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Page 1: 1 | CORONAVIRUS AND EVENT MARKETING milestonecreative.com · 2020-03-24 · • Digital marketing ... Marketing Awards in Asia-Pacific against of the globe's largest creative agencies

1 | CORONAVIRUS AND EVENT MARKETING milestonecreative.com.au

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Milestone Creative is Australia's leading specialist Marketing & Creative Agency for major events, festivals, business events, tourism, venues, hospitality and the arts. We are more than an agency, we are your marketing partner and go above and beyond to lead, connect and drive results for you. Our people are event marketing experts with a deep understanding of the strategic role that events play in branding, positioning and community engagement. Services include: • Event Marketing strategy • Media buying • Marketing • Branding, design and creative content • Digital marketing • Social media content and community engagement • Ticketing • Sponsorship • Activations

Clients include event owners, venues, government and tourism bodies, destinations, caterers/restaurateurs, major events and festivals, corporate event owners, event management companies, PCOs and event industry suppliers. Amongst other accolades, Milestone won the Australian Event Award for Best Integrated Marketing Campaign in 2019, was finalist for Marketing Campaign of the Year in 2018, won the inaugural (and only) MEA National Award for Event Marketing 2018, has won the SPICE Top 100 for Marketing 2017, 18, 19; was a Finalist in the Small Business Champion Awards for Marketing Services; Finalist in the Local Business Awards for Specialist Services in 17, 18, 2019 and Finalist in the Event Marketing Awards in Asia-Pacific against of the globe's largest creative agencies. Alana Hay was awarded the National award for Marketing Person of the Year in the Meetings & Events Awards in 2017, 2018, is a current NSW Finalist in the same category for 2019. Founder, Alana Hay, is on the Board of Meetings and Events Association of Australia (MEA) and is an Associate Fellow of Meetings & Events Professional (AFMEA).

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For anyone in the events industry right now, it’s tough. It’s tougher than

tough. “Keep positive” feels like the right thing to say but the reality is

that you’re likely not feeling that positive.

On Friday 13 March 2020 (an apt date), Australia’s Federal Government

recommended that non-essential gatherings of more than 500 people

outdoors and 100 people indoors be halted. Read our coverage of this

announcement here or if you can’t click the link, visit

http://www.milestonecreative.com.au/news.

By Sunday 15 March 2020, these gatherings were banned and fines

were introduced for ignoring the rules. A non-essential gathering

includes events of all kinds – major events, festivals, theatre, music

venues and event venues. People are still gathering in bars and

restaurants, but there is a 4m2 area restriction. Based on restrictions

placed on citizens in other countries, it is likely a decision to close all

venues is looming, along with personal and business isolation

announcements.

Non-essential travel is also now banned and that includes regular

interstate business meetings and inbound travel to Australia has been

ceased. These restrictions have led to the events industry being

effectively shut down and made illegal in one week.

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Event owners responded quickly, with rolling announcements about

large events, festivals and industry gatherings. Some events were

postponed, however others that operated at specific times such as in

winter, over Easter or at a time to fit into the timing of other global

business events or buyer decision-making and travel, were immediately

cancelled.

These cancellations and postponements have already cost event

owners and the events industry millions of dollars. A media release from

BECA on 22 March estimates $AUD 2.5b per month will be lost from the

business events industry in Australia. This does not include all major

events or festivals, nor the entire supply chain of freelancers, sole

traders and sole proprietors such as consultants, musicians, set

designers, art directors, AV freelancers, which, based on the ilostmygig

website as at today, is estimated at 65,000 jobs and $AUD100M in lost

income today, and counting.

After working through the cancellation and postponement of

Milestone’s event clients, I spent a few days talking to industry

colleagues, event owners, business owners small and large, musicians,

artists and freelancers. I also started a daily hangout through our

#eventprofs Facebook group, which has now moved to a weekly

Monday check-in, and has been helpful to connect with peers and

share our thoughts, ideas and experiences (feel free to join here).

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Some businesses (like us), are suppliers to the events industry and rely

on events for their income and lost everything in the last week. Some

large venues are dealing with cancellations as well as trying to place

events into an already very busy 2021 calendar. Organisations who

relied on casual workforce have had to reduce hours or pay and others

have had to let teams of fulltime staff go. Venues such as bars and

theatres closed temporarily and as at 22 March, restaurants and cafes

are now closed by Government ruling, except for take-away.

These announcements keep rolling and the landscape is changing every

day, so the best we can do is stay connected to media and just get on

with it. The one thing that we all had in common is that we are

concerned for our people and of course we don’t really know what the

future holds for ourselves and our industry.

Image: Getty

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As we navigate and manage the direct and immediate changes to our

business and witness the unfolding of the impacts on colleagues,

friends and family, it is easy to spiral down the media rabbit-hole and

lose focus. If there’s one thing we need right now, it’s a clear head and

the ability to look after ourselves and our people.

We must remember that events and tourism sectors were immediately

affected by coronavirus. We are after all, in the business of hosting and

servicing gatherings of humans which is now all but illegal. And we do

need to be responsible and do the right thing.

To shed some positive light on the situation, corporate Australia has not

been shut down like us; for some, it’s business as usual and for others

that are providing essential solutions and services, medical, science,

consultants in change management, decentralising workforces, those

building new technology and those in Council and Government are

under extreme pressure to deliver.

So, as the dark cloud of forced event closure gathers over our collective

heads, we, as an industry need to try to remember that not every

business is affected and whilst it’s likely not to be short-term, it’s also

not forever. Many veterans in our industry have already reported,

they’ve navigated and survived SARS, 9/11, MERS and other global

crises. Don’t get me started on GFC – Milestone opened in November

2008, and GFC was officially announced the same month.

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Also on our side is that event people are clever, resourceful and genius

at making decisions under pressure. Our industry and our people will

bounce back and if we can hold ourselves together during the

‘darkness’, we can prepare ourselves and be ready.

When Australian businesses emerge from their bunkers and get back to

work, they will want to reconnect with clients and suppliers, motivate

and embrace their workforce. How will they do that? Amongst other

things, it will include Meetings. Teambuilding. Special Events.

Conferences. Awards. The general public will want to go out again, be

amongst friends and other people, see shows, listen to music and catch

up for a drink at a bar.

While we wait for the industry to bounce back, use this time to review

operations, legal contracts and workforce. Review your marketing,

make plans and be proactive.

It’s up to you if you want to wait until the re-emergence, or get ahead of

the curve and be at the top of mind when they are ready to book - I

know what we’ll be doing.

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”When Australian businesses eventually emerge from their bunkers and get back to work, they will want to reconnect with clients and suppliers, motivate and embrace their workforce. General public will want to go out again, be amongst friends and other people, see shows, listen to music, catch up for a drink at a bar.”

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One of the questions we’ve pondered for our own business and have

been asked many times this week is, “how do we appropriately

continue sales and marketing during this time. Should we be marketing

at all?”

Like many in our industry, we built our business on relationships and

referrals, and unless you’re in the business of selling widgets, your

company is also likely to be built on people, relationships, trust and

brand. Lucky for us we haven’t had to pay for advertising…until last

week when we lost all of our events. We now need to innovate and

whilst maintaining our relationships, we also need to look outside of our

industry to get leads in the door and keep the business on track.

We made the decision to start advertising for the first time in 11 years

on Wednesday and by Thursday our ads were in market. They’re not

aimed at the events industry, but at sectors who are flourishing in this

current environment who may need our help. We’re looking at

packaging and reselling our services, collaborating and creating new

opportunities from industries that are still flourishing.

Getting business back into the pipeline from a standing start will be a

tricky one. Remember, you’re in it for the long-haul.

Here’s our tips on getting the wheels back on, getting sales into the

pipeline and being appropriate with your messaging.

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Don’t stop marketing.

Now is not the time to stop marketing your company, or your event.

Don’t wait until the industry starts turning around to promote yourself,

especially if you need to bring the $ through the door now.

While it’s hard to justify any spend, stopping everything also stops the

momentum. Just change the way you do it:

• Build your brand and your authority through opinion pieces with

media.

• Create a private webinar and invite your clients or your industry

colleagues to hear your professional point of view about when they

could or should rebook their events (with you).

• Shift to a content marketing strategy, rather than straight ad spend. I

don’t mean write a book, use short blogs to share your thoughts,

post them on your website, repost them on social media, share them

on email or in LinkedIn groups. Ask colleagues to post them on their

channels or better still, link them inside their blogs – google loves

backlinking and everyone wins.

• Change your digital ads to brand-led rather than sales-led

messaging and creative.

• Talk to your customers and offer support or help and show them

how you can think creatively to help them solve their problems.

• Set up a LinkedIn or Facebook group for your industry, connect with

colleagues and your competitors.

If you are not already advertising or marketing, use this time to review,

rewrite or write your marketing plan, build or update your website, set

up your social channels, connect with others and start talking about

your business and your events.

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Be proactive.

Besides marketing, it’s important that you are proactive with updates to

your clients and customers. Being on the front foot makes customers

feel at ease knowing that they can still contact you and that you’ll be

there when they’re ready to rebook their events. If you own an event,

regular updates and honest communication will keep your audience at

ease, and if you repost questions with answers, it can help stop the flow

of phonecalls or emails asking the same question over and over.

• Honesty builds integrity. Use the time to make phonecalls to your

loyal customers to let them know your plans - good, bad or ugly.

• Use your broader database to connect with your network – send

them an email with an update or updates on your operation and the

impacts coronavirus may currently be having on your business.

• Use your social media channels to let general public know that it

might take you a little longer to get back to people if they have a

question.

• If you’re running an event, contact ticketholders to let them know

that you are offering an opportunity to use their investment for the

new date once announced, or even a future event.

• If you have had to cancel your event, let patrons know your reasons,

provide a timeline for processing refunds, and stick to it.

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Be ready for bad news.

That sounds negative, but it’s likely most businesses will experience

effects from global, local or in-house changes. Whether it’s good or bad

news, remember, you are their partner. Spend time listening, not telling.

Empathy, consideration and understanding is more important than

anything right now. Sure, if there’s an opportunity to close the sale, go

for it, but if they tell you it’s all off, let them know how you can help and

follow through on it. Your reputation can be built or broken based on

your actions and reactions during difficult times.

Share your stories and make a personal connection.

Humanising your communications is vital. Share your personal

experiences with a colleague, friend or client in groups or help a client

or supplier with contacts or just be there to support them.

Spend this time reconnecting with your customers, colleagues and

clients. Direct relationships and (non-touch) human connection is the

way to go: nurture your existing clients, contact them to see what’s

happening in their business right now, ask how they may be affected

and what is their plan for the future. Where you may have ordinarily sent

an email, pick up the phone and call, even if you leave a message.

You’ll be inspired by how many business owners will take the phonecall

or even make this call to you.

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Be transparent, be authentic.

I know it sounds obvious, but for some companies saving face is

sometimes more important than letting customers know they’re hurting,

for fear of competitors swooping in. In this unprecedented and tough

time, you may need to swallow your pride and tell it how it is.

Let your customers know what changes need to be made to your

operation, what hours you will be operating and how you are coping

with the changes. And like many companies, if you are struggling, why

not let people know that you’re still open and you’re available for work?

This doesn’t have to be public, but you can call your trusted circle and

let them know. And why not call your competitor while you’re at it? You

just never know, they may have an overflow of work that you can help

with.

Being open and honest, even when it exposes your short-comings, is

crucial. Business karma, it’s a thing and the good juju will come back to

you one day. Hopefully that one day is sooner rather than later.

“Now is not the time to stop marketing your company or your event. Don’t wait until the industry starts turning around to promote yourself, especially if you need to bring the $ through the door now. While it’s hard to justify any spend, stopping everything also stops the momentum.”

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When the industry restarts, how are you going to stand out from the

noise? Our advice is to create your strategy now and keep

communicating.

I’m not sure whether to cancel, postpone or keep my event The million-dollar question for anyone responsible for an event is, when

will it be safe to hold an event? When should I cancel, or should I

postpone now? Good question and if I knew the answer, I’d not be in

marketing. The best we can all do at this time is speculate.

I asked a group of Australian #eventprofs last week, whether they

thought October 2020 seems reasonable to conduct any events. The

responses ranged from absolutely no to maybe and some corporates

have rebooked for August, business and trade events for October and

interestingly, consumer events and festivals are also announcing

October dates. We are yet to see how ticket sales will be affected with

current sentiment.

Rather than speculate, I’ll share some of the responses instead. I’m

pretty sure nobody from this group is a prophet, and bear in mind there

have been further announcements regarding social distancing and

restrictions on events, so take it with a grain of salt. All responses will

remain anonymous and should not be used as professional advice, as it

was just a sharing exercise.

See over…

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Question to #eventprofs: Do you think October 2020 is reasonable to see events back on the calendar?

• Maybe. We are moving our October business event which is the last one for the

year simply as we need the lead time for marketing and program development. I

think it depends who your audience is.

• “Remain positive with a medium to long term perspective. I’m personally fielding

more enquiries than I envisaged a week ago, and they’re on the rise. The future

will include hybrid events that intelligently integrate technology in their ideation.

Lucky us event folk are creative, resourceful and resilient”

• I received a request for September today from a corporate 😊😊

• It’s going to be a slow pickup and consumer confidence will be low, but in

general people, clients, industry are aiming for Oct to be open. Guess we’ll see.

• All these events postponing until October need to be careful. There is only so

much fleet, stock and crew to go around. [event withheld] late October, [event

withheld] sometime in October, [event withheld], [event withheld] Brisbane, Gold

coast, Sunshine Coast all at the same time... where is all the toilets, staging,

marquees, most importantly site crew, coming from? They can't do all these

gigs at once. It is the same in all eastern states. Event organisers need to look at

what else is already booked at these times. How much money is going to be

floating around to prop up all these events at once? Site crew will be in the most

demand, and we all know the gig will not happen without them

• I postponed an event from late March to early November

• Further to infrastructure, people will only have so much money to buy a ticket so

a rush to the market will mean only a few will survive or event worse cancel at

last minute. This is a serious issue that definitely needs some industry wide

cooperation.

• I was at a presentation today given by Paul Bloxham, Chief Economist, HSBC.

His prediction is that we would be coming off the peak in May. So business

confidence will start to rise from then. [event withheld] has an event in May that

hasn't cancelled (yet!) and we have jobs in the pipeline for July and December.

Nothing solid but there is a glimmer of hope! Let's keep encouraging each other.

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We WILL get through this and come out stronger out the other side. Please let

me know if there is anything I can do for any of you. I'm happy to risk a coffee!

• I’m guessing November

• I'm just wary of each gig thinking of themselves, not about all other gigs, or the

industry. The [event withheld] crew are all on [event withheld]. A heap of [event

withheld] crew are usually flat out in SYD in October. Postponing is fine, but do

we as an industry, have the resources and more importantly the crew to make it

happen all at the same time. Same is happening in NSW with the likes of [event

withheld]. As friends, colleagues and mates we need to work together to make it

work for all of us. Talk to other promoters to negotiate dates, we all share

suppliers, site crew and patron dollars. Spread it out.

• As an industry we just need to make sure it can happen. Hold hands and work

together.

• The gov had released a public order yesterday stating that the ban on outdoor

and indoor events will lift on the 17 June and can be downloaded

here https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/.../Pages/covid-19-events.aspx. But, who

knows. Anything can happen. It's interesting that the PM says six months. It

could be that this is something that is rolled over in three-month intervals. One

to watch...

• We have clients Interested in September and October. Hoping to lock away. I

would like to think that we get through to May/June and they start to release the

pressure if all ok in the environment

• We’re still looking at September events - which were part of our plan in ANZ -

with fingers crossed. However, planning for digital in parallel, as either

supplement to physical experience or replacement if still an issue. My concern is

that we may see a resurgence in our traditional flu season that sets things back.

• So far we have purely digital events locking into early April and as early as next

week. Many looking as far out as July for purely digital and then we have some

inquiries for physical combined with digital from August and September

onwards. The Flu season is a concern but we are cracking on and hoping that if

we can get marcomms out for these companies then these companies will have

the money to spend back into the "traditional" events space after everything

normalises #thenewnormal

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• August is looking likely - in a perfect world, which unfortunately we don’t inhabit

but I’m hopeful.

• All of my clients from March - June have either cancelled or postponed until post

July... so fingers crossed our industry will start to get back up and running!

• I’d go so far as to say August/September for some events being back on. China

is already back in manufacturing and other industries will follow shortly. The

vaccine isn’t far off.

• had most gigs postpone to Sept Oct at this stage. question will be sponsorship

dollars perhaps

• From what I understand from people who had briefings with the health

department in round tables it depends if there is, as pedicures, a second wave

of the virus that morphs, and can reinfect. Now the six month timeline makes a

lot more sense to me.

• Remain positive with a medium to long term perspective. I’m personally fielding

more enquiries than I envisaged a week ago, and they’re on the rise. The future

will include hybrid events that intelligently integrate technology in their ideation.

Lucky us event folk are creative, resourceful and resilient. #wegotthis

• I can see a whole heap of big festivals changed their dates according to insider

estimation (sept/oct seems to be what everyone is being told) but the reality is

as it gets closer and things dont look certainly safe, it could end up resulting in

further pressure back on authorities to try and make things better prematurely

OR just another cancellation / postpone - which again is costly right?

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Scenario 1: My event is going ahead, do I continue with my marketing plan? If your event is well into the future, lucky you. If you are already in market,

continue with your marketing. Pausing the campaign could make current

customers nervous, but would definitely be detrimental to the campaign and

ultimately cost you more to start-stop-start, especially in the digital marketing

space. You’ll need to adapt the campaign slightly to ensure your current

communications are appropriate. Here’s our tips on marketing an event through

coronavirus:

• Contact your patrons directly – preferably by email or phone

depending on the number currently booked - and confirm that the

event is still going ahead, the date and venue is still booked and

confirm where it will be and at what times. Even if they already know,

confirm with them again. Nurture your existing customers as an

existing customer is cheaper to retain than searching for a new one.

• Reassure your guests your event and its operations will follow the

laws, guidelines on top of your usual safety and duty of care

protocols. Who knows what the new landscape will look like, but that

reassurance will put their minds at ease.

• Take your customers on the journey – for example, if have already

had to change the venue layout, let them know what this looks like -

especially if the event needs to be smaller, whether the same

floorplan will apply or whether you plan to change it. Focus on what

will be new eg: we’ll be announcing a new stage, new zones or

rename some areas. Drip-feed these updates will ensure there are no

surprises and last-minute cancellations.

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• Reduce your ad spend by switching your digital ads to awareness

and consideration, rather than conversions. Clicks to website are fine

if they are to view something like a fact sheet that is current and

helpful.

• Review your creative – switch to artwork with real images including

friendly faces of the team or use infographics

• Review messaging and call to action. Remove hard sales actions like

“book now”, “sign up” and reword these to “learn more” or

“download” or “contact us for a chat”.

• Use social media to share good news stories to new audiences, such

as new speakers, an act or venue.

• Avoid making big announcements during this time with the intention

of securing quick ticket sales. It may fall flat and you will lose the

opportunity to make big announcements when consumer sentiment

turns around and they are ready to buy, travel and get amongst

people again.

• Update your business and your event pages on Facebook. Anyone

who clicks “interested” will see your updates. The “interested” or

“going” button also alerts their friends, which is free marketing for

you to like-minded people.

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Scenario 2: My event has been postponed but I don’t have a new date, yet. Where possible, we recommend postponing rather than cancelling. Remember,

this is not forever.

• Transparency is important. Ensure you have a ticket policy in place

and put a link on your website so it can be found.

• Contact your ticket provider or customer service staff and inform

them that you are postponing, so they can be prepared to field

general calls about new dates and be ready to process refunds. • Email ticketholders first to let them know that your event is

postponed, not cancelled. Confirm your refund policy and provide a

link to your website and social media for updates.

• Immediately offer your guests the opportunity to transfer tickets or

payments to the new date.

• Provide a likely length of time for an announcement about the new

date.

• Then update your website with a statement about the postponement

and provide a link for friends and family who may be interested, to

subscribe to updates.

• Don’t discount to retain ticket holders, it’s bad practice, undervalues

your product and sets you up for discount wars as more events

come back online and start competing for the same spot on the

calendar. Trust us, this will happen.

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• Instead, add value for their loyalty. Make a special offer to be

redeemed at the new event for holding their funds. This will save time

processing refunds, keep funds in the bank and save money later if

you can avoid marketing to brand new ticket buyers. Some ideas:

o An item of merchandise if it’s a consumer event

o An upgrade in seating at a theatre or venue

o An additional networking opportunity for business events

o Festivals could offer VIP fast-through entry

• As soon as you have a new date, inform existing ticketholders first

via email or phone. Be proactive and provide information on how you

will be honouring value-add arrangements and how they will redeem

them at the event.

• Connect and share regularly on social media.

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Scenario 3: My event has been cancelled. If it’s unavoidable and you need to cancel your event:

• Prepare: o Contact your ticket provider and inform them that you are

cancelling and that you will be offering refunds and ensure they

are ready to process refunds on a selected date. o Prepare a communication to ticketholders and send this to

your ticketing agent. Have your ticketing agency add a

message to the ticketing page but leave the page live so the

message can be found. o Have staff on hand to answer phonecalls, emails and manage

questions on social media. Create a FAQ to ensure all

messaging is consistent and strong. • Contact your patrons directly, before making any public statement.

Let them know that you’ve had to make a difficult decision and why

it cannot be either rebooked for a new date now, or at least

postponed. Let them know they will be refunded in full and when this

will occur. • Immediately add a statement to your website and link to your refund

policy. • Add a message to the ticketing page that registrations or sales are

not available and remove the link to purchase. • Provide a public media statement, if the event is indeed public. If the

event is for trade, you may wish to send a media release to relevant

trade only. If it’s a private event or for a closed database of people,

there is no need to make a public release.

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• Add consistent messaging to your social media channels and event

pages. Change the artwork header to ensure the messaging reflects

your decision. A header that still contains “buy a ticket” or dates is

confusing. • Switch off all digital ads and cancel paid media advertising but leave

your social channels live for several weeks until questions have been

answered and refunds have been processed. Closing your event’s

social channels will be detrimental to your brand and potentially

damage your reputation.

What we’re experiencing has never been seen before and it will absolutely reshape the way we connect and do business in future.

When we get on top of this crisis, our industry will flourish again. It will be tough to get dates in venues, it will be difficult to break through both the media and the marketing noise and there will be competition for the consumer dollar for ticketed and business events.

So now is not the time to stop marketing. Be on the front foot, be authentic and connect with your current and potential clients, delegates and patrons in a human way. Take some time out to pick up the phone and check in with both your clients and colleagues.

“Be on the front foot, be authentic and connect with your current and potential clients, delegates and patrons in a human way. Take some time out to pick up the phone and check in with both your clients and colleagues.”

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Milestone will provide updated information on our social channels and website. We invite you to join us to continue the conversation on our socials and in the Event Professionals Australia #eventprofs group on Facebook here.

Milestonecreative.com.au/news

milestonecreativeaustralia/

@Milestonecreatv

@Milestonecreatv

Milestonecreativeaustralia

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcUg_3JyLJfIwTYTeLKvAZg

Disclaimer

We have provided this as a guide to managing your events and your marketing right now. The coronavirus and response to it is evolving daily so whilst the information in this document is current, it may be quickly out of date. For professional advice tailored on marketing your business and your event, to your situation, please contact us, we’d be more than happy to help.

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If you need immediate help drafting or managing communications to your ticketholders, on your channels or reach media, we can help now. If you’re in a pickle trying to self-manage your pricing, packaging or ticketing, we have an in-house team of experts to guide you. If you want to get ahead of the curve and promote your upcoming event, we can help with cool branding and design and find, engage and convert your audience to ticket buyers. It’s what we do, and we’re really good at it. We have a full team waiting to help. Contact me directly [email protected] or mobile (because I’m probably self-isolating by now) on 0410 441 043. If you can’t reach me, try the landline +61 2 9518 3758 and leave a message.

STRATEGY

MARKETING

MEDIA PLANNING

DIGITAL MARKETING

SOCIAL MEDIA

BRAND & DESIGN

TICKETING

CONTENT

PARTNERSHIPS

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