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

ets on sale over six months before the show comes to town. This
strategy is successful as most shows sell out months in advance.
Barnum’s Kaleidoscope, a similar circus attraction that pre-
miered in 1999, had no history and had to resort to a larger mar-
keting effort. This show’s sales were more dependent on word of
mouth and reviews after the shows had begun. More marketing ef-
forts were undertaken during the entire run of the show, trying to
build on the success of the earlier shows. If the run were success-
ful, eventually Barnum’s Kaleidoscope would be able to mimic
Cirque du Soleil’s strategy.

Marketing Festivals,

Consumer Shows, and Fairs

Some of these events fall into the category of impulse or short-
term planning. While the promoter or organizer wants to get ad-
vance sales of tickets, it is not probable that consumers will plan
ahead for some of these events.

Marketing Festivals, Consumer Shows, and Fairs 157

Advertising The sponsor can tag the end of its radio or TV

commercials, recommending that people go to

the event. The sponsor can put discount

coupons or reminders about the events at the

bottom of its newspapers ads.

Direct Mail The sponsor can give the marketer mailing lists

of potential attendees.

Public Relations The event marketer can tap into the sponsor’s

public relations efforts with the sponsor getting

extra media coverage for the event.

Sales The sponsor can sell tickets to the event at the

sponsor’s locations.

Figure 7-1
Virtually all events provide a myriad of opportunities for
sponsors to gain recognition in exchange for their support. The
sponsor must see a return on investment (ROI) as a result of the
sponsorship investment made in order to continue support.