The IAEE Art of the Show Competition’s Attendance Promotion Campaign category evaluates a series of pieces used in a marketing campaign to promote attendance at a show (attendance promotion brochure, printed/digital ads, website, mobile app, etc.). Judging criteria includes overall presentation, visual appeal and creativity of the campaign; clarity of information, overall message and content usefulness; how each piece plays into the “big picture” (how it suits its intended role in the campaign); how the campaign relates to the overall “theme” of the event; and how well the campaign met its intended goals.
In today’s IAEE Art of the Show Competition Winners Circle, we highlight the winners of last year’s Attendance Promotion Campaign category:
Under 75,000 nsf
mdg
2017 APA Annual Convention
The American Psychological Association (APA) is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, with more than 115,700 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students as its members. The APA Annual Convention is where psychology professionals go to network, present research, earn CE credits and more.
The goal for the 2017 APA Annual Convention was to increase the overall attendance among practitioners, researchers, students and post-doctoral attendees. Qualitative research conducted in 2016 identified past attendees and members within driving distance of the convention location as two audiences with potential for growth. Therefore, targeted micro campaigns for these groups were developed with the goal of specifically increasing participation from these two categories. As APA celebrated its 125th anniversary, an additional objective of the annual convention was to bring together a wide range of professionals from a variety of fields in psychology to collaborate and celebrate the future of psychology through the “Power of” campaign.
The marketing campaign for the 2017 Annual Convention encompassed a strategic mix of digital and print advertising, email marketing and social media. Email open rates were high compared to industry standards, and conversions remained steady for digital and social media.
“With consistent messaging and themes of collaboration and connections, it was clear that attendees were coming together for something great,” noted mdg Vice President Caitlin Fox.
Between 75,001 and 200,000 nsf
National Apartment Association/Fixation Marketing
2017 NAA Education Conference & Exposition
The National Apartment Association (NAA) Education Conference & Exposition brings together nearly 10,000 apartment industry professionals for four days of the best professional development training in the industry. This event boasts world-class general session speakers, more than 65 educational sessions led by topic experts, more than 500 suppliers demonstrating the latest products and services, and numerous networking events for apartment industry professionals.
The goal of the 2017 NAA Education Conference & Exposition attendee prospect campaign was to grow overall paid attendance and full conference participation. The multi-channel marketing campaign ran from October 2016 through June 2017 and consisted of direct mail, e-marketing, social media marketing and engagement, a digital brochure, advertising and affiliate and multiplier promotion. Within this overall goal, NAA wanted to take advantage of the event’s move to the Southeast market, a hub of activity for the apartment industry, to help drive regional attendance.
The creative concept and theme for the 2017 NAA Education Conference & Exposition was “Apartmentalize” with the secondary tagline “Get focused. Get inspired. Get going.” This theme was carried out throughout the entire campaign and the event onsite, and was positively received by attendees.
With over 9,500 attendees, the 2017 Education Conference & Exposition was NAA’s most successful event yet and exceeded all goals. The attendance promotion campaign played a significant role in this growth through:
- Strategic targeting based on registration analysis ensured that prospects were receiving relevant and well-timed outreach. Targeted groups included regional prospects, loyalists, 2016 first-timers, and general audiences, as well as targeting by job function.
- A robust email campaign communicated the value of attendance via program highlights, event news, call to action items, administrative reminders and fun promotions. Emails were sent using an eye-catching responsive design email template to ensure that all emails were unique and viewed effortlessly regardless of device.
- A direct mail campaign consisted of three pieces, timed to coincide with peak registration patterns and event content.
- Additional campaign items, including website, social media and advertising delivered a consistent message, all carrying through the “Apartmentalize” mantra and visuals.
As a result of positive industry response, extensive research and constituent feedback, NAA renamed its signature event, the Education Conference and Exposition, to Apartmentalize for 2018. The fresh name better captures and communicates the event experience, reaches a younger demographic, and stays fresh and flexible from year to year.
“This campaign was successful for NAA on a couple fronts,” said Julie Parsons, Managing Director for Fixation Marketing. “First, the visuals and messaging resonated with attendees and helped drive record-breaking attendance. Second, NAA was able to leverage the creative and theme to rebrand the event and define what it means to ‘Apartmentalize.’”
Over 200,001 nsf
CSG Creative for International Sign Association
ISA International Sign Expo 2017
ISA Sign Expo is the largest gathering of sign and graphics professionals in the U.S. More than 20,000 national and custom sign manufacturers and installers, printers, designers, and corporate buyers, and 600 exhibitors who offer products in wide format printing, digital signage, substrates, cranes, and more, met in Orlando to conduct business.
Goals for ISA International Sign Expo 2017’s attendance promotion campaign included:
- Increase total attendance to 20,000.
- Increase print buyers, and other core growth market segments.
- Position ISA and ISA Sign Expo as the leaders for the industry and position the show as a comprehensive event for sign, graphic, and print professionals.
The 2017 campaign was a huge success. The final attendance numbers topped 20,000, hitting its goal. The printer audience continued to increase, which helped expand the value of the show to all participants and overcome competitive shows. Multiple direct mail and digital strategies were directed to the printer audience via an augmented reality oversized postcard that had a social media extension, targeted wraps on brochures, takeover digital ads on a prominent printer publication website, and more. In addition, growth market audiences were also targeted with unique messages on several direct mail pieces and emails.
“ISA International Sign Expo 2017’s successful content marketing campaign resulted in hundreds of registrants and positioned ISA as a content leader,” said Megan Hall, CSG Creative’s Vice President of Creative. “New co-location partnerships with marketing exchanges were developed to build awareness to the show’s expansion markets and provide additional value at the show.”
The 2018 IAEE Art of the Show Competition is now underway – you have until 14 September 2018 to submit your entries! Check out all the winners from the 2017 competition.
