Experts & Opinions
Nov 02, 2017
Bizzabo recently surveyed over 400 mid- to senior-level event marketers about the future of the industry. The result is Event Marketing 2018: Benchmarks and Trends.
With contemporary digital marketing practices, brands have the ability to reach more people with more targeted strategies than ever before. Yet at the same time, nothing can quite compare to a face-to-face conversation. This isn’t a nostalgic longing for simpler days. It’s what the data says.
The average Chief Marketing Officer allocates 24 percent of their total annual budget to live events in order to connect with customers,… more
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Oct 31, 2017
Augmented and virtual reality, along with artificial intelligence and wearables, are some of the hottest trends in event tech for 2017. Event organizers are working hard to incorporate these technologies into their events in order to attract attendees and stay “fresh.” But do all new technologies belong in the event industry?
Some technologies may seem like a logical fit for your next event, but they can be gimmicky or even distracting, taking the attendees out of the event and creating artificial experiences and awkward interactions.
We’ve found that the most natural way to engage event… more
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Oct 26, 2017
When companies sponsor events, they don't just want their names on a banner; they want partnerships worth their real value and more: more audiences, more attendees and more brand awareness.
Event professionals want to deliver that value to sponsors but they don’t always know how. Fortunately, the numbers indicate they’ll have plenty of chances to learn.
What Sponsors Want, a recent report from ESP Properties, found that sponsorship spending will grow faster over the next few years than spending on public relations, direct marketing and promotions globally and those forms of marketing plus… more
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Oct 24, 2017
Here’s Our Story – What’s Yours? We’re Listening!
As the Marketing Manager for TSNN, I put a lot of thought into trying to listen and getting others to listen to us (it’s a noisy event world out there!). There’s no doubt we’re all attempting to connect, to be heard and to get our value proposition out there, hoping it will resonate. I fell in love with the psychology of marketing because it allows you to jump inside people’s heads - the way they think (and operate), and learn what drives them as human beings and how they go about reaching their goals.
As I approach my 10-year anniversary… more
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Oct 23, 2017
Since 2008, there has been a statistic making its way around the Internet that the EPA ranked the trade show industry as the second most wasteful industry - second only to manufacturing. You may have heard this statistic before. I have even used that information in an article I wrote for TSNN. Recently, I decided to look deeper into that stat that gives a bad rap to our industry. What I discovered was that even on the EPA website, I can find no reference to this statistic. Furthermore, many of the articles that referenced the statistic have been removed from the web.
Still, we all know that… more
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Oct 23, 2017
Meetings and events (MICE) are a part of everyday life around the world and are vital to how we conduct business in the 21st century.
The Convention Industry Council (CIC) defines an event as a gathering of 50 or more people for more than four hours. According to the CIC, there were over 1.8 million events in the U.S. in 2012 alone, including more than 10,000 trade shows.
In the recent CVent Industry Benchmarking Report, event planners stated that the top three challenges of managing an event were budgeting, ROI and event promotions. Planners also stated that the top two ways to measure ROI… more
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Oct 19, 2017
Are you preparing for an upcoming trade show? If so, you’re most likely searching for great giveaway ideas to make your brand stand out.
Giveaways present great opportunities for you to leave a lasting impression on event-goers. With creative, high-quality giveaways, you’ll get more people to your booth and interacting with your brand.
However, there are many giveaways out there that are just plain boring. To make sure trade show attendees hang on to your item instead of ditching it in the trash, try handing out these eight giveaways that people will actually want.
1. Power Bank
There’s… more
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Oct 17, 2017
The nature of events is changing and with it the responsibilities of the modern show organizer.
In addition to all the other roles they are asked to take on (empathetic storytellers, tech-savvy marketers), today’s show organizers have to be strategists as well. That’s because successful brand experiences aren’t just singular, one-time events – they’re part of an ongoing, multichannel brand narrative.
Figuring out how to weave that narrative through your entire marketing mix requires a little planning and some good insight.
Here are five best practices to help you keep your next trade… more
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Oct 12, 2017
Background
The recent controversy at Google underscores a persistent problem in the technology sector: Women remain significantly underrepresented at all levels. The results of a 2017 women in technology survey by ISACA.org tells part of the story: nearly 40 percent report gender bias in the workplace, 35 percent report unequal pay for the same skills, and 42 percent cite a lack of female role models as a barrier to success.
The dearth of gender diversity at the highest levels is also apparent in the event tech sector. I’ve seen it throughout my career as an event tech entrepreneur. It wasn… more
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Oct 10, 2017
If you are planning to display your own booth at a trade show for the very first time, it is worthwhile to invest a little time in strategizing and researching the various marketing ideas that will help attract more customers to your brand and leveraging the exposure for reaping great benefits for your company.
Here are six ways in which you can ensure great success and value for your first trade show booth attendance.
Pre-Trade Show Activities
There are numerous pre-trade show tactics for marketing your brand prior to the main event such as raising awareness, attracting visitor attention… more
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Partner Voices
Overview:
The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality.
In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way.
“We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.”
Amenities:
The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.
The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience
The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need.
Gold Key Members
The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events.
OCCC Events:
This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.
The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:
AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023
200,000 Attendees
$257 Million in Economic Impact
MEGACON 2023
160,000 Attendees
$205 Million in Economic Impact
Open Championship Series 2023
69,500 Attendees
$89 Million in Economic Impact
Sunshine Classic 2023
42,000 Attendees
$54 Million in Economic Impact
Premiere Orlando 2023
42,000 Attendees
$108 Million in Economic Impact