Sample Meeting Marketing Plan

Download the Sample Marketing Plan Word.doc

Goal

Increase registration at the meeting

Who (Audiences)

Loyal meeting attendees, irregular attendees/never attended, new members/new professionals/ students, laboratory managers who could encourage their staff to attend, laboratory educators, and local area laboratories (See targeted messages for each audience below.)

Target Audiences
Messages
Benefits to Promote

Loyal attendees

Get them excited

Remind them how much fun they had last year

It’s easy to register

– Networking

– Continuing education

– Keynote speakers

– Social events

– Poster sessions

Irregular attendees/never attended

Convince them why it’s worth the money and time off from work/away from home

Give them “Fear of Missing Out”

– Continuing education

– Keynote speakers

– Grant/scholarship money

– Resources to get your boss to say yes

– Attendee list (see who’s coming)

– First-time attendee resources

New members/new professionals/students

Welcome to the profession – this is the place to be

Make new friends and start building your career

– Grant/scholarship money

– Continuing education

– Resources to get your boss to say yes

– Networking

– First-time attendee resources

Laboratory managers

Invest in your staff

Make sure your laboratory achieves its full potential

– Education

– Networking

– Grant/scholarship money

– Attendee list (see who’s coming)

Laboratory educators

Promote your scholarship and/or your program

Build your network

Make sure your students achieve full potential

Stay current in scientific advances

– Networking

– Continuing education

– Grant/scholarship money

– Social events

– Poster sessions

Local area laboratories

Discover the [ASCLS Constituent Society] Meeting

No travel required

– Continuing education

– Networking

– Keynote speakers

– Easy train ride or drive

– Save money on hotel stays

When and Where (Timeline)

Milestone: Meeting Location and Dates Are Available

  • Update website with all available details about the meeting (location, dates, registration fees, hotel reservations, schedule, etc.)
  • Post on social media – Save the date
  • Create Event in ASCLS Connect
  • Feature meeting information in upcoming newsletters/communications to members (Save the Date)

Milestone: Registration Opens

  • Website features registration link and news about the conference
  • Email all members announcing that registration is open
    Message 1 to loyal attendees
    Message 2 to irregular/never attendees
  • Post on social media channels that registration is open
  • Update Event in ASCLS Connect
  • Post in Constituent Society Community in ASCLS Connect that registration is open
  • Feature meeting information in upcoming newsletters/communications to members

Milestone: Grant/Scholarship Opportunities for Attendees

  • Update website with any new information
  • Send targeted message to students, new members, and irregular/never attendees about grant/scholarship opportunities
  • Post on social media channels about grant/scholarship opportunities
  • Post in Constituent Society Community in ASCLS Connect about grant/scholarship opportunities
  • Send targeted message to lab managers encouraging them to send staff
  • Send targeted message to laboratory educators asking them to share with their students
  • Feature meeting information in upcoming newsletters/communications to members

Milestone: Educational Program and/or Keynote Speakers Announced

  • Update website with any new information
  • Send targeted messages about educational sessions
  • Post on social media highlighting educational sessions
  • Post in Constituent Society Community in ASCLS Connect about educational sessions
  • Feature meeting information in upcoming newsletters/communications to members

Milestone: Social Activities Announced

  • Update website with any new information
  • Send targeted message to local area laboratories
  • Post on social media highlighting things to do in the local area
  • Post in Constituent Society Community in ASCLS Connect highlighting social activities
  • Feature meeting information in upcoming newsletters/communications to members

Milestone: Early Registration Deadline Approaches

  • Send targeted message to those already signed up to encourage their friends/colleagues to sign up before early registration deadline (“Friends don’t let friends pay full price”)
  • Send targeted emails to those not yet signed up, reminding them of early-bird deadline
  • Post on social media about early registration deadline
  • Post in Constituent Society Community in ASCLS Connect about early registration deadline
  • Feature meeting information in upcoming newsletters/communications to members and highlight early registration deadline

Milestone: Meeting Approaches

  • Update website with any new information
  • Send last chance to register message
  • Post on social media that it’s the last chance to register
  • Post in Constituent Society Community in ASCLS Connect about last chance to register
  • Send targeted email to first-time attendees giving them advice about navigating the conference

Milestone: Post-Meeting

  • Send thank you for attending message with information about CE credit, meeting evaluation, etc.
Additional Possible Touch Points
  • Create video testimonials from previous meeting attendees and/or constituent society leaders and use them in social media posts, websites, and emails
  • Create flyers to hand out at in-person meetings and in local laboratories
  • Promote meeting in email signatures
  • Create images that speakers and exhibitors can use on social media to promote the event
  • Used paid promotion ads on social media, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, to reach an audience similar to your target audience
  • Use lots of photos from previous meetings
  • Promote social media hashtags in communications