10 tips to promote your city event

10 TIPS TO PROMOTE YOUR CITY EVENT

Mikkel Bechshøft, Bysted A/S

Bysted work with:

> Events & exhibitions

> Experiences

> Communication strategies, analysis and campaigns

> PR

> Websites

> Design and visual identity

> This presentation was made for a seminar about city events in Copenhagen

> Bysted is one of Denmark’s largest communication agencies

what is going to happen?

what is so special about city-events?

then why do we have to promote them?

ok, then give me some ideas…

what is so special about city events?

They are good positive experiences

Bad: Street riot in Copenhagen

Good: Gay pride in Copenhagen

They can put a town on the map

The international Vildbjerg football cup has made the town of Vildbjerg known to many (young) people in Europe

They are unique one time experiences

The Madonna concert in Horsen, Denmark was the first time Madonna visited Denmark in her career

They create a special bond between the participants

Woodstock is still talked about alot

The break everyday city life

The Fringe Festival in Edinburgh is funny and surprising

They can send a strong message

The Earth Hour event sends a strong message to politicians around the world

They involve citizens

Sidney volunteers park

They can increase tourism, revenue and jobs

On the way to Roskilde Festival – to spend a lot of money..

then why do we have to promote them?

It is all about…

SALES!

Events are economically fragile products

The Copenhagen carnival is very dependent on the weather

An audience is a prerequisite for the existence of events

No tickets sold?

…but the audience have many options

30.606 events in the Danish culture-network KultuNaut

Tourists and foreign attention is valuable…

Copenhagen was voted Best Liveable City 2008 by Monocole magazine

…and creating the right expectations through marketing can be half of the event itself

Skanderborg and Vesterbro festivals advertise more than six months prior to the events. That creates positive expectations.

Events are special because:

they are not like physical products

every event is unique and experienced in a different way by each member of the audience

if no one buys a ticket then the income is lost forever – unlike e.g. in a restaurant where the same table can be sold the next evening

Then how am I going to promote my event?

Incorporate your ”event experience” in the marketing strategy before, during and after the event

Be unique – like your event is

Try to find the good story in your event

Surprise your potential audience

Be inspired by the promotion and history of former similar events

ok, then give me some ideas…

public relations

web banners

radio

tv

web video

direct-mail

street promotion

sponsorship

sms

wikies

outdoor

stunts

mini-events

google ads

cross-promotion

sense-marketing

viral

website

All the traditional channels can be used…

…it’s all about how you use them…

WEB

3 great examples of event websites

1. London Olympics

2. Spot festival, Århus, Denmark

3. World Outgames 2009

YOU TUBE

Get on You Tube and

connect with your audience

1. London Olympics

2. Spot festival, Århus, Denmark

COMMUNITY + WIKI

Use a community or Wiki to interact with your audience and get them to return to your website – even after the event

1. World Outgames 2009

2. Wiki example

NETWORK

Use your network!

1. Sonar, Barcelona

2. City Events seminar, Copenhagen

LISTINGS

Get on eventful, regonline, etc.

PR

Find the unique story of your event and sell it to the press.

Skanderborg festival made beer cans to sleep in

– that was a unique story!

AD CAMPAGINS

Online Special-outdoor Too expensive?

Often your marketing budget is relatively limited –running ads might be too costly compared to the effect…

USE THE SENSES

How does Roskilde festival smell?

Mmm…coffee

Mmm…truck smell

WARM-UP EVENTS

Sidney celebrated the Olympics nomination with a big fireworks show – the promotion had begun

Pre-event in the Copenhagen Metro

GUERILLA Surprise your audience

WWF used a strong projector to promote Earth Hour

The tv-channel Zulu put their mascot-man where their open-air cinema would be set up during summer in Copenhagen

World Outgames in Montreal

VIRAL

Viral marketing is much more than making a funny video – i.e. use Google Calendar to get your audience to spread information about your event to their own network

SUPPORTERS

Get politicians, royals and business people to support your event

GOOD LUCK –

go for it

BYSTED A/S Copenhagen www.bysted.dk

MIKKEL BECHSHØFT