Earlier this week my husband forwarded me an article entitled Fake Boston bridal show signs up thousands. The article begins:
“Scammers set up a Web site advertising a fake bridal show billed as the “biggest and most extravagant” and used it to steal from thousands of brides-to-be and their vendors, who were lured by chances to win “fabulous gifts and prizes,” police and FBI experts said Monday.” Click Here to Read the Full Article
Vendors for this event paid up to $4,000 for a booth and the show sold thousands of couples pre-registering to attend the show spending $10 to $15 per ticket. As an event professional I am saddened by the scammers who have left a scarlet letter on the industry and can empathize with the thousands who have been screwed over, especially the vendors.
While I am outraged by this situation, I want to put an optimistic spin on it and use this occurrence as a prime example of a key principle when planning a business event. In order for an event to be successful, you have to have a solid event-marketing plan! These scammers in Boston have proven that the event-marketing plan is more important than the event-plan itself. Thousands of tickets were sold and there was no actual event.
Now I am not encouraging (or suggesting) anyone to plan fake events. However, I am encouraging (and STRONGLY suggesting) that you spend as much time planning your event-marketing efforts as you do planning the event itself. Here are 5 tips to having an effective event-marketing plan:
- Set SMART Goals: Almost every business owner has heard of the “SMART” method of goal setting. Your goals for your event should be Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic and Timely. The first step in planning an event is determining what you want to achieve by planning the event.
- Clearly Define Your Target Market: The target market for your event should be specific and well segmented. Selecting your target market requires that you take a close look at who you want to attend your event and how to appeal to them. What demographics will allow you to achieve your results? What mix of each demographic do you need to attend?
- WIFM Approach: As an event-marketer you have to understand that your “guest” are going to have a “What’s In It For Me” mentality. In order for your event to be a success you have to create a draw for your invited guests. In the case of our scammers they promised attendees that they would “receive a welcome bag of goodies and will be entered for a chance to win fabulous gifts and prizes!” and that is was to be “New England’s biggest and most extravagant Bridal Show!” So what reason do your invited guests have to attend?
- Timing is Everything: An event marketer walks a thin line between promoting too soon and not soon enough. How early you should start promoting your event will depend on the event itself. For example, and event that requires travel, or carries a high price tag may need more promotion time than a free, local event. You should carefully consider how early to begin promoting your event to maximize attendance.
- Hindsight is 20/20: Even if this is the first time you are holding this event, it is important to look at past experience as a guide on how to market your event. What have your competitors done, and how successful was it? What marketing tactics have you seen used that produced the desired results? What market research can you find about your intended target market? This questions and others like them will allow you to develop a sound marketing plan for your event.
As you are planning your next event allow ample time to plan and execute your event-marketing plan. You could plan the most elaborate and fabulous event but if no one attends it is all for not; that is time, money, and resources wasted.
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