Using FOMO to Convert Conference Fence Sitters August 6, 2015 by Wendy Holliday Why do people camp outside Best Buy before Black Friday sales? What about those constantly checking their Facebook news feed? It is the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) The Word of Mouth Marketing Association defines FOMO: “At its root, FOMO is a sort of social anxiety that occurs when one is concerned with missing a … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , attendance marketing, conference best practices
Sponsorship Mattering: From Logos and Noise to Emotional Experiences [Free eBook] July 13, 2015 by Wendy Holliday Sponsorships featuring logos, eyeballs and impressions don’t carry the same value they once did. At the same time, sponsorship buyers are becoming more sophisticated about the dollars they invest and how they leverage emotional marketing. They’re also refining their palate to deliver more intimate customer and prospect experiences including hosting their own exclusive events. Conference … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design, Sponsorship & Exhibits Tagged With: , conference best practices, meeting planning best practices
Use Social Proof to Increase Conference Registrations March 25, 2015 by Wendy Holliday Most of us don’t read emails from people we don’t recognize. We may skim the contents, but most of the time we just do the quick delete. Unless there’s something that makes us look twice. So imagine you’re catching up on email, you see one from an unknown conference trying to convince you to purchase. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , Attendance Acquisition, conference marketing
Enabling Influence Trumps Spraying and Praying March 11, 2015 by Wendy Holliday List buys and promotional email blasts rarely convince and convert the attendees you want for your conference or trade show. Today, you need to earn the privilege to be seen in a professional’s email inbox. Attendance acquisition has shifted forever from push to pull marketing. While you want to be in it for the long-run…earning … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , Affiliate Marketing, Attendance Acquisition, attendance marketing, marketing, Partner Marketing
Sponsorship Ideas From Super Bowl Fan Experiences February 12, 2015 by Wendy Holliday Super Bowl fans paid big money to attend the experience in Arizona. Sponsors paid big money for game day ads. And some paid for unique customer experiences, some onsite and some online. The savviest sponsors engaged fans before they ever hit the turnstiles or clicked their remote. They knew that getting the most from their … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design, Sponsorship & Exhibits Tagged With: , conference sponsorship, sponsor activation, sponsor leverage, sponsorship best practices
Increase Conference Attendee Acquisition With Targeted Message Maps November 3, 2014 by Wendy Holliday How often are your conference communication pieces in lockstep with your attendees’ needs? Do your conference emails tend to go out as a one-size-fits-all blast to your entire database? Or is your copy customized with critical issues for each primary target audience segment? If you want to increase your conference attendee acquisition, you need targeted … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , conference best practices, engagement, meeting planning best practices
3 Social Media Take-Aways From #pcmapower October 15, 2014 by Wendy Holliday The PCMA Power chapter hosted industry veterans and Hospitality majors from Kent State University last week in social media roundtable discussions. The mix of ages and experiences brought interesting insight to the role social media can play in attendee acquisition and engagement. Here are three big ideas of what they had to say. 1. Connect … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , social media best practices, social media for events
Your Conference Logo Needs Policing September 15, 2014 by Wendy Holliday Ok, you get it – Your Conference is a Brand. You’ve moved beyond the “annual meeting” into something more meaningful to your attendees. You’ve got your conference mission. You know how your conference will advance the profession and what’s in it for your participants. Now it is time to put your hard work into action. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , conference best practices, conference marketing, conference tips, event marketing, meeting planning best practices, visuals
Yes, Your Conference is a Brand August 5, 2014 by Wendy Holliday Yes, your conference is a brand. So start treating it like one! The Words Annual Meeting Are Out! If you’re still using Annual Meeting in your conference brand, you’re showing your age. Most association bylaws require an annual meeting of the membership. It’s the organization’s business portion of the conference usually for paid members. But … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , branding, conference planning, conference tag line, expo, marketing
Testimonials Don’t Convert Conference Prospects July 24, 2014 by Wendy Holliday You’ve heard the litany: Testimonials are great third party endorsements. Using testimonials will increase your conference attendance. Yadda Yadda It’s all bull. Two big reasons you should do it anyway. 1. Smart testimonials will make people pause. Testimonials can give marketers what they want…a better chance of being heard and considered. Our lives are cluttered with … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing Tagged With: , 3rd party endorsements, attendance marketing, conference best practices, meeting planning best practices, testimonials, using testimonials, writing testimonials
