Donna Kastner Joins The Velvet Chainsaw Team January 6, 2012 by Dave Lutz From Velvet Chainsaw’s Managing Director, Dave Lutz. I’m excited to announce that Donna Kastner is joining the Velvet Chainsaw team starting January 8, 2012 as Director, Education & Engagement! I had the privilege to work with Donna for several years when we were both with Experient. She’s someone that I know well and trust immensely! … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , Donna Kastner
We Need a Little Community, Right This Very Minute! December 20, 2011 by Dave Lutz Your organization is no longer the only game in town. Unless your business has golden handcuffs like certification, you’re probably having a challenge with retention and attracting new members. Your business needs an effective strategy to increase value and grow loyalty. The most urgent and critical opportunity for membership organizations to increase value and grow … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , community, community management, loyalty, online ecommunity
Bite-Sized Conference Sessions: Do They Work? November 8, 2011 by Dave Lutz Shorter education sessions are not the secret sauce for making boring or ineffective conferences appetizing. They may be more innovative and less predictable. They are even more entertaining. Unfortunately, rapid-fire five-to-18-minute presentations don’t improve learning. Unless you intentionally add time for context and meaning making. Shorter Conference Session Trends There is a growing trend for … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Experience Design Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference education, conferences, Ignite, meeting planning best practices, Pecha Kucha
Co-Locating Your Conference Can Be Risky And Rewarding September 13, 2011 by Dave Lutz Co-locating your conference can be a high-risk, high-reward proposition. Before you decide to co-locate your conference with another conference, you need to view the decision through a strategic long-term lens. Defining Co-Location At the basic level, co-locating a conference is placing two or more conferences at the same location, at the same time. Some organizers … [Read more…] Filed Under: Business Model Tagged With: , co-location, conference best practices, conferences, meeting planning, meeting planning best practices, tradeshow, tradeshow best practices
3 Ways To Leverage Content Marketing To Align With Your Goals July 25, 2011 by Dave Lutz A growing number of your supplier members are shifting their focus to content marketing. They realize that traditional push marketing by itself is dead. By hosting their own webinars, virtual conferences, online communities and providing whitepapers, research and content, they compete for your members’ time and share of mind. Communicating Without Selling Junta42, a content … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , association best practices, conference best practices, content marketing, Free online content, meeting planning best practices
Who Is Competing For Your Member’s Wallets And Time? July 18, 2011 by Dave Lutz Who’s competing for your member’s professional development share of wallet and time? Where is community forming around industry issues? Who are the thought leaders and influencers in your industry? Are they friend or foe? These are the questions that keep me up at night. The rise of content marketing and the ease of forming online … [Read more…] Filed Under: Business Model Tagged With: , association issues and challenges, association trends, content marketing, Free online content
5 Social Media Practices You Should Not Do June 16, 2011 by Dave Lutz I’ve been doing quite a bit of spying lately, in search of social media best practices among organizations. While there’s some good stuff out there, the social landscape is littered with examples of what not to do. If your social media initiatives are not yielding proof of engagement — sharing, comments, likes, and/or click-throughs — … [Read more…] Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: , social media for associations, social media for events
Your Conference Attendance Marketing Silver Bullet June 13, 2011 by Dave Lutz It’s rare to find a silver bullet that actually works. And I’ve seen one lately. The Registrant List As A Lure For conference attendance acquisition, that bullet is the attendee list. The attendee list acts as a lure attracting those that have not registered yet. So let potential attendees see who else is already registered. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , attracting attendees, conference tips, meeting planner, meeting planning basics, meeting planning best practices
Would You Like Fries With That Booth? May 2, 2011 by Dave Lutz Attendees are changing the way they plan and consume trade shows. If you’re still using static PDF floor plans and exhibitor listings, you’re missing out on the opportunity to upsell — and to connect buyers and sellers. According to research conducted by CEIR (Center for Exhibition Industry Research), nearly 75 percent of young professionals (40 … [Read more…] Filed Under: Sponsorship & Exhibits Tagged With: , event technology, technology, tradeshow, tradeshow best practices
Three Trending Tradeshow Sales Strategies April 26, 2011 by Dave Lutz The trend for exhibit and sponsorship revenue is shifting away from the show floor. Brand marketers value marketing and sponsorship opportunities more than the exhibit real estate. The Facts…Are Changing 85% of a trade show’s revenue comes from space. 15% is from sponsorship and advertising. Source: Doug Ducate, President and CEO, Center for Exhibition Industry Research … [Read more…] Filed Under: Sponsorship & Exhibits Tagged With: , conferences, tradeshow, tradeshow best practices
