Five mdg leaders were chosen to lead sessions together with mdg clients at IAEE’s Expo! Expo! 2023. Session details are below and registration is available on the Expo! Expo! Website.
Tuesday, December 5
1:00 – 2:00pm CT
Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center
Dallas, TX
Building a Predictable Pipeline: How to Discover, Nurture and Convert New Audiences
Ingrid Thorson, marketing strategist, mdg | Donna Page, Vice President of Convention Marketing, National Association of Broadcasters
Most event organizers are far too dependent on loyalists and haven’t done enough to find and attract brand new attendee prospects. As workforce demographics shift and email becomes a less effective tactic, however, the urgency to adopt a more modernized approach to audience acquisition is becoming a top priority. In this session, you’ll hear how the leading event in the broadcast, media and entertainment industry – NAB Show – is working in tandem with mdg to secure the long-term future of its event by expanding and deepening its audience base. This exciting case study begins nearly three years ago with a long-term strategy to build a marketing funnel that takes cold leads from awareness to conversion and includes several unconventional tactics, surprising preliminary results and creative recommendations for appropriating a similar approach with your next event, regardless of budget.
Tuesday, December 5
2:30 – 3:30pm CT
Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center
Dallas, TX
It’s the Final Countdown! Secrets for Boosting Last Minute Reg
Shauna Peters, vice president, mdg | Colleen Griffin, Director of Marketing Services & Media Ops, Clarion Events North America
If registration numbers aren’t what you want them to be and time is running out, it’s not game over — it’s game on! Attendees are registering later and later, which means the last few weeks of your event cycle are prime conversion time. In this session, you’ll hear a panel of organizers and subject matter experts sharing tried-and-true tactics for maximizing attendance in the final 4-6 weeks of their campaigns. Specifically, you’ll learn how the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York achieved a 90% increase in registration over the previous year by leveraging registration forecasting and a customized acquisition plan.
Wednesday, December 6
3:00 – 3:45pm CT
Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center
Dallas, TX
Seven Attendee Acquisition Insights You’ll Need in 2024
Kimberly Hardcastle, president, mdg | Nancy Drapeau, Vice President of Research, Center for Exhibition Industry Research
The B2B exhibition industry got itself back on track in 2023 and CEIR predicts a full recovery in 2024. But what will this mean for your trade show or conference? Ideally, not business as usual. Because while the numbers might be climbing, our audiences are different – they are younger, more connected, and more discerning. And to reach, compel and delight them we must evolve our approach to event marketing. Hear how savvy organizers are doing exactly that – filling their pipelines with new prospects, increasing conversion rates and keeping their audiences coming back for more, year after year.
Wednesday, December 6
4:00 – 4:45pm CT
Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center
Dallas, TX
Catalyzing Attendance Growth: Unveiling the Juicy Tactics Behind an 8% Registration Surge
Emily Golding, marketing strategist, mdg | Lisa Malikow, SVP of Event Operations & Programming, Winsight
Calling all event and tradeshow leaders! Discover actionable marketing insights that drive impressive attendance growth at this exclusive session with mdg’s Emily Golding, Group Director and Marketing Strategist, and Winsight’s Lisa Malikow, SVP of Event Operations & Programming. Unveil the cutting-edge tactics and fresh ideas that propelled the National Restaurant Association Show’s attendance by an impressive 8%. Gain invaluable insights into international marketing, influencer marketing, and paid digital advertising—the key ingredients behind this astounding increase. Join us for ideas and solutions that will turn up the heat for your next attendee acquisition campaign.
Thursday, December 7
10:00 – 11:00am CT
Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center
Dallas, TX
Gen X Meet Gen Now: Different Generations of the Industry Surveying the Exhibition Landscape of the Future
Christine Johnson, director of content, mdg | Cameron Thompson, Associate Client Solutions Manager, Freeman | Janel Johnson, Associate Director of Event Education Design, Endocrine Society | Krista DeBrosse, Director of Trade Show Operations, PMMI | Brad Weaber, Chief Strategy Officer, Community Leaders Institute
This multi-generational and insightful discussion is based on feedback from our valued trade show clients and highlights a significant industry trend — attendees are getting younger! Join our panelists as they explore how this shift impacts trade show floors, offering valuable insights on adapting to generational changes. Topics include the importance of influencers and evolving marketing strategies, international differences and views on generational culture changes, content consumption, networking event best practices, and innovations in technology adoption across all generations.
