Executing an Event Marketing Plan How-To Guide

1. How-­‐To  Guide                                                                                                                                                                 Executing  an  Event  Marketing  Plan     By  Kristen  Maida,  Research  Analyst   November  2013         EXECUTIVE  SUMMARY   Event Marketing is used to support a variety of marketing programs and initiatives. Deciding what types of events to attend and/or host, identifying the content you will present, initiating promotion to attendees, and evaluating every detail of your event(s) are just a few components of the overall event marketing process. Meticulous planning and effective promotion of your event will ultimately lead to ease of execution and, in turn, a positive response. This How-­To Guide is designed to provide practical advice on planning, promoting and executing your event marketing plan. This guide outlines the event planning process, provides tips to promote your events, and explains how to execute a successful event. WHAT   DOES   THE   EVENT   MARKETING   PLANNING   PROCESS  INVOLVE?   After you have committed to an event or an event strategy, you will enter a planning phase. To make the best possible impression, events require extensive planning. Here are some items that need to be considered: 1.Selecting Events -­ When considering tradeshows and industry conferences to choose from, there are some key factors that should influence your choices: ©  2013  Demand  Metric  Research  Corporation.    All  Rights  Reserved.  

2. How-­‐To  Guide   ?The types of events your customers & prospects attend ?Which events show reputation & quality ?The presence of competitors ?Cost ??? ???? ????? ??? ?????????? ?? ?????? ?????? ???? ??????? ???????? Tradeshow Evaluation Matrix to determine the best fit. 2.Choosing a Venue (if hosting) ? When choosing a venue for your event it is important to consider: ?Capacity ?Amenities ?Parking ?Pricing/Fees ?Storage ?Availability ?Maintenance ?Food & Beverage ?Technical Requirements 3.Staffing Your Event -­ Determine the optimal staffing requirements to ensure success. Elements to consider include: ?Staffing Level -­ At tradeshows, staff for peak traffic flows ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? your team is busy. ©  2013  Demand  Metric  Research  Corporation.    All  Rights  Reserved.  

3. How-­‐To  Guide   ?Set-­up -­ Create a team just for set-­up and take-­down to allow staff involved in the actual event to focus on the purpose of the event and potential clients. ?Length -­ At day-­long events, plan to have enough staff at peak times and schedule breaks accordingly. ?Type -­ Bring customer-­facing staff (sales, marketing and support) to the event. Personable and/or outgoing team members are generally best. 4.Technology Requirements -­ Determine your technology requirements and ensure the event venue is able to accommodate them. Aspects to consider in your planning include: Internet availability, mobile phone coverage, equipment (PCs, displays and/or other demo devices), electrical/power requirements and the availability of a lead capturing system at your venue. 5.Promotion Items & Collateral -­ Determine what promotional items and marketing materials are needed to provide event attendees. Promotional items & collateral may include branded giveaways, contests and/or draws and marketing materials. Keep in mind that tradeshow attendees throw away much of what they get before heading home. Provide basic product and company information, and plan to follow-­up after the event to provide more details. 6.Amenities -­ Consider other amenities your event may need and plan for them. Amenities can include, but are not limited to, catering, decorations, booth design and signage. KEY  STEPS  OF  EVENT  PROMOTION   ©  2013  Demand  Metric  Research  Corporation.    All  Rights  Reserved.  

4. How-­‐To  Guide   When it comes to event planning; the promotion strategy deserves special attention. You can tend to all other details of event planning, but ??????????????????????????????? properly, it can easily fail. This section will cover three steps of event promotion: 1.Pre-­Event Marketing & Promotion for Tradeshows ? Promote your presence prior to a trade show by incorporating the following activities into your promotional strategy: ?Promote your attendance via your website, blog, eNewsletter and social media channels. ?Obtain registration list from show organizers and develop pre-­event communications to attendees such as: direct mail, email or both. ?Help attendees qualify themselves in your communications by positioning your company or featured solution. ?Indicate your booth number or location and provide an ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????? 2.Pre-­Event Marketing for Events you Produce ?Before you kick-­off your upcoming event, follow the steps below to help increase attendance: ?Collaborate internally with sales team, and executives to identify ideal attendees. ?Determine advertising strategy: invitations, print ads, social media, email, other ?If using invitations, build the guest list and design invitation. ?If you require an RSVP, have a follow-­up plan to ensure attendance. ?Make sure that accepting an invitation is as simple as possible. ?Provide all event details in your promotional material: time, place, duration, transportation, etc. ©  2013  Demand  Metric  Research  Corporation.    All  Rights  Reserved.  

5. How-­‐To  Guide   3.At Event Promotion ?If your objective is to obtain impressions (encounters with attendees/leads), your goal is to: ?Maximize the number of impressions you get. ?Have the impressions you get represent your brand well. ???????????????????????????????????????????? Impressions are valuable opportunities to create and build relationships with potential leads. Make sure your presence at an event takes full advantage of these opportunities. ESSENTIALS  TO  SUCCESSFUL  EVENT  EXECUTION   A successful event is a product of meticulous planning and flawless execution. The more care and effort invested in planning; the easier the event is to execute, and the more likely it is to succeed. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind: ?Focus on details? Anyone who has managed an event will tell you that if something is likely to go wrong, it will. For this reason, best practices for managing event execution include: ?Work your plan? check and double-­check your plan, then work from it. ?Anticipate problems? expect the unexpected. Come up with a plan of action for potential problems or issues so ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? avoid any disruption during the event. ?Be specific? make no assumptions. Any aspect of your plan that lacks sufficient detail risks being misinterpreted and executed incorrectly. ?Show up early? give yourself plenty of problem resolution time. ?Communicate proactively? communicate with everyone involved to ensure roles and responsibilities are well understood. ©  2013  Demand  Metric  Research  Corporation.    All  Rights  Reserved.  

6. How-­‐To  Guide   ?Manage the participants ?Events usually require the participation of internal and external stakeholders. A few tips for managing participants include: ?Clarify roles -­ make sure that everyone who has a role understands their specific responsibilities. ?Set expectations -­ In addition to clarifying roles, communicate exactly what is expected from every participant and get acknowledgement of acceptance and understanding. ?Send reminders ???????????????????????????????? remember their role. Communicate their responsibilities and confirm their commitment before the event. ?Plan for contingencies ????????????????????????????????????? have a contingency plan for each one. Examples to consider: ?Malfunctioning demo technology ?Speaker/presenter no-­show ?Inclement weather ?Booth display or materials fail to arrive at show site ?Flight delays or cancellations   ACTION  PLAN:  IMPLEMENTING  TAG  MANAGEMENT     1.Begin the planning process ? work with your team to plan for tradeshows, conferences, webinars or any other events you are planning to attend or host. A few tools that may assist you in the planning process: our Webinar Program Methodology, Events Database, and Conference Planning Checklist. 2.Promotion? advertise your events to ensure you get enough attendees to justify the investment in your tradeshow, conference and/or webinar. ©  2013  Demand  Metric  Research  Corporation.    All  Rights  Reserved.  

7. How-­‐To  Guide   3.Execute and attend ????? ????? ??????? ????????? ???? ?????????? stages are complete, you can attend your events and ensure everything runs smoothly. 4.Evaluate & measure the results ? our Key Marketing Metrics Dashboard will help you track & assess the results from all of your event marketing efforts   BOTTOM  LINE   ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? By outlining every detail of your event(s), advertising your presence, and executing your event(s) flawlessly; attendees will take away, at a minimum, a positive experience associated with your brand and company. Potential clients and partners will remember those positive experiences when considering doing business with your company in the future.   ©  2013  Demand  Metric  Research  Corporation.    All  Rights  Reserved.