Michele Frania Joins the Velvet Chainsaw Team April 9, 2013 by Dave Lutz I’m excited to announce that Michele Frania has joined the Velvet Chainsaw team as of April 8, 2013 as Director, Client Projects & Stories! Michele will be working out of our brand new offices in Twinsburg, Ohio. For the past couple years, Michele worked for brandmuscle as a Client Service Manager where she led the … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings
Five Symptoms That Your Expo Is About To Fail March 25, 2013 by Dave Lutz I’d estimate that maybe 25 percent of those reading this post would do better to sunset your expo for either your annual or topical conference. Are you stunned by this statement? Hear me out. While most associations crave non-dues revenue, sometimes the expo portion of your program is a drag on profit speed. Perhaps it’s … [Read more…] Filed Under: Business Model, Sponsorship & Exhibits Tagged With: , business strategies, expositions, tradeshow, tradeshows
Are Your Conference Panels Stuck In A Time Warp? March 20, 2013 by Dave Lutz Watch a re-run of That 70’s Show and you’ll notice that paneling was all the rage back then. It was affordable, easy to install and a sure sign of homeowner coolness. It was so cool, we even slapped it on the family sedan. Today, paneling is a major turnoff for home buyers. [Can you see … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference education, panel discussion
My Apologies – Gary Rottman February 28, 2013 by Dave Lutz Yesterday, we received notice that an article I penned in the October, 2012 issue of Convene – Is Your Conference Marketing So Last Year? included content that was lifted from Rottman Creative Group’s Manifesto. The article included concepts that were created during collaboration with other parties for a couple of industry presentations. We wrongly … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings
Who Is Your Conference Really Attracting? February 11, 2013 by Dave Lutz Attracting first-class, first-rate, quality attendees is one of the most complex and important keys to your conference’s business model. Too many conferences attempt to be all things to all people and end up with a watered-down offering. You need a process to help you identify your various attendee segments and who your target market is. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing, Business Model Tagged With: , attracting attendees, conference best practices, conferences, decision makers, economic buyers, market segmentation, target market
Sarah Michel Joins The Velvet Chainsaw Team February 7, 2013 by Dave Lutz I’m excited to announce that Sarah Michel, CSP will be joining the Velvet Chainsaw team as of February 18, 2013 as Vice President, Professional Connexity! That means we’re expanding and setting up shop in sunny Colorado. For the past 16 years, Sarah has owned her own speaking and consulting business, Perfecting Connecting. She’s been laser … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , connexity, networking, Sarah Michel
Five Conference Technology Mindsets December 18, 2012 by Dave Lutz Meeting professional face a tall technology order today. More conferences are placing a high priority on using technology that not only improves the attendee experience, extends its reach, and streamlines processes, but fits into their organizations’ overall digital strategy. It’s a tall order for meeting professionals. Today, planners are expected to have a grasp on … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Technology
Are You Attracting Your Best Attendees Or Are You Repelling Them? November 26, 2012 by Dave Lutz Why are conference organizers doing so many things that repel their best customers? Instead of bombarding paying attendees with marketing messages, how about just making good on your promise to deliver education and networking opportunities? Missed Opportunities To Grow Attendee Loyalty This summer, I attended three large conferences – one in our industry and two … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing, Business Model Tagged With: , association, association best practices, attendee loyalty, conference marketing, sponsorship
Is Your Conference Marketing So Last Year? October 11, 2012 by Dave Lutz Every year you have to figure out how to fill the chairs at your annual event. It’s Déjà vu all over again. The minute the conference is finished, you have to start again, figuring out new ways to get your audience to return the following year. It’s a never-ending cycle where you’re in constant search … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference marketing, conferences, event marketing, marketing
CEUs Are The Fool’s Gold Of Conference Marketing September 17, 2012 by Dave Lutz Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are nothing more than fool’s gold. Yes, that’s right. It’s just like Pyrite with a metallic yellow hue luster that attracts us. We think it’s gold…but it’s not! CEUs or continuing education credits are often mistaken for the primary reason why attendees go to conferences. While important, they are no longer … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing, Business Model, Conference Education Tagged With: , conference marketing, conferences, event marketing, marketing