"If anyone is going to disrupt this industry, it is going to be us!" I love this quote from Smart Customers, Stupid Companies. I think more conference organizers should adopt it! Here’s my question for meeting professionals and conference organizers: Are you going to have “Smart Attendees, Stupid Conferences or Smart Attendees, Smart Conferences?” To paraphrase Smart Companies authors Michael Hinshaw and Bruce Kasanoff: Massive disruption is coming (and in many cases has already … [Read more...]
It Is Time To Revolutionize Conferences
The traditional conference is in dire need of creativity, innovation and reinvention! It has been stuck in an ancient, out-dated rut for too long. Those planning and organizing conferences need to see themselves as creators and artists. As Seth Godin says in Linchpin, “An artist is someone who uses bravery, insight, creativity and boldness to challenge the status quo.” We need more conference organizers that plan and program from a position of creativity and courage and not from a … [Read more...]
The Evolution Of Onsite Conferences: 26 Trends Coming To An Event Near You
The traditional conference meeting experience is out! People today are looking for unusual, new, innovative conference experiences. They don’t want to attend last year’s annual meeting that just changed the filler. They want something that feels as fresh as their first conference experience. They want an original experience. 26 Trends Coming Your Way Here are 26 conference trends coming to an event near you. 1. Increased Attendee Expectations Average is not enough. Status quo is … [Read more...]
Secrets For Growing Conference Sponsorship Revenues
Many conference and trade show organizers are focusing more attention on exhibit and sponsorship sales. Yet, the traditional revenue mix from exhibits and sponsorship is changing. More digital demonstration channels are being adopted and booth footprints are shrinking. The future opportunity is to shift reduced marketing spend from exhibitor booth square feet to more sponsorship. Bigger Deals, Fewer Buyers Recently, Dave and I had the pleasure of leading a session at the ASAE Annual … [Read more...]
Time For Your Conference Sponsorship To Grow Up
Has your conference sponsorship grown up? Or are you still offering first generation sponsorship that flashes logos on any and all available space at your conference venue? If you are, you have bought into the concept that displaying logos to masses of cynical consumers equals marketing return. Guess what, it doesn't! Four Generations Of Sponsorship Kim Skildum-Reid, one of the world's leading sponsorship mavens with more than 25 years of global sponsor experience, has written a white … [Read more...]
Are You Attracting Your Best Attendees Or Are You Repelling Them?
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 outside. All three were premium conferences, yet all three missed out on opportunities to grow attendee loyalty. Here are … [Read more...]
Getting Your Sponsors To Trigger Their Sponsorships
A trend we're seeing is that exhibitors are requiring less square footage and shifting dollars to other sponsorship opportunities. Conference organizers need to think about how to convert exhibitor's marketing dollars into sponsorship opportunities that benefit attendees. The Shift From Exhibiting To Sponsorships This shift requires a more strategic and consultative sales approach. Many conference organizers confuse sponsorship with advertising or promotion. While a custom sponsorship … [Read more...]
6 Sponsor Tips For Your Online Audio And Video Content
"It's a people driven economy, stupid," says Socialnomics author Erik Qualman. He starts his book with this paraphrase of the famous 1992 James Carville quote, "It's the economy, stupid." Qualman says it's only a slight change of words but a drastic adjustment in business and social philosophy. It's Socialnomics, a far-reaching revolution that will continue to evolve for years. One of the concepts Qualman discusses is the traditional advertising model versus the socialomerce … [Read more...]
