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Strategic Events Planning at Pace University

Session 3: Building an Engaged Audience – Effectively Marketing Your Event to the Pace Community and Beyond.

+Generating an Audience

Planning a successful event is not hard once you identify a goal, develop a plan and budget, and reach out to the right people for assistance. Getting people in the seats is often the toughest challenge people face when planning great events at the University. In an age where people are hyper-connected it may take some creative thinking and new approaches to make sure the word about your event is getting to people in the most effective way possible. Planning an event is also a wonderful opportunity to increase awareness about Pace University and all it does to outside constituents. Think about the Marketing for your event like casting a net – now let’s see how we can catch as many people in that net as possible!

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The benefits of strong event marketing:

A well-marketed event can:• Put Pace and your program at the top of your audience’s minds.• Bring attention to a cause or point of view• Increase enrollment in your area• Lead to donor interest or gifts

Your Event

Staff

Faculty

Students

Surrounding

CommunityOpinion Leaders

Prospective Students

The overall goal is to cast your net as wide as possible to not only generate interest for folks who may want to attend, but also to let people know about what great things are happening at Pace University.

Many of yourmarketing goals can be achieved even if your target audiences do notattend the event.

Alumni

+Targeting Students

Enlist Professors to talk about your event or build it in to part of the learning experience. It is often helpful for students to hear about it from a person rather than just reading it.

Have student leaders on campus on board and plugging it at events. You may want to try to get it on the docket as an announcement for RA meetings, etc.

Reach out to Student Development and Campus Activities. If it is a beneficial program they can help spread the word to those who may have interest through their listserv.

HOMER Digital Signage. There is an events RSS feed that scrolls along the campus Digital Signage constantly. Getting your event or meeting up on here guarantees it will be able to be seen all over campus.

Use all avenues – if Students do not see one, they may see another!

+Web-Based Options

Website

The Pace Website has the ability to spotlight an upcoming a notable event. You should contact Gisela Tewes-Tirado about the characteristics for these events and if yours could be featured on the homepage.

Newsletters

There are 2 email based University-wide newsletters at Pace. The Pace Pulse is aimed at students and comes out once a week most times during the school year. Opportunitas is aimed at Faculty and Staff and is produced once a month. Visit their websites for posting and submission information. These are a great way to land directly in someone’s inbox!

Social Networking

Pace University has official Facebook, Twitter, Flicker, and YouTube Accounts which can be used at the discretion of Marketing and Communications to disseminate all types of matter about upcoming events and those that have passed. The opportunities are limitless!

+Getting CreativeFeeling like you have exhausted all of the usual options for Marketing? You may want to invest some time in one or more of the tactics below to increase your reach and spread the word!

University ListservsThese collections of email addresses can cover any number of specific groups on campus. Contact the administrator to send out a message on your behalf to blast a specific group. Cold Calls

Identify local leaders, community group members, celebrities, etc who may be interested in your event and drop them a call and invite to your event. This

is successful at spreading the word and getting people interested in attending.

High School RepresentativesIf you are open to having a diverse crowd why not send word out to area high school representatives and guidance counselors? Give them a chance to see Pace at its best and most interesting!

Share Information Between DepartmentsThe more people you tell about your event the farther

word will spread. It may also prove beneficial to the other departments to have the information in order to create

relationships or seize opportunities.

+But wait, there’s more!

Getting Creative

Facebook “fan” pagesThere seems to be a club or special interest group for everything on Facebook . Poke around and become a fan of a group. Then you can post a free announcement about your event.

Linked InAsk your speakers to post to their own Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts if they have them.

Check their contacts and see how you can benefit from them

AlumniTargeting Alumni not only adds another dimension to your attendee list, but also keeps former students in the know about all the great events happening at Pace and helps to continue their academic relationship with Pace. Perhaps you could consider scheduling a blast email to them. In order to do so you should contact Susie Munoz in Alumni Relations.

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Targeting the Surrounding CommunityIf your event is possibly interesting to the community around Pace or to particular local or national interest groups feel free to target them in your Marketing. You may find opportunities opened up by simply letting the group know what is going on. At the very least it puts Pace in the minds of those who may find interest in what we do here.

Try These Methods:

Find community groups in the area.

Seek out special interest groups and send them the information.

Specially invite local representatives.

Seek out surrounding schools if the content relates.

Look into national special focus groups on a related subject and send them the event info.

+ Communications ServicesFor more information on project initiation please visit: http://www.pace.edu/marketingcomm

Marketing and Communications can work on any number of print jobs you may need for your event including: Posters Invitations and Save the

Dates E-vites Advertisements (with your

budget) Brochures Programs Web notices

Tip of the day:

The day you reserve your space is the day you should contact Marketing and Communications. The more time we have to help you plan, the better your materials and results will be

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How to Prepare for Working With Marketing & Communications

Overall, part of effectively planning and “owning” your event is driving the various processes associated with the planning and execution of your event. It is suggested that you consider the following factors and come prepared with information before sitting down to begin work on the Marketing of your event: Event Details Themes Deliverables what you are looking to have produced Who your audience is

Budget for Marketing Who has the power of approval? Project Initiation Form Creative Brief

Forms and More Info Can Be Found on the Marketing Website:http://www.pace.edu/marketingcomm

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Crafting the Message

Ask yourself:

Who do I want to reach?

What do I know about them?

What do they know about Pace or the subject matter?

What do we want them to know?

Why should they believe us?

What is the single most persuasive thing we could say to draw people to this event?

+Public Information

Get information about your event out to the public through news releases, external event calendars and more.

Initiate contact as early as possible and be sure to have all key details.

Come prepared with an angle about why your event is special. Why do people want to know about it?

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Whenever you schedule space on campus you have the option to list your event on the Web Calendar!!

Aside from being a great planning tool the webviewer also functions as a great marketing tool! It allows everyone to see your event and decide if they are interested in attending!

Don’t Forget

About the University

Events Calendar!

+Featured Events

Featured events display on the top of the main calendar page.

There are specific criteria for featuring your event in this section – event event must meet at least some of the following: Noteworthy Speaker Open to the Public Timely and Topical Impacts a Broad

Spectrum of the Pace Community

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Hyperlinks

http://www.pace.edu/pace/about-us/administration/special-events/ MapsPictures

Descriptive Text: Here is your chance to tell people all about the specifics of your event. Feel free to include all the whos, whats, wheres, etc of your event.

Feel free to include bold, italic, or underlined text in your descriptions.

This button allows people to add the event to their Outlook calendars. This is a handy tool you may want to start using!

Some information such as title, timeframe, location and contact information show up automatically.

Anatomy of an Event DescriptionEvery time you request an event through the Webviewer you should choose an informative title for your event and be sure to include a description for the event. This description will inform people about what the event is and let them decide if they might like to go.

+Student Ambassador Program

Graduate and Undergraduate Students.

Students represent various schools.

All have at least a 3.0 GPA.

Leaders in campus programs and student groups.

Bios for all of the Student Ambassadors can be found at:

http://www.pace.edu/pace/about-us/administration/special-events/planning-an-event/student-ambassador-program/current-student-ambassador-bios/

The Student Ambassador Program is designed for current Pace University students to serve as leading representatives of the University before a variety of significant constituent groups.

Students represent a select cadre of trained and informed students who will represent the University at significant events and activities.

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Interested in getting an Ambassador for your next event?

Contact Jennifer Crespo at jcrespo@pace.edu. Here are some tips to keep in mind when requesting them:

Ambassadors can also serve as a great Marketing

opportunity for events that they attend. After each event

they are required to blog about their experiences – and the entries are featured on the Pace Pulse for all students to

read about! How many do you need? Event purpose and highlights. Proper attire. Specific needs. Location (campus or off-site)

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What to do if you’re planning is not going well.

You’ve booked the space, you’ve blasted the e-mail, you’ve gotten into every newsletter you can think of, yet your numbers seem low.

What do you do?

Ask for help.

Don’t try to hide the problem, hoping it will go away. Enlist help with follow up calls, consider doing another round of e-blasts, review your options, but…

Don’t wait until the last minute!

+ Click icon to add picture

Branding at the event.

The event itself is an opportunity for marketing and branding.

Be sure to have branded leave-behinds to help your guests spread the word about Pace and your program.

Think about your screen savers for presentations, signage and programs. Most

importantly, capture the names and e-mail & postal addresses of your audience to use for future solicitations!

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Hope to see you at our next workshop!The Ins and Outs of Co-Sponsored Events and Large Academic ConferencesApril 23rd 1:30-3pm – Conference Room A & B, Kessel CenterApril 27th 10:30-12pm – Boardrooms North and South, 1 Pace Plaza

Parting thoughtEvery event is a marketing opportunity.

By “owning” your event and seeking help early in your planning, you can make the most of your occasion.