Visit the Cvent site at http://www.cvent.comfor more infor-
mation. Other online resources offering similar tools are b-there.com
(http://www.b-there.com)and Event411 (http://www.event411.com).
Doug Fox, publisher of the EventWeb Newsletter,says that
“Tools that integrate email marketing and data analysis with on-
line registration are the killer applications for the meeting indus-
try today.” Online registration was previously viewed as a cus-
tomer service tool and a way for attendees to register quickly. The
next stage of Web-based registration is thinking in marketing terms.
Once you start integrating online registration with e-mail market-
ing, you have a very powerful offering that allows you to deliver
personalized messages to prospective customers and encourages
them to sign up for your meeting.Marketing Your Event on the Internet
Kevin Dolan, e-business development manager of Microsoft Cor-
poration, has taken the five Ps of traditional marketing (product,
price, place, public relations, and positioning) a step farther for
Web marketing. He recommends following these Ps to help estab-
lish a great Web marketing campaign:
■Presence.Having a placeholder on the Web is the first step.
The main goal of your entire electronic marketing campaign
will be to drive the traffic there.
■Pleasing.Make it pleasing to the eye.
■Personalized.Develop a relationship through personalization.
■Purchase. Through e-commerce, buy or sell products or
services.
■Process. Integrate your Internet site with core business
systems.
■Partnership.Being connected with partners, suppliers, cus-
tomers, and competitors expands your reach.
■Programmable.The Web can be easily changed to tailor your
marketing message.EVENT WEB PAGE DEVELOPMENT
The development of an event Web site takes as much time, thought,
and consideration as developing your overall marketing strategy.
The design should ensure easy navigation and should be designed60 Chapter 3 Electronic Event Marketing Strategies