The Business
A premiere trade show for foodservice industry professionals.
The Challenge
Due to an increase in larger shows with high-impact appeal, attendance to this longstanding, biannual industry event remained flat. In order to boost registration, the show needed to evolve to engage a new generation of foodservice professionals.
The Solution
A high-energy rebrand and an aggressive, digital engagement strategy.
Results
11% increase in operator attendance
36% increase in unique website visits
40% registration rate from leads captured and nurtured
The Plan
Create a wow-factor brand: Upend the category by establishing a dynamic brand platform for the show based on attendee desires for escape, entertainment and inspiration. Then, bring the brand story to life with wow-factor creative assets versioned with support points for each audience segment.
Drive pre-show awareness and engagement: Attract, engage and educate prospects with the help of a new, robust website; highly engaging content; multi-segment paid digital campaigns; industry influencers and personalized direct mail. Target key audiences with segment-specific, gated, high-value content. Promote downloads to trigger email nurture streams and retargeting efforts.
Dial up the show experience: Raise attendee satisfaction with a seamless transition from pre-show creative to a highly engaging, audience-centric event, with ample opportunities for professional education, entertainment and interaction. Promote a drop-box questionnaire to capture attendee feedback about expectations and show experience.
Nurture post-show loyalty: Maintain interest and generate loyalty with attendees via ongoing content that relives moments from the show and provides opportunities for ongoing industry news and education about industry trends, regulations.
