EVENT MARKETING

Need a Marketing Boost?   

Try a User Conference

By JoAnna Forshee

A successful user conference can be the strongest weapon in your company’s marketing arsenal.  No other venue beats the face-to-face client contact, the focused attention on your company and product, and the lasting impression that builds loyalty to your brand.  Although there are many different things you can accomplish from a User Conference, there are four major objectives that you should focus on.

CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES

First and foremost, the conference planning should revolve around providing quality training and education for your clients.  This is crucial as it is one of the most important motivations for attendance.  In addition to product training, this is an ideal time to update your clients on any upcoming products or releases, as well as company announcements.

Second, this is an invaluable time to learn from your clients.  What better way to find out what your clients want in your product and learn ways to improve it.  Hosting focus groups at the conference is an excellent way to get “inside the heads” of your clients and obtain valuable market research.

Also, a user conference is an excellent time to sell to your client base.  You have your client base as a captive audience and this is an excellent time to sell additional software and/or services.

Lastly, and most importantly, the conference will greatly help you strengthen your relationships with your clients.  Social events in a neutral location can do wonders in boosting long-lasting relationships with your clients.

When properly planned, a user conference can accomplish these major objectives as well as creating buzz in the industry and getting press coverage for your company/product.

Conference Planning

The goal of a user conference should be to break-even financially, but it is also possible to make money on a successful conference.  Some variables in the financials include number of attendees, number of sponsorships sold, negotiation skills, etc. 

The first step to a successful user conference is, of course, planning.  This involves laying out the conference objectives and determining exactly what your company would like to achieve.  It is necessary, at this step, to set goals by which the success of the conference will be measured. 

Once the planning phase is completed, the marketing begins.  It is imperative to come up with a plan to maximize the attendance at your conference.  This plan will be carried out through the use of mail campaigns, specialized invitations, and a conference website.  The use of these tools is based on factors such as location, client base, duration, fee, etc.

Next is the logistical planning.  This step includes the site selection, coordination of meeting room setup, audio-visual setup, food & beverage, offsite social events, focus groups, kickoff agenda, training plans, etc.  This can be a tedious and overwhelming process but the success of the conference depends on the detailed planning.  Remember, a user conference reflects wholly on the image of your company.  If you are going to host a conference, do it right!

If you would like more information on planning a user conference, contact JoAnna Forshee.  JoAnna is President of Envision Events (www.envisionevents.com), a marketing firm specializing in the legal industry. She can be reached at 850-671-4798 or jf@envisionevents.com.

For a list of all the major legal shows, visit www.envisionevents.com/links_legal.htm.  For a complete listing of legal shows including regional shows, visit www.nathanslegalmarkets.com.  While you're there, sign up for Nathan's Legal Report.

PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW  

Neil J. Squillante

Title: Founder/Publisher, TechnoLawyer (http://www.technolawyer.com), PeerViews Inc.

Contact: 212-686-2466 / technolawyer@peerviews.com

UPCOMING SHOWS

Now is a good time to plan your trade show schedule for the remainder of 2002!  If you would like more information on any of these shows, feel free to call Envision Events at 850-671-4798.

American Association of Law Libraries  - Orlando

July 20-24, 2002

Association of Trial Lawyers of America  - Atlanta

July 20-24, 2002

National Court Reporters Association - Orlando

August 8-11, 2002

ABA Annual Meeting - Washington D.C.

August 8-13, 2002

LawNet Boca Raton

August 19-22, 2002

LegalTech San Francisco

August 28-29, 2002

LegalTech New York

September 19-20, 2002

Legal Marketing Association SE Chapter - Austin, TX

September 27-28, 2002

Litigation Summit - New York

October 15-16, 2002

ACCA Annual Meeting - Washington, D.C.

October 21-23, 2002

Legal Open Miami

October 24 - 26, 2002

LegalTech Chicago

November 4-5, 2002

LawPartnering Forum - Long Branch, New Jersey

November 6-8, 2002

LegalTech Europe - London

November 12-13, 2002

LegalTech Toronto

November 13-14, 2002

LegalTech Southeast - New Orleans

December 12-13, 2002