Differentiate Yourself from the Pack

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Differentiate Yourself from the Pack Event
Strategies that Net Results

• Dick Stephens

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Differentiate Yourself From the Pack - Event
Strategies that Net Results
Dick Stephens, President Varsity Communications,
Inc. Taste Washington Seattle Spokane Event
Producer www.varsitycommunications.com
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Event Strategies that Net Results

• AREAS WE WILL COVER TODAY
• ROI -- Creating and evaluating
• Event industry trends (wine demographic-like
  events)
• Give consumers what they want
• Timing -- when to step on the gas and when to
  brake
• EXAMPLES OF
• Branding and marketing
• Cross-marketing and pass-throughs
• Did you make their hair on their neck stand up?

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First Understand Your Event Objectives

• Know your market and their needs
• Define your base hit and grand slam
• Whats a threat to your event?
• Whats the competition doing (not just wine)
• Keep your last event in your head at all times
• Use other events and have a swatch book
• What makes you and your event UNIQUE (educate,
  motivate, celebrate)
• YOU are the PRODUCERproduce!
• Live and shape YOUR budget
• Underpromise and OVER-DELIVER

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The market and questions to ask yourself

• YOUR MARKET AND TOUGH QUESTIONS
• HEY, WINE IS HOT RIGHT NOW -- know that going
  in.
• Because its HOT, everyones doing it! Stay
  sharp!
•  Study habits of wine consumers and age
  interests
• How many COMPETITORS meet the same objectives?
• What is the POTENTIAL for you with your
  event(s) awareness, data, branding, revenue,
  call backs
• Is the timing right
• Are other events/entities PULLING for you?
• Can you take this to a new level with current
  resources?

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Hit a single or go for the fence!

• DEFINE A BASE HIT
• Are you doing the same ol, same ol, every
  year?
• If so, why? -- What can you do to change it up?
• Make sure you MASTER the base hit, before you
  stretch it out into a double or triple (dont
  expand without being sure)
• Will a base hit do?
• DEFINE A GRAND SLAM
• Outline grand slam event (revenues, awareness,
  energy)
• What would it take to hit a grand slam?
• Can you take this to a new level with current
  resources?
• Keep the grand slam vision to yourself -- let
  it be a surprise

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What stands in your way of success?

• WHAT THREATENS YOUR EVENT
• Do SWOT analysis (strength, weakness,
  opportunity, threats)
• Weather (bad conditions can be a friend and
  foe)
• Economy -- Be mindful and use it to your
  advantage
• Past performance of yours and other like
  events
• POOR marketing and presentation
• Not being unique
• BIGGEST Poor execution
• YOUR COMPETITION
• What are other wine events doing WELL and POOR
  (swatch book)
• Dont ONLY look at wine events (arts, sports,
  colleges, etc.)
• Rate yourself against the competition
• Keep a connection with the competition

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Past performance and playbook

• USE YOUR LAST EVENT AS A GUIDE
• From start to finish -- keep last year RIGHT
  THERE
• Tear the past event APART -- full download with
  team and clients
• Ask your clients how they felt about YOUR
  performance
• Improve communication EVERYWHERE
• Budget wisely and dont overextend -- earn the
  right to grow
• Great events HIT their BUDGET
• YOUR SWATCHBOOK
• This can be a mental and/or physical book
• Samples of everything (websites, photos, promo
  pieces, photos, etc.)
• DONT only look at wine events (sports, arts,
  mags, sites, whatever moves YOU!)
• Always share these visions with your team

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What makes your event DIFFERENT

• WHAT MAKES YOU, YOUR PRODUCT AND EVENT UNIQUE
• Play up your strengths BIG TIME
• Create CONNECTION POINTS where your unique
  qualities reach public
• Create YOUR look and feel around the UNIQUNESS
  
• Operate on ALL FIVE senses if you can (sight,
  sound, taste, touch, smell) NOT JUST
  TASTE!!!!!!!
• Create memorable experiences (music, PA,
  visuals, awards)
• YOU ARE THE PRODUCERPRODUCE!
• What are limitations of you and others
• Build a team (visionary, executers, fine
  detail, finance, uniters, marketers, game day
  staff)
• MAKE THIS FUN and set goals that stretch but
  are reachable
• Did you EDUCATE, MOTIVATE, CELEBRATE and
  STIMULATE?

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Your money and your promises

• BUDGET WISELY
• BE REAL60 of passion or enthusiast events
  TANK after their third year.
• WHY No. 1? They lose money or miss their
  subsidy mark and cant recover?
• WHY No. 2? Because they couldnt evolve and
  grow -- keeping it fresh!
• Make a clear budget and FOCUS on expenses FIRST
  not the cool stuff.
• Show revenues in at lowest or last years marks
  (dont anticipate growth).
• Look for trade where you can take cash off your
  books
• If you sell tickets, meet your avg. audience
  price point
• Earn the right to add expenses -- show a clear
  revenue opportunity to offset it.
• SPONSORSHIPS and MEDIA Know the value of your
  assets you can sell/trade, get media support
  before you sell sponsors. Dont give anybody a
  free ride.
• UNDERPROMISE and OVERDELIVER
• Follow through on promises but build-in
  EXTRA-mile delivery - EVERY TIME.
• Never brag, but leave the customer asking for
  more
• I AM ACCOUNTABLE -- who can I serve, how can I
  serve

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Expanding your event vision

• QUICK AREAS TO GROW YOUR EVENT VISION
• ROI -- Creating and evaluating
• Event industry trends (wine demographic-like
  events)
• Give consumers what they want
• Timing -- when to step on the gas and when to
  brake
• Branding and marketing
• Cross-marketing and pass-throughs
• Did you make their hair on their neck stand up?

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ROI Triggering data and sales

• RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI)
• Show your exhibitor, partners, and sponsors ROI
  opportunity AT THE INVITATION to join you.
• Open up the channel to data collect forms,
  mailing lists, enter-to-wins, swipe cards --
  where they leave with ROI
• Be willing to do the data invite, collection
  and sharing yourself
• Send them home with your information
  automatically
• If you can sell direct, do it. Todays consumer
  is comfy with giving info and making OTS buys.
• Create ways to SHOW that you are ROI-motivated
  even if it fails.
• FOCUS on building your database and keep them
  sticky

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Event trends are evolving

• EVENT INDUSTRY TRENDS
• The economy is CHOKING passion and
  enthusiast events BIG TIME. Home/garden -15,
  auto shows -20, travel -20 , sports/arts -10
• Consumer spending activity in many passion
  categories are decreasing.
• WINE IS GROWING! According to WWC, AC Nielsen,
  industry, etc.
• Wine events are everywhere in Washington and
  across the U.S. (industry events, winery
  tastings, charity, food and music, etc.)
• With growth, comes congestion and challenge to
  vertically grow
• With wine event growth, expertise is stretched
  (you have upper hand)
• Stay in-front and be GREEN! Environment/
  energy message is big now.
• Forecasts show travel will decrease, local
  events will gain attention, commitment to
  community (town and on-line) are focus areas.

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Give them the goods and timing

• GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT
• Feed their souls and palettes -- you are the
  experts -- create sensory stimulation!
• Give them inside information, make them feel
  like they are a part of your vision (ask them for
  THEIR inputeven if you dont want it)
• They are hiding from the daily grind -- offer
  them plenty of shelter
• Be mindful of the economy and offer ways to
  keep them ON BOARD with selection
• MAKE IT FUN and WORTHWHILE.
• TIMING
• Find calendar dates that work for your BUSINESS
  model, not just you
• Look at the competition and build distance
  between them and you.
• Indoor events are least likely to suffer
  setbacks
• If you do multiple events, set a cadence and
  pace to your schedulelet it build!
• If the stars dont line up, attend other events
  and hone your model for release.

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Media Campaign Recap
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Poster sets the tone for the overall look and
feel of event 2 months out.Also sets art
direction

• 1,000 printed

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Panel Cards and flyers fill in the gaps

• 75,000 Printed

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Magazines get things in motion
Seattle Magazine Feb 08
Seattle Magazine Jan 08

• 11 magazine ads ran in
• Seattle Magazine
• Wine Press Northwest
• Seattle Dinning
• Wine Enthusiast
• Washington Athletic Club

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Newspaper, radio, TV, E-mail blasts heard em in
4.83 x 8 Seattle Weekly
2 col x 10
2 col x 10 featuring Ilan Hall
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Print Advertisements

• This little ad generates about
• 150,000 in gate revenue

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The Seattle Times 8-pg insert goes in depth and
takes care of sponsors in a big way
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Website is window to the world

• Seattle Home Page

Grand Tasting Page
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Website is INTERACTIVE

• Seminars Page

Sponsor Page
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Site showcases wine and food

• Winery Page

Restaurant Page
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QUICK SNAPSHOTS

• We take about 300 photos of every aspect of the
  event to make a solid recap book for sponsors and
  partners

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Line-up for Grand Tasting
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Blind Tasting
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Caffe Vita
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Chef Demo
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Crowd Shot
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Farmers Market
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Wine Pouring
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Restaurant
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Maserati
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Overview
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THANK YOU for your time!Best wishes with your
events.Let me know how we can help!Take it
easy!stephens_at_varsitycommunications.com
Dick Stephens, President Varsity Communications,
Inc. Taste Washington Seattle Spokane Event
Producer www.varsitycommunications.com