The IAEE Art of the Show Competition’s Email Promotion Campaign category evaluates a series of email messages disseminated to distinct target audiences in order to promote and/or inform interested parties about a show. Judging criteria includes: overall presentation, visual appeal and creativity; how well each individual email applies to its target audience; clarity of pertinent information, overall message and content usefulness; how well the email met its intended goals; and effectiveness of the email in terms of audience response.
In today’s IAEE Blog, we highlight the winners of last year’s Email Promotion Campaign category:
Under 75,000 nsf
Ontario Hospital Association
HealthAchieve
The signature conference and exhibition of the Ontario Hospital Association for over 90 years, HealthAchieve is an award-winning event that has long been one of the largest and most respected health care events in North America – the preeminent gathering place for health care and business leaders. HealthAchieve continues to inspire ideas and innovation by providing global health care and business leaders with an unparalleled opportunity to learn from each other, share their ideas and evolve their perspectives.
The event targets two distinct audiences: prospective attendees and potential exhibitors. The prospective attendees are made up of international health care and business leaders. The potential exhibitors are made up of medical suppliers and commercial vendors from across the globe. HealthAchieve provides the platform for unlimited networking opportunities between the two distinct audiences, and would not be the distinguished event that it is without ample participation from both.
Building on HealthAchieve’s theme of inspiring ideas and innovation, the goal of one of the campaign’s email was to showcase the show’s four keynote speakers to inspire prospective attendees with their stories to secure registrations. With such a broad audience of health care and business professionals, the objective was to capture the attention of each unique individual by differentiating the genre of the speakers as thought leaders, visionaries and creative minds. This email had a 26% open rate and received 271 clicks, representing a 5% click-to-open rate. A total of 50 contacts registered from this email, which helped secure a total registration of 6,364 attendees.
Another email was targeted to potential exhibitors, with the goal of securing more exhibitor contracts. The objective and design intent of this email was for potential exhibitors to understand that their most profitable return on investment would be realized if they attended HealthAchieve. This email garnered a 27% open rate, with over half as unique opens. The email drew 10 new exhibitors, helping secure a total of 231 exhibitor contracts.
“HealthAchieve offers a diverse range of health care professionals an opportunity to step out of their daily work environment,” said Craig Swatuk, Director, Brand Strategy and Marketing. “And we’re continually seeking new ways to express that experience, offering unique perspectives on health care.”
Between 75,001 and 200,000 nsf
Frank Strategic Marketing
HPBExpo 2016
The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo is North America’s largest indoor-outdoor living showcase. Every year, over 350 leading hearth, patio and barbecue manufacturers and suppliers exhibit and demonstrate their latest home heating solutions; grills, grilling accessories and fully-equipped outdoor kitchens; casual patio furniture and outdoor accents; water and landscape features; all-weather entertainment products and more. It’s also a one-stop-shop for retailers nationwide to find not only the latest products for their showrooms, but also the latest services and technologies for their companies.
The show’s email promotion campaign was created to build attendance by combining the appeal of New Orleans as a top destination city with event-centric brand messaging. Specifically, the creative branding features New Orleans typography and iconography, intertwined with hard-hitting benefit-driven messaging.
As a result, HPBExpo was named as one of TSNN’s 2016 top 25 fastest-growing shows in the United States in attendance. Aside from the prior year’s show in Nashville, attendance beat all other HPBExpo shows in the past five years.
Over 200,001 nsf
mdg
CTIA Super Mobility 2016
Powered by CTIA, Super Mobility is North America’s largest and most influential forum for mobile innovation. A convergence of the leading authorities in the connected life all under one roof, CTIA provides professionals from across the mobile landscape (retail, enterprise IT, connected life, etc.) with unparalleled opportunities to hear the latest developments from top executives and entrepreneurs; see first-hand the next generation of technology shaping the future wireless such as 5G, IoT and security/privacy; and to network with fellow thought leaders. Unlike other events, CTIA is the backbone of the mobile industry – where the new technology and innovation emerges, before they are even translated into consumer products. It’s also perfectly timed for planning next year’s strategic roadmap and to jumpstart planning for the coming year.
The email campaign promoted the theme “Everything Wireless” by telling the story that CTIA Super Mobility 2016 did not just represent a piece of the wireless industry; rather it encompassed EVERYTHING from start to finish. Messaging focused on the content around the show floor, conference and keynote programming. At the peak of the campaign, an email called “Technology Starts Here” tied it all together by taking the reader on a journey through the show floor from where technology STARTS (research, discovery, mobile innovation) to where technology ends (a consumer product on retail shelves). The campaign averaged an open rate of 18 percent and clicks averaged 6 percent.
“We are so fortunate to work with clients like Heather Lee Landers, formerly of CTIA and now the Executive Vice President of AUVSI, who trust us with their brands and have challenged us to take their event campaigns to the next level,” said mdg President Kimberly Hardcastle-Geddes. “I’m also grateful to our collaborative team of designers, copywriters and digital marketers who are creating the kind of attention-grabbing, design-forward, emotionally-appealing work that was once reserved for consumer marketing.”
Co-owner and Live Events Specialist Vinnie Polito echoed those sentiments, adding, “I take great pride in these awards and even greater pride in the results that the work has helped our clients achieve. Thank you, IAEE, for recognizing marketing and design excellence in our industry.”
The 2017 IAEE Art of the Show Competition is now underway – you have until 31 August 2017 to submit your entries! You can also view all of last year’s winners and honorable mentions here.
