■Define the competition.
■Differentiate this event from the competition.
■Evaluate the financial resources.
■Conduct comprehensive market research.
■Decide how best to reach the customer.
■Follow a detailed business plan.RESEARCH
The Internet is one of the most valuable resources available for any
kind of research, including market research. But do not get frus-
trated. With the abundance of information available, it sometimes
can be a daunting task trying to find exactly what you need. The
Internet can assist with finding:
■Market segmentation (what group is interested in your event?)
■Trends and demographics
■Competition evaluation
■Opportunities to identify new markets for your eventsESTABLISH THE ELECTRONIC MARKETING PLAN
There are a lot of options when deciding on what electronic meth-
ods to use for your marketing plans. A variety of these will be dis-
cussed throughout this chapter, including Web sites, online ad-
vertising, and e-mail campaigns.WEB RESOURCES—THIRD PARTY PROVIDERS
Creating a presence online is an intimidating project. So why not
turn to Web professionals for help? There are online companies
that can help you make this an easier process. These companies
can help you from beginning to end make the process of electronic
marketing less overwhelming. By turning to a professional, you
can have experts at your fingertips to help you pull together an
impressive and cohesive campaign. Web site marketing is all
driven by one important factor: What are your goals? These orga-
nizations can assist you in reaching those goals by helping to
(1) create a clear vision, (2) implement a marketing plan, (3) exe-
cute the plan, and (4) evaluate the results. A good example of a
company that can assist in this process is Web Ad.vantage, which
can be reached at http://www.webadvantage.net.58 Chapter 3 Electronic Event Marketing Strategies