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Size doesn’t matter! How to have more impact as an exhibitor even in a 10 x10 booth.

Published on May 16, 2013 by in Event Marketing, For Exhibitors, Marketing, Show Floor, Social Media

ASAE ChirpE Photo Booth Scavenger Hunt

Some people may believe the bigger the booth, the more impact an exhibitor has at an event. But this isn’t always the case. You can have a lot of impact at an event by partnering with other exhibitors and helping each other be more successful. Strength in numbers and working together can be fulfilling and a fun experience.

Today at ASAE Springtime, a2z (booth 3004) is partnering with IAEE DC (booth 1029), J. Spargo (booth 3023) and Projection (booth 4069) to have a ChirpE Photo Booth Scavenger Hunt on the show floor. Anyone who visits all four participating exhibitors and uses the ChirpE Photo Booth in each booth will be entered into a drawing for a FREE $500 gift card. This partnership is beneficial because booth staff in the participating booths can direct traffic to each others’ booths. The scavenger hunt and $500 gift card is an engaging way to motivate attendees to visit all four booths, and a game or contest is always a fun way to attract the right kind of attention at an event. a2z would like to thank IAEE DC, J. Spargo, and Projection for partnering with us at ASAE Springtime. To see the ChirpE Photo Booth pictures from ASAE Springtime, please click on the company names.

a2z (booth 3004) will also be donating $2 to the ASAE Foundation for every photo taken in the booth and giving away  a $250 gift card to one lucky winner who used the ChirpE Photo Booth in booth 3004.

The ChirpE Photo Booth Scavenger Hunt is just one way to have more impact as an exhibitor. Incorporating ChirpE Photo Booth into the contest provides the additional benefit of social media engagement. There are a lot of other engaging ways to be an impactful exhibitor, and we hope to share more of our ideas with you in the future. If you have any of your own ideas, please share them with us by leaving a comment below or connecting with us on Facebook or Twitter.

 
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Successfully meeting the challenges of social media marketing

Published on May 9, 2013 by in Marketing, Social Media, Strategy

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Success on social media is driven by great content. But more than that, it’s driven by a brand’s most active and influential fans engaging with the content constantly and taking it viral in a very short span of time.

For show managers, promotion on social media can be an important means of extending the visibility of their event 365/24/7. But before creating a strategy to promote your brand, it’s important to give careful consideration to the challenges you may run into while implementing a social media marketing campaign. In this post, I would like to highlight the three most commonly encountered challenges with respect to audience engagement, as well as share some time-tested tips on how to counter these challenges successfully.

Challenge #1 – It is not easy to stand out in the crowd

Getting your followers to interact continuously with your content on social media can be, to put it mildly, a difficult and resource intensive task. Even a brand with a strong fan base may not have many fans engage with the brand’s Facebook posts or tweets at any given time.

Challenge #2 – User generated content reigns supreme

Content authored by an active, participatory user community can have a significant impact on the decisions your prospects make. What your users say about your brand on social media invariably has a significant impact on your lead generation and sales activity. But engaging and persuading your current customers to provide testimonials is often difficult.

Challenge #3 – Not all your fans are active on social media

Some of your most enthusiastic supporters may not be active on social media for different reasons. There’s usually no easy way to share the verbal or written appreciation you receive from them with your followers online. Each such instance constitutes a lost promotional opportunity for your marketing team.

Strategies to turn these stumbling blocks into opportunities:

  • Share key metrics that focus on how your event helped participating organizations and individuals achieve their objectives.
  • Invite your fans and followers to share their attending experience.
  • Highlight the hitherto little known or unique aspects of your event.
  • Leverage traditional marketing tools such as press releases, newsletters and direct mailers to promote your social media links.
  • Show the human side of your team by addressing prevailing social issues or concerns in your posts.
  • Join conversations started by other event managers and prominent industry personalities on social media sites.
  • Experiment with new ideas and unusual promotional campaigns on a regular basis.
  • Instead of plain text, post attention-grabbing multimedia content such as photos, videos, slideshows, audio clips and interactive surveys.

Related links:

  • Bringing the power of word of mouth to your social media channels
  • Audience Engagement: a critical piece of your event puzzle
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    Engaging Content for your Next Email

    Published on May 7, 2013 by in Event Marketing, Marketing

    talk too much

    Email marketers are always looking for fresh and engaging ways to convey important content to their readers. It can be challenging to think of new ways to connect with your audience with every new email. Try one of these five pieces of digital content in your next email to spice things up a bit.

    1. Case Studies  - You have  done all of the work to research and write a case study about one of your customers or partners so make sure that you are sharing this success story with the masses.  This is a great way to lend validity to your own claims about your event, products or services.

    2. Testimonials – A testimonial from a customer or partner can be used as an attention grabber in your email.  A third party view can strengthen your brand and help you to reach other customers in their area of business. They will feel a connection with your business.

    3. Tutorial Video – Instead of literally spelling out instructions for registration, housing reservations, etc. make a simple video to explain the steps.  The video takes less space in the email and the instructions will be clearer to the viewer.

    4. Video Interview – Record a live interview with a few exhibitors who are willing to give away a sneak peak of the products they plan to show at your event. (This also presents a revenue opportunity.) If you plan to have entertainment at the show, include a short video clip of what the audience can expect to see. A video introduction of your Keynotes would also be more engaging than simply pasting and copying their bios into the email or to a web page.

    5. Video Tour – If you are taking your event to a new city or new venue perhaps a tour of the area will get your audience excited about this new place.  If your show floor is impressively big, show a video from last year’s event of just how big and how much business is waiting to be done.

     

    Other articles that may be of interest:

    The top 5 features attendees will look for in their 2013 newsletters.
    Digital promotions to event attendees and exhibitors: Tips and Examples
     
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    8 things attendees want from your event

    Published on May 2, 2013 by in Conference, For Exhibitors, New Products & Services, Show Floor

    Event Attendees

    Hello!  My name is Mike and I am attending your event.  Here is my wish list that would make this event amazing for me!

    1. RED CARPET TREATMENT – I want to feel important from the moment the event begins.  Roll out the red carpet, take my picture, and announce my presence to everyone!

    2. COMMUNICATION – I want to feel well informed on where to go, what to do, where to be when, and what resources are available to me at your event.

    3. FOOD – Any food provided should be of good quality and variety.  If food is not provided I want to know exactly where I can find good food in the area.

    4. EDUCATION – I want to learn something new.  I want to be inspired.  I want to feel that I had at least one ah-ha moment, new lessons learned, and most important…that I was able to contribute to the learning experience and come away with solutions to problems that would make doing my job easier.

    5. INNOVATIONS – I want to walk an exhibit floor and not be sold, but to be inspired and excited by new products, services and ideas.  I want someone to really listen to me, to relate to the challenges I face, and to educate me on what they have that would make my life easier….rather than sell me on something I don’t need.

    6. NETWORKING – Please give me the opportunity to connect with people I want to meet or do business with.  Provide me with ways to make finding those people easier, in a way that is beneficial for everyone.

    7. TAKE-A-WAYS -  Give me at least 3 huge take-a-ways.  I am OK with one of them being about your business or association, but the other two should be things that I can put to action immediately to improve my job performance.

    8. VALUE – Show me that my time and money was well spent.  Help me see the value I received, and the benefits of doing business with you again or attending your event next year.

    What else would you add to this list?

     

    OTHER RELATED ARTICLES:

    What is this all about?

    5 ways to keep your show exciting year after year

    That little extra that makes your event a winner

     

     

     

     
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    3 things to help you when you’re feeling stuck

    Published on April 30, 2013 by in Mobile Apps, Self-help, Technology

    Unstuck

    a2z is a leading provider of powerful event management and marketing software that works, and I have a ball marketing our products and talking about the company. That being said, every so often I stumble upon a technology tool or a set of tips from another company that are so helpful that I just have to share them with everyone else. Today, I hope to provide you with a few things to try out the next time you’re feeling stuck.

    1. Unstuck: Unstuck is a free iPad app with one purpose; to get you unstuck. Unstuck starts by diagnosing your specific case of being stuck by asking how your stuck moment makes you feel, whether it’s personal or professional and who it involves, why you think you’re stuck, and what thoughts you are feeling during your stuck moment. It then identifies how you seem to be handling your case of being stuck. Finally, it provides you with the right tools to deal with your specific case of being stuck and put you on the path to being unstuck. The tools are extremely useful and are a great way to get your ideas organized so you have a clear approach to reaching your end goal. Many people feel that even talking through their challenges helps them, and this app lets you talk about them in a focused manner. It’s almost like having a personal life coach. I strongly recommend you check it out.
    2. Social Media: Whether it’s Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or any other social media channel out there, I think it comes in handy when you’re stuck. Think about it. They’re all centralized locations where people share content they find inspiring, amusing, interesting, funny, or helpful. Content is only shared if someone finds it worth sharing. So log on and start searching. It’s likely you will find something inspiring or someone with a solution for a challenge similar to the one you are facing. WARNING: Social media can be addicting and result in low levels of productivity and high levels of distraction. To prevent these undesired results, allow yourself only a set amount of time to explore before you get back to the task at hand.
    3. a2z Innovation Insider: If you are involved in the events industry in any way, whatever your role, there is something on the a2z blog for you. We write about a wide array of things including what exhibitors want and how to stand out as an exhibitor, how to keep your event exciting year after year, and what to look for when you are purchasing technology tools for your event. If you take a gander through our collection of posts and do not find something helpful or interesting, please reach out and contact us to tell us what you would like to read about on our blog. Do you have useful information you want to share? Send us your tips and suggestions and they could be featured right here on the a2z Innovation Insider.

    Related Articles:

    What exhibitors want…the ultimate Exhibitor Concierge

    5 ways to keep your show exciting year after year

    What to Look for in a Mobile Solution

     

     
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