We closely watch our marketing dollars at M Communications and M Com Publishing. One thing I watch business owners do and I have done in the past (guilty) is sign up for an event without doing homework first. Now, it is less of a blow to your budget for the smaller events, but for the larger ones – take the time to do your homework when you have some downtime. Here are two mini case studies for you.
Client #1: One of our clients wants to do a local book launch party and have one at a national convention out of state. Booths at this convention range from $750 – $3000 and the website clearly does not show what value you get for the price. The client has already researched the speaking opportunities and knows the attendee demographics (smart client). The client is taking her homework assignment a step further. She is flying out for the day, bought an exhibitors pass and is going to walk the floor. You want to know what booth set ups look like in addition to what you get for the price tag. Why show up and participate if your business is not going to appear 110%. The result? You know where your marketing dollars are going and there will be no surprises. (Well, maybe a couple at this conference.)
Client #2: Client number two has been asked to speak at a 1 day conference in the Big Apple. After client #2 finished doing the happy dance about purse shopping on 5th Ave, she did a little homework on her own. She researched the demographics of attendees (Always, ask yourself if the attendees are who you want to do business with), the size of her seminar room and length of presentation. Also, she received a comp exhibitor booth and figured out she would need help with a. staffing the booth and staffing her room for back of the room sales. The result? Preparation and research lead to maximizing your event experience.
OK. This was way too serious for a Friday. For laughs, sign up for the M-Dash here.
