Although the event landscape has changed significantly since these pieces were created, some things prove to be timeless. Specifically, the roles that creativity, innovation and a strategic approach to marketing play in driving results. IAEE’s Art of the Show Competition recognizes outstanding marketing activities directly related to successfully organizing and executing an exhibition and/or event. As such, it is the only marketing competition tailored specifically to our industry. Each year, event organizers submit the work they did to promote their show experience across 14 categories and an independent panel of marketing and graphic design experts selects the winners.
In today’s IAEE Art of the Show Competition Winners Circle, we highlight the winners of last year’s Convention Center Promotion and Sponsorship Program categories.
The Convention Center Promotion category evaluates promotion of a convention center using any marketing channel. Judges take into consideration all marketing components used and how effectively they correlate as a promotion campaign on behalf of the convention center.
Orange County Convention Center
The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) is the second largest convention facility in the North America. Each year, the OCCC attracts more than 200 events to the Central Florida area. As a result, roughly 1.5 million attendees contribute approximately $3 billion to the area’s economy each year.
The mission of the Orange County Convention Center is economic development. By hosting regional, national and international conventions, meetings and trade shows, the convention center infuses the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.
The goal of this promotional campaign has been to build awareness through traditional print and digital advertising of the North-South Building Expansion. The campaign has served to educate new and potential clients on the benefits of the expansion. The key priority is to promote and leverage the Convention Center’s North-South Building Expansion for increased bookings of trade shows and conventions, hotel room nights and economic impact. The focus has centered on the primary markets that include for-profit trade shows, medical and corporate events. Secondary markets include religious, sports and direct marketing events.
The Sponsorship Program category evaluates a case study presentation of a show’s sponsorship development/management program and the effect the program had on the show. Judging criteria includes: creativity in program offerings and elements that attract potential sponsors; overall development of the program and deliverables to sponsors; clarity of information, overall message and content usefulness in the marketing pieces used to promote the program; how well the marketing elements used to promote the program relate to the “theme” of the event in terms of overall presentation and visual appeal; and how well the program met its intended goals.
Under 75,000 nsf
CSG Creative in partnership with NTP Events
SpaceCom, Space Commerce Conference and Exposition
SpaceCom – The Space Commerce Conference and Exposition – is the nation’s premier showcase of space technologies and the new business opportunities they create. With more than 250 NASA executives and 100+ companies present, SpaceCom brings like- minded executives together to learn how to use space technology and space-based assets to gain a competitive advantage.
For two days in Houston, professionals from NASA, aerospace and industry convene to network, gain insights on space exploration and tech transfer opportunities from experts, and discover cutting-edge technology in an interactive exhibit hall. SpaceCom offers a robust conference program including keynote presentations by renowned experts such George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic, Tory Bruno and Rakesh Sasibhushan. It also features a NASA Center Theater, co- located Smart Conference workshops, and an Entrepreneurs’ Summit in partnership with Google Cloud. SpaceCom has positioned itself to fuel business innovation well into the future.
The goal of the SpaceCom sponsorship brochure was to stress the value and high-ROI that sponsoring SpaceCom can provide to companies, and was successful in exceeding exhibit booth and sponsorship sales over the previous year.
Over 200,001 nsf
ANSA Productions
AutoMobility LA & LA Auto Show
Formerly referred to as the “Los Angeles Auto Show’s Press Days,” AutoMobility LA features vehicle debuts, autotech exhibits, competitions, a conference, and networking events over the course of four days. Held in Los Angeles, the nation’s top car-buying, luxury and EV market, AutoMobility LA is where the new mobility ecosystem – automakers, tech companies, designers, developers, startups, investors, dealers, government officials, analysts and more – gathers to gain insights, break news and conduct business.
Immediately following AutoMobility LA, the LA Auto Show welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors from Southern California, and beyond, to Los Angeles’ biggest annual gathering. Over 10 days, visitors come together to celebrate car culture, connect with their favorite automotive brands, enjoy onsite activations, test drive the latest vehicles and explore the nation’s largest public aftermarket showcase.
The “Be Seen” advertising and sponsorship program aimed to procure quality sponsors and advertisers to fill the 100+ opportunities available during the 2018 editions of AutoMobility LA (26-29 November) and the LA Auto Show (30 November – 9 December). More specifically, program goals included:
- Provide a comprehensive and visually appealing presentation of advertising and sponsorship offerings.
- Improve value proposition of advertising and sponsorships offerings.
- Expand database of prospective advertisers, sponsors, and exhibitors.
- Expand on available advertising and sponsorship offerings with unique and custom opportunities.
- Increase advertising and sponsorship revenue.
A sponsorship deck, print-based “Be Seen” advertising deck, and targeted pitch pieces supplemented sales efforts and showcased the digital, as well as physical, onsite opportunities available throughout the Los Angeles Convention Center and Technology Pavilion, a custom 50,000 square foot structure constructed specifically for AutoMobility LA and the LA Auto Show. Ultimately, sponsorship options were only limited by center regulations, safety standards and exhibit construction.
The success of the comprehensive AutoMobility LA – LA Auto Show sponsorship program required a multifaceted approach highlighted by dedicated outreach, customized collateral and a redefining of how the two events operate and interact.
Based in Los Angeles – a city comprised of all ages, ethnicities, incomes and education levels – the local culture has helped shape and framework the shows. Conversely, both events attract visitors from over 54 countries – expanding on the potential reach and influence for sponsors and advertisers – and focus on two separate audiences: industry and media (B2B) at AutoMobility LA as well as the public (B2C) at the LA Auto Show. A key to success came from introducing options that allowed for multiple sponsors within the same limited space to reach both shows and audiences. The program saw an evolution of on- site options as well as the introduction of sponsorable events and activations. For example, modernizing box office advertising opportunities, such as updating from vinyl to digital billboards, opened revenue potential by over 65%. Furthermore, the introduction of program sponsorships expanded revenue streams alongside valuable, engaging content for attendees. These options included, but were not limited to, signature programs (i.e., hackathon, startup competition), branded takeovers of the show, group tours, the AutoMobility LA Podcast, and more.
Targeting a diverse prospect pool of advertisers and sponsors – as AutoMobility LA features media and industry professionals while the LA Auto Show welcomes public audiences – required a team-wide outreach effort. Personalized outreach came from multiple departments including marketing, sales, public relations and operations. And to better appeal to a tech- savvy, globally conscious audience, opportunities were available to domestic and international individuals and/or organizations from media, automotive, technology, lifestyle, government, and more.
Visual components were one of the most important aspects of the sponsorship program, featuring a main advertising deck (“Be Seen”) alongside customized iterations and targeted sponsorship decks. For physical delivery directly to prospects, the “Be Seen” is a dramatic print piece – an oversized, high visibility 64-page guide designed at 26” x 15” – complete with background information on the shows, attendee demographics, consumer shopping trends, show alumni, past clients, and available advertising as well as sponsorship opportunities. This piece further functions as the content framework for condensed, client-specific decks featuring custom copy, packages and pricing. Likewise, additional pieces were designed to showcase each aforementioned sponsorship program including brand takeovers, technology integrations (e.g., AI voice assistant guiding attendees), networking events, and signature programs (e.g., hackathon, startup competition, auto-tech brand showcase).
The strategy proved a success, resulting in a majority of all sponsorship opportunities being filled for the 2018 iteration of AutoMobility LA and the LA Auto Show. Sponsors included Auto Alliance, General Motors, Lincoln, Plug and Play Tech Center, SBD Automotive, SiriusXM Connected Vehicles, Visa, Volkswagen, and more. In addition, the shows exceeded expectations with a 27% increase in advertising and sponsorship revenue over 2017, passing 2018 goal numbers by 15%.
The 2020 IAEE Art of the Show Competition is now open! Take advantage of discounted entry fees by submitting your entries before the early bird deadline on 31 August! You can also check out all the winners from the 2019 competition here.
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