Presentation by Dave Martin, VP Marketing & Content, Electronic Retailing Association about how the Electronic Retailing Association turned around it's troubled annual conference and grew it by 32% in 2009.

1. How to Revive a Trade
Show in Trouble
June 14, 2010
11:45 am
Dave Martin
Electronic Retailing Association
www.asaecenter.org
Connecting Great Ideas and Great People

2. Agenda
 Direct-to-Consumer Marketing
 The Problem
 The Solution
 The Results
 New in 2010
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3. Direct-to-Consumer Marketing
 But wait there’s more…
 Use of moving image and audio to elicit
a direct response/purchase
 TV, Online, and Radio
 1984 first infomercial
 2000s - growth of retail
 $330 billion industry
 Pitchmen TV show
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4. ERA Member Companies
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5. www.asaecenter.org

6. ERA Members
 High level of professionalism
 Love to have fun
 Love glitter
 See and be seen
 Secretive
 Eccentric
 Entrepreneurial
 Outspoken
 Consummate networkers
 Celebrities
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7. THE PROBLEM
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8. What was Wrong?
Listening tour
1. Dying Show – no fun, no pride, unprofessional, bad
image for industry
2. Exhibitors unhappy with “dead” show floor
3. Angry partners & sponsors (hotel rates)
4. Attendee revenue decrease of 11% in 2008
5. “Barnacles” a major problem
6. Six month planning cycle
7. Marketing challenges
8. Rise of for-profit competitor (Response Expo)
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9. Marketing Prior to 2009
 Marketing creative done in-house
 Unprofessional
 Simplistic use of print and email
 Done sequentially and too late
 No social media
 Messaging focused on show features not
attendee benefits
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10. Marketing Prior to 2009
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11. Marketing Prior to 2009
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12. Marketing Prior to 2009
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13. Marketing Prior to 2009
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14. Marketing Prior to 2009
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15. THE SOLUTION
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16. Strategy
1. New team
2. Re-name and re-brand the show
3. Multi-modal marketing campaign
4. Bring more people under tent
 New pricing model
 New features on show floor
5. Pump up the fun
6. Expand audience thru partnerships
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17. New Team
 Raise the bar
 New show director/head of Sales
 New head of Marketing
 New head of Finance
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18. New Name
 Frank Strategic Marketing
 Brand show separately
 Show bigger than association
 “ERA Annual Convention” = old school
 Direct-to-consumer instead of
electronic retailing
 2009 ERA D2C Convention
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19. New Logo
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20. New Look and Feel
 Print ad sets foundation
 Professional
 Clean
 Simple
 Serious
 Create a buzz
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21. Print Ad
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22. MULTI-MODAL MARKETING
CAMPAIGN
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23. Multi-Modal Campaign
 Print ad  News Releases
 Website  Sneak Peek Webinar
 Blog  Social Media
 Promo Video  Twitter
 Direct Mail  Facebook
 LinkedIn
 Email
 Video bloggers
 Telemarketing
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24. Multi-Modal Campaign
 Launched registration on May 15 (4 months)
 Target Audiences
 C-level (primary target)
 International
 Alumni
 Other: women, media buyers, finance
 House database of 32,000
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25. Campaign Messaging
The ONE Show
Attendee Exhibitor
 Networking  Access to retailers
 Business development  Build your brand
 Learn from industry  Develop leads & close
leaders the deal
www.asaecenter.org

26. Multi-Modal Campaign
 Example: Early Bird Deadline (July 1)
1. Weekly emails starting in early June
2. Telemarketing campaign June 24 – July 1
3. Early Bird postcard mailer (dropped June 1)
4. Print ad in June issue of Electronic Retailer
magazine
5. Blog posts (D2C show blog)
6. News Releases
7. Twitter tweets with link to website
8. Facebook fan page update (via Twitter)
9. LinkedIn event update
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27. Website
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28. Promo Video
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29. Direct Mail
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30. Virtual Brochure
Virtual Brochure
http://www.magazooms.com/labs/index.php?mzID=80710131333
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31. Email Campaign
 New email engine (Blue Hornet)
 Attendee campaign (acquisition & retention)
 Exhibitor & Sponsor campaign
 House list of 32,000 (12,000)
 73 emails between May 15 and Sept 30
 Attendee: 12% open rate, 10% click-thru
 Exhibitor: 18% open rate, 13.5% click-thru
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32. Email Campaign
Exhibitor/Sponsor Attendee
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33. Telemarketing Campaign
 Barter deal with ERA member
 Two Campaigns
 Early Bird (late June)
 Early September (final push)
 Scripts for members and non-members
 2,500 calls made for each campaign
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34. MORE PEOPLE UNDER THE TENT
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35. Barnacles, Scabs, and Outboarders
 Major problem
 Culture of barnacles
 “Circle Bar”
 Meetings in hotel suites
 Show of 5,000 with only 2,500 registered
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36. New Pricing Model
 FREE & low-cost Show Floor Only Pass
 Huge RISK
 Very difficult to model
 Many guest passes in 2008
 Cut registration revenue target by 50%
 Simplified attendee options
 2008: 7 options
 2009: 2 options
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37. New Features on Show Floor
 Meeting room suites
 Free networking lunch
 New Product Showcase
 D2C Catwalk
 Pitchmen duels
 Education sessions
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38. Pitchmen Duels
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39. D2C Catwalk
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40. Partnerships
 INPEX – inventor organization (+125 attendees or 4%)
 Pitchmen TV show auditions (+250 attendees or 8%)
 PrimeImage Media (video)
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41. PUMP UP THE FUN
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42. D2C Live Stage
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43. D2C Live Stage
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44. D2C Live Stage
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45. Awards Gala Glitz
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46. Awards Gala Glitz
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47. THE RESULTS
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48. The Results
 Attendance
 32% increase in attendees (3,200 total)
 73% above registration revenue goal
 $350k budget and $600k actual
 39% first time attendees
 47% non-members
 12% international attendees
 5% increase in exhibitors
 Show floor “alive”
 Exhibitor on-site re-book 70%
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49. Attendee Survey Results
 65% rated “Very Good” or “Excellent”
 60% show communications “Excellent”
 80% plan to attend next year
 50% more than 4 hours on show floor
 Net Promoter Score of 25.1%
 Best is 50-80%
 Avg. is 5-10%
 Apple 77%
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50. Marketing Budget for D2C
 Marketing Budget $75k
 Design
 Attendee brochure $6,750
 Ad campaign $5,500
 Postcard $3,250
 Website $6,500
Total $22,000
 Video $4,000
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51. New for 2010
 Revised look and feel
 Feb 1 launch (Super Early Bird)
 New hotel - The Wynn Las Vegas
 Sponsored “D2C Circle Bar”
 Exhibitor Invites
 Database Clean-Up = cost savings ($15k)
 25th Anniversary Pavilion
 Stats so far very encouraging
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52. 2010 Campaign
D2Cshow.org
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53. SUMMARY
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54. How to Revive a Trade Show
1. New team
2. Re-name and re-brand the show
3. Multi-modal marketing campaign
4. Bring more people under tent
 New pricing model
 New features on show floor
5. Pump up the fun
6. Expand audience thru partnerships
www.asaecenter.org

55. Contact Information
Dave Martin
Vice President Marketing
& Content
Electronic Retailing
Association
dmartin@retailing.org
@davemartin15
703-841-1751
DirtyMartiniBlog.com
www.asaecenter.org