Connection

When an Attendance Problem Became an 11-State Model

What looked like an attendance problem was actually an opportunity to connect an entire business ecosystem.

My client’s client was struggling to increase attendance at local educational events connected to a larger industry association.

At first glance, it looked like an attendance problem. I saw something much larger.

The local organization needed stronger attendance. The state association needed greater participation from non-members who could eventually become members. Educators needed opportunities to share their expertise. Vendors and manufacturers needed meaningful ways to introduce their products to the people who actually used them. And my client needed greater brand recognition, stronger industry relationships and opportunities to grow its business.


Instead of treating those as separate goals, I created a model that connected them.

How the Model Connected the Ecosystem

SEPARATE GOALS
  • Local organizations needed stronger attendance, while the association needed greater non-member participation.
  • Educators needed visibility, while vendors and manufacturers needed meaningful product exposure.
  • My client needed stronger brand recognition, industry relationships and business opportunities.
CONNECTED MODEL
  • Created a repeatable process for locations, educational programming, instructors, vendors, marketing and registration..
  • Used vendor educators or qualified local professionals, creating valuable new relationships.
  • Gave every participant a reason to promote the event and help the others succeed.
Distributed leadership team reviewing regional multi-state operational dashboard in conference setting

CONNECTED MODEL

A repeatable event model expanded across 11 states

REACH

11 States

Repeatable model expanded across the association

PARTICIPATION

≈ 47%

Non-member attendance

Create Value Across the Entire Ecosystem

Sometimes the best marketing strategy isn’t marketing one business at all. It’s identifying what everyone in the ecosystem needs and creating a solution where helping one participant succeed helps the others succeed too.

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