3 Important Marketing Strategies Event Organizers Should Adopt
October 12, 2014
Trade show planning and marketing is an extremely strategic process. Organizers have to constantly evaluate current and emerging trends to stay on top of their game. While your team’s goals and promotional tactics will be defined by the unique environment of your industry, there are some key universal strategies that should always be a part of your marketing mix.
Differentiate your event
In your marketing content, always make it a point to highlight the key factors that distinguish your event from others in the same vertical. Expand the appeal of your brand by highlighting the unique value that your team is bringing to the industry and the professionals associated with it. This is the best way to forge an emotional connection with attendees and exhibitors. Organizations and professionals put a lot of emphasis on maximizing their ROI when considering which events to attend. Your marketing team needs to put a significant stress on the value that only your event can deliver to them.
Capture accurate demographics data
It is vitally important to know and understand your audiences’ roles and requirements. Your marketing and event management plans need to realistically address the aspirations of the participants. To facilitate, it is extremely important to capture accurate data on the demographics of attendees when they register for the event. This is even more crucial when seen in context of engaging young professionals and first time attendees. However, according to a recent CEIR report, despite efforts targeting young professionals, most exhibition organizers do not capture information on age when a professional registers to attend. Clearly, trade show management teams need to put better processes in place to record and analyze the demographics.
Engage participants the year round
Acquiring new customers is always more difficult and resource-intensive than keeping one’s current audience engaged. When a trade show or conference ends, it’s always advisable to stay in touch with the event participants and invite them to share feedback on what worked or did not work for them at your event. Address any reported issues and improve your next event by eliminating the root causes of those issues. Also, celebrate the successes of your exhibitors and attendees by showcasing these in your newsletters and blog posts. Most attendees are heavily influenced by the recommendations and experiences recounted by past participants in their space.
Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.
Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is on track to spend at least 15% of its biddable procurement with diverse-owned businesses by 2025, demonstrating that supplier diversity is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic business imperative.
Supplier diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business. A diverse supply chain allows access to a broader range of perspectives and experience, helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience, while strengthening communities. At MGM Resorts, engaging diverse suppliers ensures best-in-class experiences for guests and clients. Supplier diversity ensures a more resilient supply chain while supporting economic development in the communities in which it operates.
The impact of MGM Resorts' supplier diversity initiatives is significant. In 2023, these efforts supported over 3,500 jobs across more than 30 states, contributed over $214 million in income for diverse-owned businesses and generated more than $62 million in tax revenue. The story extends beyond the numbers – it reflects the tangible benefits brought to small and diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment in their communities.
MGM Resorts also supports the development and business skills of diverse-owned businesses through investment, mentorship and education. Through the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program, the company identifies, mentors and develops diverse-owned businesses to fill its future pipeline, while providing businesses with tools and resources to empower and uplift. Since 2017, the program has successfully graduated 105 diverse-owned businesses and is on track to achieve its goal of 150 graduates by 2025.
MGM Resorts’ commitment to supplier diversity not only enhances its business operations but also plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and fostering economic development. This approach reinforces the idea that diversity is a powerful driver of innovation and resilience, benefiting both the company and the wider community.
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