How marketing and tecHnology will cHange in 2015

the conference Planner census:

Presented by eventbrite and BizBash

2

he only thing constant is change, as they say, and it’s an especially relevant

observation when talking about technology today. Conference planners

have more tools at their fingertips than ever when it comes to marketing

and promoting before, during and after an event.

Email is still a marketing workhorse for nearly all of the planners who

responded to the Conference Planner Census. Almost 95% of respondents

say they used email marketing in 2014. The big social media platforms

are also go-tos for most: Almost three in four survey respondents use

Facebook, about two-thirds use Twitter and just over half use LinkedIn.

But when we ask which marketing tools are most successful, a different

picture emerges. About three-quarters of Census respondents are satisfied

with their email marketing efforts, and more than one in five say Facebook

is their most successful method. This perhaps isn’t surprising, given that

how much attendees use Facebook.   By extension, how receptive they

would be to marketing on the platform depends heavily on age and other

demographic factors.

HOW MARKETING AND TECHNOLOGY WILL CHANGE IN 2015

T

The Conference Planner Census

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Planners want new ways to engage their constituents, and they have a

bevy of options when it comes to marketing to and connecting with their

attendees. These are the top trends they’re embracing for the year ahead.

APPS GET EVEN BIGGERMobile apps for events aren’t exactly new, but they’re finally hitting critical

mass. More than half of Census respondents say they used event apps last

year and a full 65% — about two-thirds — plan to use them this year, a

significant jump. Another 28% say they’re

considering the technology.

This movement to embrace apps is

driven by attendees, as well; more than

20% of respondents said mobile apps are

the tech tool that’s been most widely-

adopted by their attendee base.

On their technology wish lists for this

year, many planners say they want apps

that work seamlessly and integrate

with the rest of their event technology.

“Mobile apps that will streamline any

kind of event process will always succeed

in my opinion” one respondent tells us.

“”

Mobile apps that will streamline any kind of event process will always succeed in my opinion.

— Respondent The Conference Planner Census

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT 64%

45%

22%

33%*

50%

65%

21%

GIVEAWAYS ANDCONTESTS

GROUPINCENTIVES

2014 2015*

2014 2015

50%

65%

28%*

2014 2015 2015*

Respondents who use mobile apps to market to and connect with their event attendees

The Conference Planner Census

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The Conference Planner Census

INCENTIVES, DISCOUNTS AND FREEBIES MOTIVATEAccording to Census respondents, the early bird doesn’t get the worm — it

gets a discount. More than six in 10 — 64% — of respondents say their

most successful promotional method is the early bird discount. That’s not

the only tool planners use to encourage participation, though: 45% use

giveaways and contests, and 31% say group incentives elicit a response.

And for a few, star power still has a powerful appeal: One respondent tells

us, “Big name entertainment and speakers” get attendees on board, while

a couple of others say celebrity guests have the clout to draw in people.

VIDEO TAKES CENTER STAGEYouTube is one of the marketing channels poised to grow the fastest in

2015. Although 22% used it last year, 33% of respondents say they’ll be

using it to market their events this year, a significant jump.

Using video to cut through the clutter seems to work for those already using

it; in spite of the small number who include YouTube in their marketing, 2%

of all Census respondents rank it their most successful marketing channel

of the past year.

The growing availability of high-speed Internet and the ubiquity of wi-fi

make streaming video an increasingly feasible option for on-site as well

as pre- and post-event messaging. Live streaming events as they happen

also opens up an event’s potential audience to anyone with an Internet

connection, which might be why a third of planners who responded to the

Census say they want to see more live streaming at conferences this year.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT 64%

45%

22%

33%*

50%

65%

21%

GIVEAWAYS ANDCONTESTS

GROUPINCENTIVES

2014 2015*

2014 2015

50%

65%

28%*

2014 2015 2015*

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT 64%

45%

22%

33%*

50%

65%

21%

GIVEAWAYS ANDCONTESTS

GROUPINCENTIVES

2014 2015*

2014 2015

50%

65%

28%*

2014 2015 2015*

Respondents’ Most Successful Promotional Methods

Respondents who use YouTube for marketing their events

*Planning to use YouTube

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The Conference Planner Census

Meanwhile, although email marketing is still the most commonly used

method, it’s clear that planners are searching for new avenues; just under

89% plan to use it next year, while little-used tools like paid search and

remarketing are attracting new interest.

Planners’ main goal, they tell us, is “making sure people know about it,”

one respondent tells us. “[This] means using everything, including PPC/

Retargeting/Social Ads,” the savvy planner says.

TWITTER IS TOPS AT EVENTSAttendees can’t get enough of Twitter when they’re on-site. The microb-

logging platform already is very popular, and by all indications, its use will

only grow for communicating and engaging during events.

Attendees’ natural affinity for Twitter is one of many ways they’re using

technology to enhance their experience at events. Nearly 70% want more

social engagement and more personalization.

Some savvy planners are already on board. Here’s how one respondent says

they’re using Twitter to facilitate offline conversations and engagement:

“We used Twitter in many ways — contests, a live feed of all tweets using

the event hashtag was on display in the general sessions, and as a way to

start the q&a process for our speakers.”

“

”

We used Twitter in many ways —contests, a live feed of all tweets using the event hashtag was on display in the general sessions, and as a way to start the q&a process for our speakers.

— Respondent The Conference Planner Census

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The Conference Planner Census

INTEREST IN iBEACON GROWSNearfield geotargeting is a tool with plenty of uses for conference planners

and attendees, and the industry today is just beginning to scratch the

surface.

While there are privacy concerns to address when using geotargeting, the

sheer potential this tool holds for connecting with constituents in real time

makes it worth a look. Using someone’s mobile phone to target where they

are in an exhibit hall or conference center with pinpoint accuracy opens

up the possibility of connecting

like-minded people, and push-

ing out important information

or special offers.

“Lead retrieval is out. Attendees

want to have instant connection

with exhibitors on social media,

not a follow up generic email

after the event,” one savvy Cen-

sus respondent observes.

“”

Lead retrieval is out. Attendees want to have instant connection with exhibitors on social media, not a follow up generic email after the event.

— Respondent The Conference Planner Census

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The Conference Planner Census

USING TECHNOLOGY TO GATHER INSIGHTCensus respondents want to know why their attendees come to confer-

ences, what kind of content they want, along with how and when they

spend. When planners today want to know need to know what makes their

attendees tick in real time, they turn to technology to help answer that

question.

“On-site polling and feedback technology gives planners the opportunity

to get feedback from attendees who might otherwise not take a survey

after the event,” says Tamara Mendelsohn, vice president of marketing at

Eventbrite. “Interactive tools provide valuable insight into how attendees

feel about the conference when they’re actually there.”

Post-event surveys, on the other hand, provide value to find out what

attendees want out of the next conference — a top question on Census

respondents’ minds. Draw up your survey questions in advance so they

can be sent out as soon as the final session wraps. You want to receive this

valuable feedback as soon as attendees are back in the office, while the

new connections they’ve established or new business they’ve conducted

at your event is fresh in their minds. ■

Written by Martha C. White for BizBash and Eventbrite

“

”

On-site polling and feedback technology gives planners the opportunity to get feedback from attendees who might otherwise not take a survey after the event. Interactive tools provide valuable insight into how attendees feel about the conference when they’re actually there.

— Tamara Mendelsohn Vice President of Marketing Eventbrite

ABOUT EVENTBRITEEventbrite enables people all over the world to plan, promote, and sell out any event, and has sold over 165 million tickets and registrations worldwide, totaling nearly $3 billion in gross ticket sales. The online event ticketing service makes it easy for everyone to discover events, and to share the events they are attending with the people they know. In this way, Eventbrite brings communities together by encouraging people to connect through live experiences. Eventbrite’s investors include, Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital, T. Rowe Price, DAG Ventures, and Tenaya Capital.

To learn more, visit www.eventbrite.com.

ABOUT BIZBASHBizBash is North America’s leading event marketplace for content ideas, news, and industry resources. Each month nearly 200,000 unique users look to BizBash for venue discovery, event style, and tools for their next event. Visit us at www.bizbash.com, and follow us at @BizBash and www.facebook.com/bizbash.