The Big Gamble: Commoditizing Hotel Group Sales March 25, 2011 by Dave Lutz This post is by Dave Lutz, managing director of Velvet Chainsaw Consulting. I spent most of my career running one of the largest site selection companies in the country. I learned a ton about group sales and how customers buy. I had the privilege to work with some of the best and most influential … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , hospitality industry, hotel block, hotel group sales
Make Your Conference Irresistible! March 2, 2011 by Dave Lutz This post is by Dave Lutz. One of the sessions that I looked forward to the most at Event Camp Chicago 2011 was from Liz Strauss. Liz is a deep thinker. And she did not disappoint! I had to go back and watch the recording to get my head around how to best apply her … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , conferences, event marketing, irresistible attraction
What Meeting Planners Want From Their CSM February 15, 2011 by Dave Lutz It was arrival day for PCMA’s Convening Leaders Annual Conference. Most of the hotel and CVB sales folks were entertaining clients and watching the NFL playoffs. Meanwhile, their Convention Services Managers (CSM) were working hard to discover new ways to deliver value to customers. Some things never change! The Event The event? Association for Convention … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , ACOM, conferences, convention operations, convention service managers, CSM, CVB
Virtual Event Strategies for 2011 January 12, 2011 by Dave Lutz This post is written by Dave Lutz. I’m a believer in Hybrid Events and the benefits of extending reach through that strategy. Associations that go down the hybrid road, and make it financially attractive, are putting their profession ahead of profit. AND they will reap long-term benefits. Why I Am Not There On Pure Virtual Events … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Technology, Hybrid & Virtual Tagged With: , digital events, digital meeting, digital tradeshow, virtual events, virtual tradeshow
13 Things to Know Before Attending PCMA 2011 in Vegas January 7, 2011 by Dave Lutz Will we see you at PCMA, Virtual Edge or ACOM next week in Vegas? If so, we’ve compiled some important info to help you make the most of your trip. If you aren’t attending, sign up for the next best thing… the free live stream offerings from both PCMA and Virtual Edge. Let’s get started! … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , ACOM11, conferences, PCMA11, ves11
Virtual Trade Show Business Plans December 15, 2010 by Dave Lutz Tradeshow organizers and exhibitors are leveraging virtual technologies for their benefit. Virtual events are helping them reduce costs, increase lead generation, improve ROI for the exhibitor and attract future buyers. At IAEE’s 2010 Expo! Expo! Nicole Buraglio and I presented a sesson on Virtual Trade Show Business Plans. We explored several business and go-to-market strategies for leveraging … [Read more…] Filed Under: Business Model, Sponsorship & Exhibits Tagged With: , hybrid, tradeshow, tradeshows, virtual, virtual meeting, virtual tradeshow
Five Tips To Improve Your Tradeshow Exhibitor Communications November 1, 2010 by Dave Lutz Recently, I’ve been doing a bit of research and consulting on exhibitor communications. While I’ve lived in and around shows for many years, in the past my focus has been more on revenue, lead management and ROI, and not so much on the service, hand holding and communication of confirmed exhibitors. Most tradeshows have at … [Read more…] Filed Under: Sponsorship & Exhibits Tagged With: , tradeshow, tradeshow best practices
Four Ways To Flip Your Tradeshow Buying And Selling Model October 18, 2010 by Dave Lutz “People don’t like to be sold, but they love to buy!” Jeff Gitomer. That’s one of my favorite truth quotes, from Gitomer, a speaker, sales trainer and author of The Sales Bible, Little Red Book of Selling and many others. This truth is playing out in the way buyers are changing how they attack and … [Read more…] Filed Under: Business Model, Sponsorship & Exhibits Tagged With: , tradeshow, tradeshow best practices
How The Billboard Effect Influences Your Tradeshow October 11, 2010 by Dave Lutz About a year ago, I learned about a term used in the hotel industry known as “The Billboard Effect.” Defining The Billboard Effect Chris Anderson Ph.D., assistant professor at Cornell University, conducted a study on the impact of hotel reservations for hotels with or without a presence on Expedia. During the study, four hotels were … [Read more…] Filed Under: Sponsorship & Exhibits Tagged With: , Billboard Effect, conferences, tradeshow, tradeshow best practices
Priority Points, On-Site Booth Sales And The NFL Draft September 15, 2010 by Dave Lutz A couple of weeks ago, Kevin Johnstone, director of Tradeshows at the National Association of Music Manufacturers, started a LinkedIn discussion about priority point programs and on-site booth sales. Tom Corcoran, Owner of Corcoran Expositions, Inc. , added my favorite reply to the thread. “Two benefits to holding your space pick for next year on,-site, … [Read more…] Filed Under: Sponsorship & Exhibits Tagged With: , exhibitions, exhibitors, exhibits, tradeshow