Finding Your Niche

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We recently came across this article on how the Philadelphia Flower show grew (pun intended) its audience by creating smaller events within the large multi-day show. This got us thinking about how we can use that same niche marketing tactic in the federal event space.[Tweet "Using niche marketing tactics in the federal event space. #GovEventsBlog"]

As we're all well aware, budgets and time for attending conferences, trade shows, and training are dwindling. We've written here about breaking your large events into smaller, more intimate meet-ups. When going small with your event is not an option, how do you capture the attention and resources of an increasingly diverse federal workforce? Continue reading →

Does Face-to-Face Networking Mean Seeing Eye-to-Eye?

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There has been a lot of media coverage and general talk about the difficulty of attending face-to-face meetings in the government sector. From travel and budget restrictions to just general time crunch issues, getting people together face-to-face feels too hard for many people. But, it is an effort worth making.

Recent surveys have shown that 84% of people prefer in-person meetings.[Tweet "84% of people prefer in-person meetings. #GovEventsBlog"] When asked why, 85% responded that they build stronger, more meaningful business relationships. 49% said they prefer in-person business meetings because they allow for more complex strategic thinking. Maybe this is because it is easier to read body language and tone (as 77% noted). Or maybe it is the inherent bonding that happens in a social setting (75% noted this as a positive aspect of in-person). Continue reading →

Why Listening to Your Sponsors Matters

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From time to time GovEvents will come across information we feel our members and audience would benefit from. Here's something we wanted to share: 

Originally posted on www.bizbash.com

The 28th Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Ball on Saturday saw an increase in its sponsor support this year. Going into the event, sponsorships had brought in $200,000 more than in past years. Executive director Beth Gorman credits the change to the organization's dedication to creating sponsorships that fit the needs of the sponsor, rather than the other way around.

"It's really about listening to our sponsors to see what they are looking for and what's important to them, then offering them options of what we can do that's creative and different," Gorman said. Continue reading →

Federal Travel Restrictions: Adapting to the New Normal

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Three years since the travel restrictions went into effect, federal workers are settling into a new normal around how they meet professional development, training, and networking goals. A recent study by Market Connections looked at the types of content most in demand by government IT buyers and decision makers as well as what is being produced by the vendor community and found some interesting gaps between the two.

What immediately caught our eye was the response to the question, "With the recent budget and travel restrictions in place and the cancelation of events, what are you or others doing to get the information and/or training you previously acquired from events (i.e., trade shows, conferences, seminars)?"  The top two responses from the government officials surveyed were: Continue reading →

Speaking from Experience: Exhibitor Tips

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Let's do a show! If only it was that easy. Exhibiting at any event requires a good bit of planning and forethought. Of course, you need to focus on the message you'll be delivering, develop a booth and collateral that delivers that message, and possibly even create new demos (we'll have a post on that later), but there are plenty of other details that you need to pay attention to in order to make the show a success. We wanted to share some tactical tips we've learned (through success and failure) that will help you and your team get the most out of exhibiting.

  • Mark your calendar to take advantage of early bird pricing for exhibitor materials and services. It can save you some big money. Ship or bring other supplies like trash cans, power strips, and extension cords with your booth rather than renting them from the show vendor.

Continue reading →