Presentation by Dave Martin, VP Marketing & Content, Electronic Retailing Association about how the Electronic Retailing Association turned around it's troubled annual conference and grew it by 32% in 2009.
1. How to Revive a Trade
Show in Trouble
June 14, 2010
11:45 am
Dave Martin
Electronic Retailing Association
www.asaecenter.org
Connecting Great Ideas and Great People
3. Direct-to-Consumer Marketing
But wait there’s more…
Use of moving image and audio to elicit
a direct response/purchase
TV, Online, and Radio
1984 first infomercial
2000s - growth of retail
$330 billion industry
Pitchmen TV show
www.asaecenter.org
6. ERA Members
High level of professionalism
Love to have fun
Love glitter
See and be seen
Secretive
Eccentric
Entrepreneurial
Outspoken
Consummate networkers
Celebrities
www.asaecenter.org
8. What was Wrong?
Listening tour
1. Dying Show – no fun, no pride, unprofessional, bad
image for industry
2. Exhibitors unhappy with “dead” show floor
3. Angry partners & sponsors (hotel rates)
4. Attendee revenue decrease of 11% in 2008
5. “Barnacles” a major problem
6. Six month planning cycle
7. Marketing challenges
8. Rise of for-profit competitor (Response Expo)
www.asaecenter.org
9. Marketing Prior to 2009
Marketing creative done in-house
Unprofessional
Simplistic use of print and email
Done sequentially and too late
No social media
Messaging focused on show features not
attendee benefits
www.asaecenter.org
16. Strategy
1. New team
2. Re-name and re-brand the show
3. Multi-modal marketing campaign
4. Bring more people under tent
New pricing model
New features on show floor
5. Pump up the fun
6. Expand audience thru partnerships
www.asaecenter.org
17. New Team
Raise the bar
New show director/head of Sales
New head of Marketing
New head of Finance
www.asaecenter.org
18. New Name
Frank Strategic Marketing
Brand show separately
Show bigger than association
“ERA Annual Convention” = old school
Direct-to-consumer instead of
electronic retailing
2009 ERA D2C Convention
www.asaecenter.org
23. Multi-Modal Campaign
Print ad News Releases
Website Sneak Peek Webinar
Blog Social Media
Promo Video Twitter
Direct Mail Facebook
LinkedIn
Email
Video bloggers
Telemarketing
www.asaecenter.org
24. Multi-Modal Campaign
Launched registration on May 15 (4 months)
Target Audiences
C-level (primary target)
International
Alumni
Other: women, media buyers, finance
House database of 32,000
www.asaecenter.org
25. Campaign Messaging
The ONE Show
Attendee Exhibitor
Networking Access to retailers
Business development Build your brand
Learn from industry Develop leads & close
leaders the deal
www.asaecenter.org
26. Multi-Modal Campaign
Example: Early Bird Deadline (July 1)
1. Weekly emails starting in early June
2. Telemarketing campaign June 24 – July 1
3. Early Bird postcard mailer (dropped June 1)
4. Print ad in June issue of Electronic Retailer
magazine
5. Blog posts (D2C show blog)
6. News Releases
7. Twitter tweets with link to website
8. Facebook fan page update (via Twitter)
9. LinkedIn event update
www.asaecenter.org
33. Telemarketing Campaign
Barter deal with ERA member
Two Campaigns
Early Bird (late June)
Early September (final push)
Scripts for members and non-members
2,500 calls made for each campaign
www.asaecenter.org
35. Barnacles, Scabs, and Outboarders
Major problem
Culture of barnacles
“Circle Bar”
Meetings in hotel suites
Show of 5,000 with only 2,500 registered
www.asaecenter.org
36. New Pricing Model
FREE & low-cost Show Floor Only Pass
Huge RISK
Very difficult to model
Many guest passes in 2008
Cut registration revenue target by 50%
Simplified attendee options
2008: 7 options
2009: 2 options
www.asaecenter.org
37. New Features on Show Floor
Meeting room suites
Free networking lunch
New Product Showcase
D2C Catwalk
Pitchmen duels
Education sessions
www.asaecenter.org
40. Partnerships
INPEX – inventor organization (+125 attendees or 4%)
Pitchmen TV show auditions (+250 attendees or 8%)
PrimeImage Media (video)
www.asaecenter.org
48. The Results
Attendance
32% increase in attendees (3,200 total)
73% above registration revenue goal
$350k budget and $600k actual
39% first time attendees
47% non-members
12% international attendees
5% increase in exhibitors
Show floor “alive”
Exhibitor on-site re-book 70%
www.asaecenter.org
49. Attendee Survey Results
65% rated “Very Good” or “Excellent”
60% show communications “Excellent”
80% plan to attend next year
50% more than 4 hours on show floor
Net Promoter Score of 25.1%
Best is 50-80%
Avg. is 5-10%
Apple 77%
www.asaecenter.org
50. Marketing Budget for D2C
Marketing Budget $75k
Design
Attendee brochure $6,750
Ad campaign $5,500
Postcard $3,250
Website $6,500
Total $22,000
Video $4,000
www.asaecenter.org
51. New for 2010
Revised look and feel
Feb 1 launch (Super Early Bird)
New hotel - The Wynn Las Vegas
Sponsored “D2C Circle Bar”
Exhibitor Invites
Database Clean-Up = cost savings ($15k)
25th Anniversary Pavilion
Stats so far very encouraging
www.asaecenter.org
54. How to Revive a Trade Show
1. New team
2. Re-name and re-brand the show
3. Multi-modal marketing campaign
4. Bring more people under tent
New pricing model
New features on show floor
5. Pump up the fun
6. Expand audience thru partnerships
www.asaecenter.org
55. Contact Information
Dave Martin
Vice President Marketing
& Content
Electronic Retailing
Association
dmartin@retailing.org
@davemartin15
703-841-1751
DirtyMartiniBlog.com
www.asaecenter.org