IAEE’s Art of the Show Competition celebrates outstanding promotion of exhibitions and events in 15 categories, including Brand Design/Development and Convention Center Promotion. These elements comprise a well-rounded marketing plan, but what makes them so effective? IAEE asked its competition judges this question and offers these pointers:
Brand Design/Development (multiple pieces)
The whole promotion – a series of pieces such as promotional brochures, advertising, show website, social media and booth design – that helped to build a new show’s brand or rebrand a show that was already in existence. Judges take into consideration all of the promotional items to determine if the message and creativity leaves a lasting impression on the target audience and if it was effective in creating a brand association with the exhibition.
A few things to keep in mind:
- What’s your hook? When building your show’s brand, consider all the ways in which it will be applied and how the different elements correlate. Is the brand all-encompassing or can it be broken apart for the different elements of the campaign? Let the creative process begin…
- Know your drills… But don’t lose the message to the creative process. Remember that each marketing channel holds its own benefit – customize your message and adapt your branding accordingly to stay on track.
- Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Aim for smooth transitions from one deliverable to the next. A seamless campaign that feels natural to your audience will draw them in, in a way they will never see coming.
2014 Brand Design/Development Winners
Convention Center Promotion (size categories do not apply)
Promotion of a convention center using any medium. Judges take into consideration creativity, effectiveness of message, design aspect and overall presentation.
A few things to keep in mind:
- A picture is worth a thousand words. Marketing a convention center typically involves broad strokes that (when done properly) apply to most folks. Your target audience shouldn’t have any problems visualizing their event at your venue when looking at your promotional material.
- Aim to educate and inspire. Obviously you want to provide show organizers the nitty-gritty as to what makes your convention center the ideal place for their exhibition and/or event, but you also want to spark the creative process in their minds.
- OCD is A-OK. There is no substitute for clearly presented, easily accessible information. You will be the organizer’s Rock of Gibraltar during the hustle and bustle of the event, right? Well, you have to land the gig first. Well-organized marketing collateral sets the tone for your potential client.
2014 Convention Center Promotion Winner
Orange County Convention Center
Do you have great marketing collateral the world should see? Show off your Art of the Show by entering IAEE’s Art of the Show Competition! Click here to get started. See the full gallery of last year’s winners here.
Stay tuned for Insider Tip #3: Email Promotion and Exhibit Sales Brochure/Prospectus
