!
   Provide as much information as possible in the invitation (or a confirmation letter well in advance of the event.) Is there a dress code? What is the agenda? Are there specific parking instructions? Are guests allowed? What costs are being covered? Remember, we are planners and we like and need details!
4. Follow up with those who have special needs
   If you ask registrants if they have special dietary or other needs, do something with the information! Share it with the hotel or venue, find out what accommodations will be made, and let the attendee know. I attended a client event a few years ago and indicated on my registration (where asked) that I require gluten-free meals. When I arrived at the event, no arrangements had been made and I was on my own to track down a chef who could let me know what I could and could not eat.
5. Make attendees feel appreciated, not sold to
   Sure, you want to get future business from the attendees—just don’t make it so obvious. I attended a client dinner for a major hotel company a few years ago. At each course, the hotel representatives moved to sit with another client so the salesperson and client could each be exposed to the maximum number of people throughout the evening. It was nice that the clients didn’t have to move, but all night long I got asked by my new tablemates, “So, do you book meetings in XYZ city?”
6. Keep the good vibes flowing
   Hopefully, your attendees had a great time. You want them to keep those positive thoughts in their mind. Send a link so they can download (for free) photos taken at the event, or a follow-up video recapping the fun time everyone had. And review your mailing list so you don’t send the follow up to people who did not attend.

As with any event, put yourself in the attendees’—your client’s—shoes and think about their experience. What kinds of things have you appreciated or disliked about customer events you’ve attended in the past?

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/acme/11939616/