According to Ford Saeks, president of Prime Concepts Group, a marketing communications firm, the language in RSA Conference's marketing piece (above) is right on target. This is just the kind of verbiage he recommends organizations use to increase attendance at their meetings and conventions. When it comes to marketing their events, many other organizations fall short of the mark, according to Saeks. Mostly, they lose sight of the importance of what Saeks calls, "benefit marketing."

"The copy needs to capture the emotion behind the event. It needs to be compelling and should communicate the benefits they will acquire by attending. You shouldn't be selling, 'Come to our conference in San Diego.' You should be selling, 'When you return you will be able to transform your business; you will be able to reduce attrition in your company; you will increase profits; get new suppliers; see cutting-edge tools; learn about Internet security.' I think the biggest mistake that is made is focusing on the event and not focusing on the reasons why someone should come to the event," he explained.

Essentially, marketing pieces should answer the question, "How will my life be different after attending this program?" Promoting the educational content of a conference is of paramount importance because in this time-starved environment, you need to state exactly what the attendee's return on investment will be.

"Don't be intimidated by the concept of marketing," Saeks said. "It's simple. If you want to attract more attendees, lead with a benefit message that includes a compelling headline and subhead as to why they should pay attention," explained Saeks. "I've attended many trade shows where the opportunity to get people to come has been missed. What happens is the meeting planner has the challenge of selling sponsorships, trying to attract exhibitors, speakers, and enough attendees to make the exhibitors happy. They are in the midst of this balancing act and in the meantime they are not communicating the benefits to anyone. So they overpromise and underdeliver - and the show is dead. They have 500 people when they expect 2,000. Benefits are the only thing that will make someone stand up and pay attention."

Keeping It Fresh
Why would a Renaissance inventor be made the centerpiece of a marketing campaign for a technology conference which attracts thousands of information security professionals from around the world? Because it served as a catchy way to connect modern-day cryptographers with Leon Battista Alberti, a great Renaissance inventor and the father of modern cryptography. Alberti served as the star of this year's RSA Conference held in San Francisco, a conference originally started as a forum for cryptographers to gather and share the latest knowledge and advancements in the area of Internet security.

"We change the theme of our conference every year to keep it fresh and new," said Sandra Toms LaPedis, area vice president and general manager for RSA Conferences, the security division of EMC Corporation, a $9 billion company. LaPedis, who spoke at this year's Exhibition & Convention Executives Forum (ECEF) in May, told Convene, "We try to relate it to a historic instance in cryptography. The Alberti theme captured the imagination. People saw our catalog and asked, 'Why is there this Renaissance picture here?' We are constantly looking for new things." The approach seems to work: More than 17,000 converged on the Moscone Center for this year's conference.

The RSA Conference marketing campaign also included an array of innovative vehicles to get its message across, including a virtual program guide. Powered by NXTbook, a service that optimizes print materials for use on the Web, the viewer could flip through the guide with the click of a mouse.

LaPedis is a driving force behind this successful conference and marketing campaign. Responsible for the global promotion and execution of RSA Conferences in the United States, Europe, and Japan, she is credited with increasing attendance at this annual conference since joining RSA in 1998 from 3,000 to the 17,000-plus attendees who came to San Francisco this year.

One of the ways LaPedis has managed to keep RSA's conference and accompanying marketing campaign relevant is by holding a three-day boot camp during the initial stage of planning. "Our entire team, including outside contractors, come together to figure out how we can make this year's conference better than any others in the past," LaPedis said.

Attendees of previous conferences are invited to the boot camp to offer their perspectives. "We conduct lots of post-conference surveys, but sometimes it's best to hear it from the horse's mouth," said LaPedis. "The boot camp offers a grounding process to ensure that everyone is on the same page and understands what we are trying to achieve. It gives all involved a strong sense of ownership."

What's particularly impressive is how LaPedis and her team have made a trade show on a serious topic attended by IT professionals and people with doctorates in mathematics entertaining. The RSA Conference has also been successful in garnering great media attention: The New York Times, Fortune, and The Wall Street Journal now send writers to attend the conference that has become an event. Bill Gates has presented at the conference four years in a row.

The Power of the Third Party
In RSA Conference's virtual program guide, attendees offer their review of the conference. For example, Mary Jane Coffey, assistant vice president, IS Operations, Textron Financial, is quoted as saying, "This is by far the most valuable security conference. I brought back the methodology learned from the 'Baking Security into the Development Life Cycle' session, along with the Threat Modeling tool, to help develop more secure applications."

According to Saeks, third-party endorsements are one of the best ways to get people to take time out of their busy schedules to attend a meeting or convention. "When someone hears, 'This is the only show I come to every year because I get great ideas and leave with a wealth of information I apply to my job immediately,' that person is going to ask, 'Where do I sign up?'"

The most successful marketing campaigns are multi-faceted. Not only was RSA Conference's virtual program a hit but so were the free Web casts that were offered. "What better way to demonstrate what the content of the conference is going to be than to select some of your top speakers and have them do free Web casts prior to the event?" asks LaPedis. "We are putting our money where our mouth is and are highlighting the rich talent we are fortunate to have at our events." After the Web cast, viewers see a message which says something like, "If you enjoyed this speaker, you'll enjoy other speakers at the conference. So register today." Last year, podcasts of all the sessions were also available.

Before accessing the Web cast, the viewer must answer a few questions that helps RSA Conference build its database for future marketing campaigns.

Another way to build a mailing list is by offering specific information to those who sign up for it. "For instance, we've successfully created a list of the seven reasons you should attend a particular conference that can be submitted to the procurement department," said Saeks. "The list can be downloaded after answering some basic demographic questions."

Build Momentum
Obviously, you can't just kick off a marketing campaign without continuing to build momentum until the actual day of the event. Some recommend following up every month, others say every two months. Upcoming deadlines (e.g., housing, registration, special events) are a natural time to send out reminders. A follow-up can be as simple as a postcard or e-mail reminder.

It is also important to get the word out early. "I've seen time and time again that people will want to polish that piece to the nth degree and it comes way too late for those who are busy and have booked calendars months in advance," explained Daniel Woltman, director of marketing promotions for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the professional organization for advancement professionals who work in alumni relations, communications, marketing, and fund-raising for education. "More information earlier is definitely better. Many organizations want to build the best promotion possible and they lose valuable time and windows of opportunity. It's best to get something out on someone's desk sooner so they can actually plan to come to the event."

It could have been the classy logo that featured a quill pen reminiscent of the one used to sign the Declaration of Independence. Or maybe the "splash page" that promoted the conference before the Web site was up so attendees could register early. One thing is for sure, this year's CASE-NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) conference was the best attended in its 32-year history. NAIS shares the marquee for this annual event targeted at independent school advancement professionals.

"We make sure all of our marketing material is compelling as well as eye-catching," said Wendy Bogart, CASE's director of graphic design. The campaign earned high marks in the association publishing community, winning a 2007 Society of National Association Publications (SNAP) EXCEL award. Entries were judged on continuity and whether the theme was presented consistently by design and copy throughout the campaign; copy quality that focused on whether precise, understandable language was used that emphasized benefits; design quality that incorporated the ability to attract and appeal to the reader's eye, and color harmony; production qualities; good paper quality; response qualities: precise explanation of how readers should respond; and prominent display of contacts.

The marketing campaign kicked off with the CASE "Guide to Professional Development" that alluded to the upcoming conference. The next piece was a direct mail postcard sporting the conference logo, general information, and the Web site address. In September, potential attendees received a calendar with the directive, "Plan your winter," that mentioned the conference. A tabloid-sized preliminary program was sent out in early November.

On heavy paper stock, the front cover read, "This year's conference will be held in one of America's first great cities, Philadelphia. What an exciting city to discover as we explore fresh approaches to our work and network with friends! The planning committee has assembled a team of experienced advancement experts from all corners of the world to present to you the latest innovative ideas as well as tried and true best practices. The program includes a complete and in-depth array of all areas of our profession."

"This is also the time we start hitting them over the heads with deadlines," said Bogart. As part of the promotion for CASE-NAIS 2007, there were also ads in Currents, CASE's monthly magazine, (also a SNAP award winner); e-mails; save-the-date messages that started at the previous year's event on folders; and signs.

Go First Class
From the graphics to the colors to the paper stock, all of CASE's marketing materials are high end. "Our goal is to exhibit best practices," said Bogart. "Many of our members, who are affiliated with colleges, schools, and universities, do marketing themselves. We want our marketing campaign to be one that they would like to emulate. We want to be perceived as a leader in all we do, marketing included. Honestly, we're out to impress." CASE has an integrated marketing department that includes a director of integrated marketing, four designers, an editor, and a marketing promotions director.

The design elements of a quill pen, script writing reminiscent of the Declaration of Independence, and a rendering of the Liberty Bell, were consistently used in the materials - folders, programs, signage, banners, and name tags - handed out at the conference. A big hit was a "passport" each attendee received with the task of getting 15 different exhibitors to "stamp" it. Completed passports were entered into a drawing for prizes that included a free registration for the 2008 CASE-NAIS conference and a trip for two to Paris.

A few years ago, for another conference, a telephone blast was created in which George Stephanopoulos, one of the keynote speakers, left each potential attendee a message. Innovative? Yes. Effective. Less so. "Our audience consists of those in the world of education. We found out they do not prefer intrusive marketing. You need to know your audience; that's the key," Bogart said.

Integration and Customization
CASE produces at least four dedicated pieces of communication for its annual programs - e-mails, print, and mentions in its newsletters, magazine, and e-newsletter. "There are a lot of times when your audience may not necessarily be receptive to a promotional piece but if it's incorporated into other organizational communication, they will read it. I know our audiences and have a sense of what people will respond to. Some react well to e-mails and others want a more traditional brochure where they can fill out the registration form and actually mail it in," said Woltman. Although it may sound elementary, he advises others to make sure their online registration form is very easy to navigate. Forgo the bells and whistles and make sure it is easy to use and accessible 24/7, he said.

Many planners have successfully identified certain groups of members with specific interests whom they send targeted marketing pieces. For example, those who are interested in technology will get information about the technological sessions that are available. Effective marketing pinpoints a targeted audience.

"I've heard throughout my career, 'Just send the promotional material to everyone.' That's the worst thing you can do. If you know who this meeting is for, find the people who want to go to it and talk to them," said Woltman.

CASE has been experimenting with variable data marketing. "It's basically technology that allows different stories to be pulled based on data points for print pieces as well as for our e-newsletter," said Woltman. "So you're creating more of a one-on-one conversation with those folks as opposed to writing a broad generic message that may not appeal to everyone. We're just starting to experiment with this but I think it's very powerful."

Blogs and Sponsors Add to the Marketing Push
"What's that? You're beating yourself up for missing out on the action in Palm Springs, and are jonesing for CAI's [The Community Associations Institute] next great big show? Never fear - the 56th National Conference & Exposition is only 11-and-a-half months away. And this time, we're pulling no punches." So read a blog post created by CAI, a national organization dedicated to community associations. It reported on CAI's 2006 national conference, "Listen to Learn," held May 3-6, in Palm Springs, attended by more than 700.

The blog, available to all members, was also directed to those who did not attend, as a teaser. Created by CAI's communications staff, the blog tried to capture some local Palm Springs flavor, and reported on sessions including mini-interviews with the presenters pre-conference, and during the conference, featured live coverage of the event.

The organization is now looking into reaching out - electronically and through the mail - to those members who attended conferences in the past but not recently. The e-mail would include a link to a streaming video segment and the CD would feature live-action videos from CAI's most recent event. "As marketers, it's important we keep it fresh and stay on top of new technologies," said Mary Butler, CAI's creative director. CAI also won a SNAP EXCEL award for its multi-pronged marketing campaign for the "Listen to Learn" conference.

While CAI uses e-mail to send marketing messages, it is used judiciously. CAI's marketing director must approve any conference-related e-mail before it can be sent. "We try to be really good as an organization about making sure we are not inundating any of our members or potential members with too many e-mails," said Butler. "We actually have a sign-up system that keeps us from sending too many. Obviously, e-mail is an effective, cost-efficient tool but it must be used with some balance."

CAI has also had a great deal of success using its exhibitors and sponsors as co-marketers. Buck slips (sheets of paper cut in thirds - about the size of a dollar bill, hence the name) are given to exhibitors, featuring the brand imaging, who CAI is, what CAI does, the benefits of attending the conference, and contact information. "They are basically an invitation for them to use in all of their mailings to attend our conference," explained Butler. "We've also started providing ads that sponsors and exhibitors can use on their Web sites which links directly to conference information."

Marketing experts say it is best to use a combination of marketing vehicles to be sure you reach your target audience. But again, the method of delivery isn't nearly as important as the message.

"Direct mail works, Internet marketing works, display advertising works, but if you don't have a compelling message, none of these vehicles are going to work," said Saeks. "You'll just be wasting your money."

° Andrea Doyle is Convene's senior writer.

Truly Effective Marketing: Top 12 Tips

By Ford Saeks

Marketing is essentially giving people enough information to help them make informed decisions. While there are literally thousands of marketing methods and strategies that can help you increase attendance at your conventions, here's a list of my top 12. You're probably familiar with these, but you may not be implementing them fully for maximum success.

1. Headlines are 90 percent of your marketing. Use compelling, attention-grabbing headlines and "emotional" copy. Pictures attract attention, but text is what sells. Test to see which headlines generate the best response. Write compelling marketing messages or hire a proven copywriting professional.

2. Focus on communicating benefit messages. Benefits are the emotional reasons why prospects take action. Communicate what's in it for them. It's not about your convention, speakers, or venue. It's about takeaway value. Sounds simple, yet many just promote feature, feature, feature. Review the copy on your Web site and other marketing materials to see if you're really communicating value.

3. Substantiate your benefit claims with features. Benefits attract attention, but features support them and show customers how they'll get the benefit. Features are important after you've got the prospect's attention with compelling benefit messages.

4. Profile your target prospects. How well do you understand your prospects? You can't create effective promotional materials or compelling copy without understanding the wants, needs, and desires of your prospects. This goes beyond basic demographics (stats) and more into psychographics (behaviors). To ensure success, make sure you consider "how" customers make decisions and "who" influences those decisions.

5. Create a marketing plan and a marketing calendar. Outline your marketing goals for your convention. Add a marketing calendar that includes each promotion. This will help you spot gaps in your marketing efforts and help allocate resources.

6. Use a multi-step sales approach. Once you've determined your marketing goals, map out your typical sales processes. Decide on the methods you'll use to convey your benefit message. Don't just send out a color brochure and leave it at that; combine your efforts with online and traditional offline methods that encourage responses to build your "hot" list. Then use your "hot" list to move them to the next step in your sales process - to get them registered.

7. Stand out above the clutter using multimedia. Use audio and video to communicate the value of your event. This can be testimonials from past events, snippets from your speakers, the top 10 reasons to attend, or any combination. It's easier than ever to add audio and video to your Web site. Offer pre-event Webinars and teleseminars. Make them part of your speaker agreements. Again, it's about communicating the value of attending your convention.

8. Implement a viral marketing concept. Think about what you could offer in the way of a special report, giveaway, discount, limited offer, bonus, free training, Webinar, teleseminar, or incentive that your prospects will find so compelling that they'll tell others. Make it easy for them to respond and encourage them to tell others.

9. Get leverage. Find non-competitor sources that reach the same target prospects that you want to reach and leverage their lists. This might be your sponsors, speakers, or other vendors. Create the marketing materials for them, explain the promotions, and if you can give them an incentive or discount for the registrations they generate, you'll get their support.

10. Give your prospects a reason to believe. Include testimonials from past attendees, vendors and sponsors, used appropriately. Testimonials are easy to get and build credibility through third-party endorsements. Ask for testimonials, and use them on your Web site, flyers, brochures, postcards, and other marketing materials.

11. Give your convention/event "news" value. Create media and press releases and send them out on a regular basis. Free publicity is easy to get and very effective. Create them for your speakers and sponsors, too.

12. Remain in control of the marketing. Yes, it's smart to hire a proven marketing expert to help you improve your attendance, but don't confuse marketing professionals with Web designers or typical ad agencies. Many times they don't understand direct marketing tactics to get prospects to take immediate action with measurable results.

° Ford Saeks is President of Prime Concepts Group Inc., (www.PrimeConcepts.com) a direct and Internet marketing and communications firm.