Getting the Most Out of your Event Marketing Spend

During the past 10 years, I’ve been privileged to work with associations across all professions and disciplines—in markets that were up and down—with new events and well established ones.  In each case, the questions are the same.

How much should I be spending to market my event?

I have found that the 10% rule applies very well. Under normal market conditions, for an event that is 10-plus years old and where half of the delegates, exhibitors, and sponsors return each year, 10% of the revenue generated by the event should be dedicated to promotion. If an event is younger, taking place in a down economy, or more than 50% of attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors are new each year, you’ll need to spend more than 10%. Naturally, the reverse applies.

What are the most effective marketing media?

When it comes to print, e-mail, and advertising, the magic is in the measures and the mix. Every audience is unique in terms of what they respond to, so it is essential that you’re able to measure the impact of each of your marketing tactics. Here are some guidelines:

• Email:  look for a 20-30% opening rate if you are a member-based organization.

• Print:  look for a 15-20% reaction to the call to action message of your print piece.

• Advertising:  look for a 10-20% increase in activity on your website in the two weeks following the appearance of your ad.

As for the ideal media mix, remember that you need to “touch” your audience a minimum of seven times before they will act. I suggest that you touch the audience twice a month in different media throughout your campaign. Coordinate with your other departments to ensure that your combined outreach does not exceed the twice per month standard.

What marketing messages are most effective?

In my opinion, this is the most important question. If you are to believe my answer, consider the following first—are you marketing or merely sending information? In my experience, most associations feel that their credibility and the value of their event lies in the caliber of the information and education provided. True. They also believe that if their audience understands they have the best speakers, the most relevant information and the most innovative tradeshow, that they will come. Untrue.

Human beings decide to “purchase” based on information.  But, they “buy” with the heart. They buy based on how they feel about your organization and how your event makes them feel. Don’t believe me? Go home tonight and watch television commercials. Almost any will do, but the car ads are my favorites. Listen and watch attentively as you see these vehicles in idyllic settings, performing impossible maneuvers and being driven by people who are confident and beautiful.  You will quickly realize that there’s very little information, beyond the price, in the ad and that it is all about making you want to drive that car.

My point is that your event is a product. As such, it has to be marketed as a product, especially to the audience that is not currently your customer. I believe that you must find a way to make your event and your association appeal to the powerful human values that drive your customers. This is a different approach for most, but it works.  In my defense, I remind you that the car companies spend millions of dollars on those ads and generate billions as a result.

Define your message based on the values of your audience and you will tap into an approach that others have spent years and billions of dollars to develop.

A final thought in closing—your audience, market conditions, competitive set, and priority issues change every year. Getting the most out of your marketing is directly related to the effort you put into it.

Todd Charlebois is president of Montreal-based Attendance Marketing. He conducted a seminar on the topic of this article last month at ASAE & The Center’s Annual Conference in San Diego. Email:  todd@attendancemarketing.com.