Event Planning and Promotion
Posted on 1 July 2011 - 10:47 PM by Navigation Advertising | (0) Comments
Recently we were tasked with helping our client, The Gateway Village, promote a Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours networking event at the upscale commercial, residential and retail development. From working the media to securing sponsors and setting up the audio visual presentation we provided an integrated and comprehensive promotional campaign to promote the event.
Recently we were tasked with helping our client, The Gateway Village, promote a Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours networking event at the upscale commercial, residential and retail development. From working the media to securing sponsors and setting up the audio visual presentation we provided a robust promotional effort. We worked directly with The Gateway Village staff, the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce staff and Exit Realty reps in creating the right message, recruiting the right food and drink sponsors and leveraging our media relationships to create as much awareness as possible on a bare-bones budget. The event had a heavy turnout by chamber members, the media and local citizens that wanted to tour the development.
First, we only focused on restaurants within walking distance of the development for food sponsorships because we wanted to develop mutually beneficial relationships with local businesses. We were able to secure several high end local eateries such as The Chop House, Fulins Asian Cuisine, Jim n"Nicks BarBQ, Jason’s Deli and JoZara’s Coffee Shop. The several hundred attendees were fed well which was evidenced when all of the food vendors ran out of food!
Stones River Total Beverages and Julies Bartending provided the wine and beer to the thirsty crowd. Lots of refreshing light beer and white wine were consumed on the warm June evening.
Next we focused on regional media. With the crafting and distribution of three informative press releases and two email blasts before the event, we were able to secure (at last count) 12 newspaper and or news website stories about the event in regional media sources. We strongly believe the strong public relations and media effort dramatically affected the heavy turnout. Several news paper reporters were on hand to cover the event as well as local elected officials and business people.
The day after the event the Daily News Journal ran a front page story about the Business After Hours which caused web traffic at http://www.thegatewayvillage.com to quadruple for that day.
Additionally, we leveraged the main website blog and news module as well as the developments Facebook page to get the word out and improve organic search results by posting relevant information about the event—both often and creatively.
The Exit Realty sales staff conducted tours of the residential condos and lofts while The Gateway Village staff greeted and provided info to visitors as they networked throughout the facility.
We also produced a DVD video presentation focused on the amenities of the development and presented it on a large screen in the main area where the attendees networked and enjoyed the food fare from the restaurants.
We were very pleased with the turnout, media coverage and web traffic and look forward to the next event at The Gateway Village.