Question

CASE STUDY Conference Marketing in a Competitive Marketplace

One of the main differences between corporate events and association events is the guaranteed attendee base. Typically, in corporate events, there is a set group of people who must attend (such as a sales meeting or corporate training). Association meetings are not required and, therefore, the organization advertises to the relevant professional com-munity at large to secure attendees. Therefore, marketing is extremely important for these types of events. The Engineering Association of America is a nonprofits association of members who are professional engineers. This association is the longest running association focused in engineering, but has recently faced sharp competition over the past decade from conferences focusing on specific segments of engineering (mechanical, electrical, etc.) and niche conferences (Women in Engineering, etc). Due to this competition, conference attendance has decreased by over

35 percent in the past five years. You have just been hired as the new Director of Marketing.

Questions:

1. What is the first thing you would do now that you are hired?

2. What new conference experiences could you integrate onsite to generate excitement and positive word of mouth?

Guideline of case study:

1. Each answer should not be more than 400 words.
2. Case study answer based on your thinking, logic, reason, practical experience as well as online research. You may include examples. Do not write anything vague, which is not relevant to your topic

   CASE STUDY Conference Marketing in a Competitive Marketplace

   One of the main differences between corporate events and association events is the guaranteed attendee base. Typically, in corporate events, there is a set group of people who must attend (such as a sales meeting or corporate training). Association meetings are not required and, therefore, the organization advertises to the relevant professional com-munity at large to secure attendees. Therefore, marketing is extremely important for these types of events. The Engineering Association of America is a nonprofits association of members who are professional engineers. This association is the longest running association focused in engineering, but has recently faced sharp competition over the past decade from conferences focusing on specific segments of engineering (mechanical, electrical, etc.) and niche conferences (Women in Engineering, etc). Due to this competition, conference attendance has decreased by over

   35 percent in the past five years. You have just been hired as the new Director of Marketing.

   Questions:

   1. What is the first thing you would do now that you are hired?

   2. What new conference experiences could you integrate onsite to generate excitement and positive word of mouth?

   Guideline of case study:

3. Each answer should not be more than 400 words.
4. Case study answer based on your thinking, logic, reason, practical experience as well as online research. You may include examples. Do not write anything vague, which is not relevant to your topic

   CASE STUDY Conference Marketing in a Competitive Marketplace

   One of the main differences between corporate events and association events is the guaranteed attendee base. Typically, in corporate events, there is a set group of people who must attend (such as a sales meeting or corporate training). Association meetings are not required and, therefore, the organization advertises to the relevant professional com-munity at large to secure attendees. Therefore, marketing is extremely important for these types of events. The Engineering Association of America is a nonprofits association of members who are professional engineers. This association is the longest running association focused in engineering, but has recently faced sharp competition over the past decade from conferences focusing on specific segments of engineering (mechanical, electrical, etc.) and niche conferences (Women in Engineering, etc). Due to this competition, conference attendance has decreased by over

   35 percent in the past five years. You have just been hired as the new Director of Marketing.

   Questions:

   1. What is the first thing you would do now that you are hired?

   2. What new conference experiences could you integrate onsite to generate excitement and positive word of mouth?

   Guideline of case study:

5. Each answer should not be more than 400 words.
6. Case study answer based on your thinking, logic, reason, practical experience as well as online research. You may include examples. Do not write anything vague, which is not relevant to your topic

   CASE STUDY Conference Marketing in a Competitive Marketplace

   One of the main differences between corporate events and association events is the guaranteed attendee base. Typically, in corporate events, there is a set group of people who must attend (such as a sales meeting or corporate training). Association meetings are not required and, therefore, the organization advertises to the relevant professional com-munity at large to secure attendees. Therefore, marketing is extremely important for these types of events. The Engineering Association of America is a nonprofits association of members who are professional engineers. This association is the longest running association focused in engineering, but has recently faced sharp competition over the past decade from conferences focusing on specific segments of engineering (mechanical, electrical, etc.) and niche conferences (Women in Engineering, etc). Due to this competition, conference attendance has decreased by over

   35 percent in the past five years. You have just been hired as the new Director of Marketing.

   Questions:

   1. What is the first thing you would do now that you are hired?

   2. What new conference experiences could you integrate onsite to generate excitement and positive word of mouth?

   Guideline of case study:

7. Each answer should not be more than 400 words.
8. Case study answer based on your thinking, logic, reason, practical experience as well as online research. You may include examples. Do not write anything vague, which is not relevant to your topic

   CASE STUDY Conference Marketing in a Competitive Marketplace

   One of the main differences between corporate events and association events is the guaranteed attendee base. Typically, in corporate events, there is a set group of people who must attend (such as a sales meeting or corporate training). Association meetings are not required and, therefore, the organization advertises to the relevant professional com-munity at large to secure attendees. Therefore, marketing is extremely important for these types of events. The Engineering Association of America is a nonprofits association of members who are professional engineers. This association is the longest running association focused in engineering, but has recently faced sharp competition over the past decade from conferences focusing on specific segments of engineering (mechanical, electrical, etc.) and niche conferences (Women in Engineering, etc). Due to this competition, conference attendance has decreased by over

   35 percent in the past five years. You have just been hired as the new Director of Marketing.

   Questions:

   1. What is the first thing you would do now that you are hired?

   2. What new conference experiences could you integrate onsite to generate excitement and positive word of mouth?

   Guideline of case study:

9. Each answer should not be more than 400 words.
10. Case study answer based on your thinking, logic, reason, practical experience as well as online research. You may include examples. Do not write anything vague, which is not relevant to your topic

    CASE STUDY Conference Marketing in a Competitive Marketplace

    One of the main differences between corporate events and association events is the guaranteed attendee base. Typically, in corporate events, there is a set group of people who must attend (such as a sales meeting or corporate training). Association meetings are not required and, therefore, the organization advertises to the relevant professional com-munity at large to secure attendees. Therefore, marketing is extremely important for these types of events. The Engineering Association of America is a nonprofits association of members who are professional engineers. This association is the longest running association focused in engineering, but has recently faced sharp competition over the past decade from conferences focusing on specific segments of engineering (mechanical, electrical, etc.) and niche conferences (Women in Engineering, etc). Due to this competition, conference attendance has decreased by over

    35 percent in the past five years. You have just been hired as the new Director of Marketing.

    Questions:

    1. What is the first thing you would do now that you are hired?

    2. What new conference experiences could you integrate onsite to generate excitement and positive word of mouth?

    Guideline of case study:

11. Each answer should not be more than 400 words.
12. Case study answer based on your thinking, logic, reason, practical experience as well as online research. You may include examples. Do not write anything vague, which is not relevant to your topic

    CASE STUDY Conference Marketing in a Competitive Marketplace

    One of the main differences between corporate events and association events is the guaranteed attendee base. Typically, in corporate events, there is a set group of people who must attend (such as a sales meeting or corporate training). Association meetings are not required and, therefore, the organization advertises to the relevant professional com-munity at large to secure attendees. Therefore, marketing is extremely important for these types of events. The Engineering Association of America is a nonprofits association of members who are professional engineers. This association is the longest running association focused in engineering, but has recently faced sharp competition over the past decade from conferences focusing on specific segments of engineering (mechanical, electrical, etc.) and niche conferences (Women in Engineering, etc). Due to this competition, conference attendance has decreased by over

    35 percent in the past five years. You have just been hired as the new Director of Marketing.

    Questions:

    1. What is the first thing you would do now that you are hired?

    2. What new conference experiences could you integrate onsite to generate excitement and positive word of mouth?

    Guideline of case study:

13. Each answer should not be more than 400 words.
14. Case study answer based on your thinking, logic, reason, practical experience as well as online research. You may include examples. Do not write anything vague, which is not relevant to your topic

Answer 1

1. Based on the case study presented in the question, it is apparently clear that the general publicity and reputation of any non-profit research organization evidently rests on the public activities, conferences, and various other public initiatives and campaigns. In this context, the objective of any such organization is to impart relevant knowledge and information on different concerned topics and subjects. Now, it has been observed that for The Engineering Association of America(EAA), it has been difficult for the organization to attract attendees for its community meetings largely due to the decentralization and segregation of meeting or conference topics, which are gaining increasing momentum and practical utility in the field of engineering or science at large. The competition among the organizations has increased as other organizations within the same academic field or area have held public conferences or meetings on more specific and niche topics related to the concerned field or discipline resulting in fewer attendees in meetings held by EAA. As the new Director of Marketing in the organization, it is highly important to look into the existing promotional and marketing tools used by the organization to promote and publicize its public conferences and meetings and try to come up with alternative marketing plans aside from focusing on the meeting or conference topics. It practically depends on the marketing efforts of the organization to promote its public meetings or conferences as one of the fundamental aspects or event publicity and marketing is to let everyone know about the event and its various components, features, and objectives as much as possible through ensuring maximum public reach and accessibility as permitted by the capacity of the organization.

2. Now, in this regard, it might be practically helpful to integrate both offline and online or digital marketing strategies and tools to ensure maximum reach and public accessibility pertaining to event or meeting publicity. In this context, some of the popular tools or strategies that the organization can implement might include social media event or meeting promotion, email marketing, a higher emphasis on website advertising and promotion of public meetings by including more meeting or event-related details for the viewers, video promotions and advertisements, hashtag promotions through digital word of mouth, paid offline promotions in daily newspapers and television commercials, and so forth. These advertising and promotional tools and strategies can practically enable the organization and event managers to enhance the word of mouth publicity through rigorous push marketing and promotion. Furthermore, considering the emerging trends in event management and marketing, the organization should also allow for virtual attendance to the public meetings in order to extend public accessibility and attendance through live broadcasting in various social media platforms and official organization website. It can also allow the meeting attendees and participants to post comments, feedback, questions, queries etc, during the question and answer sessions of these meetings as audience participation and connectivity are crucial for ensuring future attendance and retaining the existing attendees and participants as well. Moreover, the organization should also provide opportunities for the attendees to follow up on the meeting agendas through digital platforms or electronics means such as social media forums, collective chatting mediums, email correspondence, suggestion or comment section within the organization website and other social media official page, and so on as meeting follow-up is an evidently effective strategy to establish a consistent and sustainable public connectivity which would also help to retain attendees and attract new ones as well. Lastly, in all of these marketing strategies, the meeting organizers have to highlight and emphasize on the particular objectives and utilities of these meetings to people and how it would help them either in their professional endeavors or personal growth and development with regards to the particular section of the society to which the concerned meeting topics would be relevant and applicable.