Event Promotion

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Event Promotion

• With
• Katie Kiaha
• Marketing Manager

2
Overview

• Marketing Plan the basics
• Setting objectives
• Creating a budget
• Identifying key market segments
• Working on effective messaging
• Implementation
• Create a timeline
• Identify methods of communication
• Other tips for getting the word out

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Marketing Plan - Intro.

• Key points to remember about marketing plans
• Not scary
• Roadmap
• No event is perfect and even the perfect
  marketing plan cant guarantee high turnout at
  your event, but they are your best bet for
  success

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Marketing Plan - Intro. (cont.)

• Tip 1 Give yourself plenty of time. This is
  key. The last thing you want to do is say oh,
  our event is in a weekhmm, what should we do?
• Prior planning leads to success.
• -My Mom

5
Marketing Plan - Objectives

• What is the objective of the marketing plan?
• In order to see if your marketing efforts were
  successful you will need to measure them against
  something. In this case, objectives are typically
  goals for attendance. These goals might be a
  specific number.

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Marketing Plan - Budget

• How much do you have to spend on your marketing
  efforts?
• Break it down to how you will allot to each
  outreach effort. (ex X number of dollars toward
  printing flyers).
• Typically all else will have to fall in line
  behind your budget.

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Marketing Plan - Identifying Market Segments

• What market segments would you like to hit?
• Member
• Non-members who have attended events or shown
  interest in the past
• Industry professionals who might benefit in some
  way from attending
• Are there any new market segments youd like to
  address?

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Marketing Plan - Messaging

• What are you going to say?
• Why would someone want to come to this event?
  (Networking opportunity at the cocktail hour
  after the course has concluded)
• What would someone gain from attending this
  event? (Ex PDH Hours)
• Is there a unique speaker or course that no other
  event similar to yours is offering? (Ex
  Nationally renowned speaker, John Doe)
• If this event has been done before, what are you
  doing new this time around? (Ex Something NEW)

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Marketing Plan Messaging (cont.)

• Tip 3 A mistake that too many marketers make
  is assuming that everyone thinks as they think.
  But the truth is, often times the creators of the
  messaging are too close to the projects they are
  working on to get the proper perspective. My
  recommendation is to get the opinion of several
  people. Work as a team on all communications when
  possible.

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Marketing Plan Messaging (cont.)

• Tip 4 Keep it short, keep it light, keep it
  simple. Give them the details they need to get
  registered.

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Marketing Plan - Implementation

• When would you like to communicate with the
  market segments you have identified?
• Create a schedule. Then try to stick to it.

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Marketing Plan - Implementation (cont.)

• Trick 1 You are your best marketing tool. You
  have all the info and the ability to generate
  responses in a way that impersonal approaches may
  not. Try posting your event in your office (ask
  permission first). Also, try adding a tagline
  like Questions? Ask Mary ext. 123. Place a nice
  poster or flyer in a break room or other high
  traffic area (near water fountains, coffee pots,
  etc.)

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Marketing Plan Implementation (cont.)

• How would you like to communicate to these
  different market segments?
• Direct Mail
• E-mail
• Other printed collateral pieces

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Marketing Plan - Implementation (cont.)

• Tip 2 - Space out your communications. Dont
  inundate your audience with e-mails, DM pieces,
  etc. Try to create a schedule that will
• Introduce your audience to your event
• Continue to remind your audience of the benefits
  of attending
• Get them to register ahead of time.

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Other Tips

• Make sure IECA is aware of your event well ahead
  of the event date.
• Send out e-mail through IECA
• Post the event to the events calendar
• Update your Chapters website.
• Be your own best marketing tool.
• Create a basic calendar posting press release
  with details on your event and send it to
  industry publications.

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Summary

• Determine details of event
• Create a Marketing Plan
• Set objectives
• Create a budget
• Allot specific amounts for each marketing
  initiative
• Identify key market segments
• Work on effective messaging
• Create a timeline with methods of how you will
  reach each market segment

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Questions?
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Contact informationKatie Kiahae
katie_at_ieca.orgp 303-640-7554