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

stakeholders when they understand what the event means to the

organization and to the community they represent. For example,

if the event is being held in a new location, the elected leaders,

press, radio and television stations as well as the police and fire

departments, transportation officials, and others can be included

among those whose awareness must be raised. What can be done

to achieve this? Again, fully armed with press kits, fact sheets, and

all other pertinent organizational information:

1. Contact the mayor’s office.Invite him or her to welcome the
   delegates at the opening session. Offer a full registration.
   Provide background information on the meeting and the or-
   ganization’s great contributions to society.


2. Meet with, or at least provide information to, local politi-
   cians, community leaders,and any others with high com-
   municative access, and a high profile, in the area. Again, the
   purpose is to create awareness.


3. Meet with fire and police officialsto discuss the fire mar-
   shal requirements for meeting and exhibit rooms. Provide
   police information regarding traffic patterns, and people
   movement, parade or street fair permits, and the general de-
   mographics of your attendees. While they will not help pro-
   mote the meeting, the marketer can be assured they speak
   daily with the mayor’s office and other city officials. Creat-
   ing awareness comes from many directions.


4. Reach out to labor union representatives.If labor unions
   will be involved with the meeting (for exhibits, stagehands,
   trash removal, electricians, or other trades), a visit with
   union officials can create personal and civic awareness of
   the event and recognition of the organization, its plans, and
   its needs. Union officials are never reticent to discuss re-
   quirements, contracts, and rates with event planners. And
   because unions are often viewed in an adversarial role by
   convention planners, they appreciate the attention and
   recognition such personal inquiries bring to them.


5. Ensure that public relations efforts embrace the convention
   bureauin the host city. The more the convention bureau un-
   derstands the nature of your event, the greater the chance of
   assistance in terms of both local information and public in-
   volvement. Many convention bureaus will provide
   brochures and other literature about area tourism features

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