How would you like a little bit of PR, a rise in delegate numbers or extra recognition from the powers that be? Follow our step-by-step guide to offering a richer conference experience using technology and easily accessible resources
Tourism2011 - Ireland by numbers
The expansion of the Internet over the last few decades has proven to be one of the great success stories of our times. The heady rate at which the Internet is changing the world around us is exhilarating but it also means that established business techniques, such as traditional marketing, must be rethought. A brochure or ad in a journal is no longer sufficient to create interest in an international association conference.
Potential delegates want to see, hear and feel the destination before they even take out their credit card to book online. You can do this with rich media (interactive material with well-designed audio and visuals to enhance the users experience of the website). Today’s Internet users are becoming increasingly tech-savvy and rich media is essential if one wishes to create a successful, contemporary website. This may sound daunting but in fact rich media is surprisingly simple to incorporate into your online profile.
Rich media includes:
- Images
- Video downloads/streaming/podcasts
- Audio downloads/streaming/podcasts
- Presentations/slides
- PDF downloads
- Maps
These are items that are not too difficult to gather or procure – chances are you have some already.
Include these on your conference website and distribute them via social media.
For example, Meet in Ireland’s presentation resources section includes video. This video is stored on YouTube and can be shared easily by anybody or embedded into another website.
How rich media can help promote your conference
1) Speakers and delegates can share rich media amongst their peers through email or social media channels
2) Industry bloggers can share the items on their blogs or on social media such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
3) Journalists can use the items online or in print/broadcast media
How to create or source rich content
Hire a photographer to take interesting photos of the key people involved/the launch. The more interesting they are, the more usable they are. Make the photos available on photo sharing platforms such as Flickr.com, specifying they can be reused. Include photos from the Meet in Ireland image library on your website.
Video
Hire a videographer to create a video promoting the conference or upload video of the conference launch to YouTube and/or Vimeo accounts. You can then share these videos easily on your website and social media platforms. Embed or share the Meet in Ireland videos or videos from the venue’s YouTube/Vimeo accounts.
Audio
Record an interview with international speakers and share on your site or use as an official podcast people can subscribe to.
Presentations/slides
Put together a nice slideshow about the conference or even the destination. Put it on your website. Put it on Slideshare or YouTube. Share or embed other relevant/quality slideshows. Ireland by the numbers is a great example.
PDFs
PDFs may seem like ancient technology but are very handy to share and print. Why not put together a tourism guide for delegates or the schedule on PDF (as well as on the site) so people can download, share with others or print? Don’t forget your brochure!
Maps
Embed a Google map with recommended hotels, restaurants, sights of interest, location for a gala venue as well as the conference venue. Or make a downloadable map for delegates.
What has been your experience of putting together rich media to promote your conference? Can you see the potential?