Business Events Australia is launching a new toolkit to help associations secure the success of their major congresses through increased delegate numbers.
The toolkit – “Attracting delegates. Guidelines and tools for successfully marketing business events in Australia” has been developed in response to demand from associations hosting international events in Australia.
Manager of the Australia Associations Project, Julie Sheather, said the toolkit is a tangible demonstration of Australia’s commitment to working with associations to help them maximise the success of their events.
Sheather said the toolkit has been developed over the past six months with input from associations hosting international events, Australia’s leading convention bureaux and convention centres and others involved in attracting delegates to association events.
Presented in three parts, the toolkit provides step-by-step guides and practical ‘hints and tips’ to attract more delegates for both associations running their conferences in-house or alongside their Professional Conference Organiser (PCO).
The toolkit includes:
• A guide to the development and implementation of an event marketing strategy designed to help those who have limited experience in event marketing.
• Step-by-step videos to de-mystify the use of social media to attract delegates using tools such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and how to pull them all together in the most time-efficient way.
• Templates and checklists to support event planners develop their marketing and social media strategies.
Sheather said the toolkit, available now from Australia’s leading convention bureaux and convention centres, said early feedback from associations has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Associations surveyed have been impressed by the detail and novelty of some of the ideas, particularly the content in the social marketing section, which is said to have shed light on the previously mystifying area,” Sheather said.
“The toolkit has also received praise for detailed case studies, which have been said to be extremely useful in understanding and developing international strategies.”
Sheather said Australia’s work to help event hosts increase delegate attendance recognises the increasing need for destinations to work more closely with event hosts to deliver the best possible outcomes, and builds on the efforts of individual cities across Australia in the recent years to add value to conventions.
“Australia combines outstanding value with world class experiences and international events held here are regularly exceeding expected delegate numbers,” Ms Sheather said.
“We believe the toolkit will give associations hosting events in Australia an even stronger competitive edge and we look forward to sharing this exciting new resource with those planning events across Australia over the coming months and years.”
