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.)

Marketing & Communication Handbook
> Introduction and Purpose
> Section 1 – Communication Planning
> Section 2 – Communication Tips
> Section 3 – Communication Options
> Section 4 – Planning Your Marketing Efforts
> Section 5 – Sample Marketing Plan
> Section 6 – Branding
> Section 7 – Marketing & Communication Resources
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