Event Marketing: How to Successfully Promote Events, Festivals, Conventions, and Expositions

102 Chapter 5 Marketing Association Meetings, Conferences, Events, and Expositions

The Association: A

Unique Business Model

THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF

CONVENTION AND EXPOSITION MARKETING

When marketing events for trade associations, professional soci-

eties, and philanthropic organizations, the responsibility for sell-

ing their events mandates a clear understanding of the unique

nature of volunteer organizations. Unlike corporations, the

characteristics of which will be discussed in the next chapter, as-

sociations and societies are volunteer driven. Certainly, the asso-

ciation’s staff is likely salaried, but the organization is driven by

elected or appointed volunteer leaders, with final authority over

staff activities and effectiveness.

Why is this important to the marketing executive? The reason

is that effective sales and marketing depends on a clear definition

of the goals and priorities of the sponsoring organization. Only

then can the “why” of the five Ws be defined. However, because

associations are guided by elected and appointed officials who

volunteer their involvement, their terms of office are finite and

goals and objectives may be subject to frequent change as leaders

come and go. Think of national or state elections. A new president

or governor brings in new appointees, new concepts, and new pri-

orities. The same is true of association elections and evolvement.

As a matter of fact, many elected presidents proudly refer to their

term of office as “my year.” They want to leave their mark.

As a marketer of association events, should you care about the

organization’s politics? Understand the event and sell it. That

should be enough, right? But it isn’t!

The organization’s goals and objectives, as well as those of the

leadership, are paramount in developing marketing strategies. For

example:

■Does the association now wish to reach out to other organi-

zations for cross-promotional purposes?

■Has the financial goal for its events changed from “break

even” to “make a profit”?

■Has the emphasis or character of the annual meeting changed