Yes, officer, as a matter of fact I was speeding, careening, wobbling, and basically flailing for every single turn down the Blue Ridge Parkway – at midnight – under a full moon – trying carveboarding for the first time.
It may look easy; it may not even seem that fast to you. But I’ll promise you this: it’s harder than it looks.
And fun!
Just put the finishing touches on a new Cloud Publishing brochure along with corresponding web pages. In addition, I ran a full 2-page spread in New & Tech to create some brand awareness and hopefully generate some new business. The above image is from the advertisement.
I enjoyed learning more about the infrastructure for enterprise-level redundancy, security and scalability.
My next step is to develop a case study that details the finer points of hosting massive amounts of data in the Cloud, as well as providing browser-based access to multi-channel publishing solutions for large media companies.
This year we had a very successful presence at IFRA Expo in Vienna, Austria. On the first day alone we had more than 90 people participate in our theatre demonstrations to learn more about how our product would bring greater efficiency and create new monetization strategies for their company’s multi-channel publishing endeavors. Our success was a combination of factors and certainly a strong brand, advanced planning and solid marketing strategies were to thank. Here were some of the necessary steps:
In preparation for this year’s conference, it was imperative that we got a good jump on scheduling demonstrations at our booth. Over time we had carefully compiled Lead data – including email addresses – in Salesforce.com from multiple countries across Europe through tradeshows and other means. This meant we had a solid database of Leads and Prospects to distribute targeted email marketing messages to with the invitation to attend the tradeshow and participate in a personal demonstration.
The next step was to create a branded website conference page that communicated the value of our product along with offering hourly options to sign up for demonstrations. I wanted to capture as much information as possible, and then be able to report on it later. Therefore, I used Salesforce.com to set-up the campaign and process the Web-to-Lead data.
Upon submission of the form, the attendee’s information and time preference were passed to Salesforce.com and recorded at the Lead level. Any Salesforce.com user within our organization would be able to query the entire list by applying a custom Field setting ie "IFRA Expo." This meant Sales knew exactly who was – and wasn’t – signing up and could follow up with a telephone call or personal email message. Salesforce.com also allows for the automatic distribution of branded confirmation emails using their Communication Templates, which helps to further the relationship and close the loop.
Email marketing platform, Vertical Response, directly integrates with Salesforce.com, so it is easy to pull and create Lists based on various criteria as well as feed email marketing activity back to the Contact level in Salesforce.com. This is handy on many levels. For example, if a tradeshow Lead is eventually converted to a customer, anyone in the organization can look at the activity and see how the lead to conversion transpired, what kind of communications they received, and where the relationship originated.
It was also important to communicate internally with the entire organization regarding our marketing activities and what attendees would gain from our demonstrations. Your employees are important brand advocates and also communicate regularly with existing customers. Word-of-Mouth should always be utilized. I also created a handy little graphic and link to the sign-up form for everyone to voluntarily apply to their email signatures.
Designing a booth for a 40×20 ft space is not a task to take lightly, and I stressed over this more than probably anything else. Fundamentally, I approached the direction of the design by thinking first, what did we need to achieve functionally? Second, I asked myself how to best convey our brand promise of integration, connectivity and seamless publishing to multiple channels. You’ll see that the flat screens actually appear as if they are a part of the design; likewise, all of the panels are connected with a design metaphor represented by the transparent tubes.
Large tradeshows like IFRA generally invite specific media contacts to report on activities such as new products released and cutting-edge technologies that will revolutionize the industry. Of course, you want to take advantage of this and try to gain as much positive media exposure as possible. Crafting a press release helps to synthesize your message, and you can always post them both to your website and the conference website, which is also good for SEO. In addition, I use Cision to query additional media contacts that might not necessarily attend the show but will report on industry related news surrounding the conference.
I made sure not only to use our existing LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter accounts to broadcast our activities to potential customers, but it was also important to take advantage of the collective conversation and the corresponding #hashtag that conference organizers created. I was able to dialogue in real-time with people at the show and answer questions, invite them to our on-site event and communicate pertinent information.
If you have it in your budget, a great lead up to any successful tradeshow is timing targeted ads in specific industry publications. This allows you to develop further brand awareness as well as reach potential leads that you may have missed in your website, email marketing, public relations and social media efforts. Many times these printed industry publications are also available at the tradeshow.
A great way to break down barriers between you and potential new customers is to create a specialty event outside of the normal proceedings of the conference. Like it or not, drinks are a great way to build relationships. Organizing a social hour at your booth is an effective means of utilizing your existing space. Just make sure to get permission from conference organizers ahead of time. I created little business cards that Sales reps could pass out to attendees.
I am leaving out the incredible work it takes to put on a solid demonstration, as well as the importance of choosing the right people to be at the booth. Suffice to say, several other individuals were crucial in putting those components together. But as the event marketer, be prepared to be involved with this as well.
I know it seems like a lot – and it is – but if you take these steps towards building a comprehensive marketing strategy for your next tradeshow I guarantee you it will be a success.
Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Award for “Top City in the U.S.” recently went to my hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. Stephen Colbert accepted the award on behalf of THE City.
Just back from Boston. Charming city with much more to do than I had time for, unfortunately. But I did manage to trek the Freedom Trail, which is a must for any first-time visitor.
The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile red-brick walking trail that leads you to 16 nationally significant historic sites, every one an authentic American treasure. Preserved and dedicated by the citizens of Boston in 1958, when the wrecking ball threatened, the Freedom Trail today is a unique collection of museums, churches, meeting houses, burying grounds, parks, a ship, and historic markers that tell the story of the American Revolution and beyond.
 |
 |
Pawleys Island is such a charming place. Toys like stand up paddle boards, surfboards, kayaks, sailboats, and even a slack line only enhance the experience.
Want your own slack line? Check out Gibbons. Easy to set up, not so easy to style the traverse.
Visited some friends in Atlanta and hit up a Braves game at Turner field. Loved the energy of the hardcore fans. They swung their hatchets and cheered like there was no tomorrow.
Not sure exactly what these guys were up to though?
Was recently in Phoenix, Arizona for the Suburban Newspapers of America Fall 2011 Conference. It was nice to catch up with clients and visit with a few new prospects.
Newspapers are exploring Groupon-esque and Daily Deal strategies to further monetize their existing web presence and corresponding connection to their local communities. There were some interesting approaches that are delivering strong ROIs and capturing solid customer data.
The conference was held at the Tapatio Cliffs Resort. At the top of the hill there is a rather nice restaurant called Pointe of View – aptly named. Nice resort overall even if it is a $50 cab ride from the airport.
My own little motivational poster to remind me of what I saw at first light yesterday morning. Good times!
Click here to view the larger image.
Places Visited:
This was not my first time to Paris, so I had no interest in battling it out for a hunchback’s view of Notre Dame, or elbowing my way towards the gaze of Momma Lisa. Instead, I did the Louvre on roller skates and then spent the rest of the time poking around arrondissements, riding bikes and running on the Seine.
I threw enough Euro around to feed a small village, and www.agapesubstance.com was no exception. But it was worth every unfair conversion because, well, it is Paris and there simply is no other.
Tip: Stay in the St Germaine district.
After a few wonderful days in Paris it was off on the train to Aix-en-Provence where a rental car was commandeered and put in to perpetual motion around one particular roundabout. Signs for Marseilles, Aix and Avignon passed by repeatedly. The Earth traveled around the sun and then the car was shot in to the gravitational pull of another roundabout.
Tip 1: Get a rental car with GPS, roadmap and a guide book specific to the Provence region.
Tip 2: Always be clear about what side of Aix you are leaving from and relate it to where you are going. Highway exits where you can turn around are not as predominant as they are in the U.S.
Tip 3: There is a parking garage on the south end of town as you enter – use it.
Tip 4: Musée Granet is worth a visit to get a good understanding of what life was like in Aix in the early days, as well as see some of the works of Cézanne, Picasso and others.
Eventually a village with a name that stands for putrid or rotten flesh appeared in the headlights. The Romans obliterated a few testy Galls at the base of Saint-Victoire in 100 B.C. Unfortunately Cézanne was not alive yet to catalogue the blow by blow, but apparently they started to stink up the place and the name Pourrières was born.
Tip: There is no reason to stay in Pourrières but there are some great vineyards to visit in close proximity, and the trailhead to hike Saint-Victoire is nearby.
The Marquis de Sade called this area home and settled in a little
hilltop village called Lacoste. Interestingly enough, the Savannah College of Art and Design recently did as well. The best route to the ruins is walking through the village. His chateau also serves as a museum of modern art and there are some provocative sculptures and installations.
The nearby village of Bonnieux is also well worth a visit if not simply for lunch and a stroll to the top of the hill.
Tip: There is great road and mountain biking in this area.
Picasso purchased a not-so-shabby chateau in the nearby village of
Vauvenargues; in fact, he’s buried on the grounds. I know, I know, he’s gotten to be a bit of a cliché, but it is for good reason. The man was a master of many mediums, and you will certainly appreciate them here.
Tip: You must schedule a tour ahead of time as they do fill up.
If you want to look headlong in to Mary Magdalene’s eye sockets then this is the town to visit. I’m not buying the oarless floating boat fable, but it is purported to be Jesus’s very mother that is entombed at the Basilique, which was constructed in the 1200s. The religious fervor extends not only to the beautiful architecture of this cathedral but also to the Sainte-Baume mountains where you will find a spirited walk up to a cave containing another place of worship. The views are gorgeous and granite is all around.
Tip: Another 1.5 km from the cave and you are presented with panoramic views of the Mediterranean.
I regret not having made it to Arles, Avignon, Cassis, and about a billion other places, but I think we often forget to actually relax on our vacations. I did not forget. Keep in mind there are some wonderful wineries in the Provence region, and plenty of cafes and street corners to sit back and soak it all in.
Upon returning to Paris, I was struck by the deep connection to America. Not only are there prominent statues, for example, of Washington and Jefferson, but we share many common bonds when it comes to revolution, liberty and education. In the 1800s many Americans traveled to Paris and the Sarbonne to learn more about medicine and architecture. The Brooklyn Bridge and a myriad of medical procedures wouldn’t exist without the French. Chances are we would not have won the Revolutionary War without them.
So any of you still eating freedom fries, get over it.
