More than 15,000 people attend
Dell Technologies World
That doesn’t happen by accident.
The event, hosted annually in Las Vegas during mid-Spring, draws crowds from all over the world. It’s one of the premiere events in tech, with the chance to hear from thought leaders and company executives, not to mention the chance to see world-class entertainment.
With tickets exceeding $2,100 per person, those 15,000 people need compelling reasons to attend. That process is what Opus Creative fondly refers to as “attendee acquisition.”
It’s selling the event to both past attendees and prospects. It’s giving them concrete reasons to attend. It’s about conveying benefits – of which there are plenty.
To relay all that Dell Technologies World has to offer, a sound marketing campaign strategy is imperative.
“It makes for a complex campaign,” says Todd McIlhenny, Opus Creative’s Business Director. “It requires outreach in a dozen different directions to find people who might be interested, convince them it’s a good decision, support them as they try to get financing, and ultimately get them registered.”
Finding the right message requires plenty of strategic testing. It helps that Opus Creative is in its fifth year helping at Dell Technologies World.
We know the tactics that drive metrics, and most importantly, registrations.
Of course, timing is a fundamental element of attendee outreach. Key messages – conveyed via email, social media, web banners, or other – must be distributed during strategic periods before the event. Excessive outreach six months before the event can lead to brand fatigue. Loading marketing efforts two weeks before it can result in lower attendance – especially given its price and location.
Lauren Featherstone, Program Manager for the event, recalls one error in the timing of an E-Newsletter. Usually, there’s a solid reason if emails underperform baseline metrics, and timing is a common one.
“Our December newsletters dropped significantly in 2018 because we sent it later than we should have,” Lauren said. “It was too close to the holidays and it didn’t resonate with our audience.”
Through rigorous testing, Opus Creative has found ways to get attendees to engage and commit.
“Some our best messages are discounts, free stuff, entertainment, and fun things to do,” Todd said. “But none of those really matter unless people already understand what the event is and how it can help them. So we walk the fine line between high-level messaging about thought leadership and very actionable messaging that gets people to actually engage.”
Sure, Opus Creative helps generate awareness. But attendance is also driven through Dell’s sales teams. They’re responsible for engaging large business accounts using Dell products. In many cases, the sales teams are aided with collateral created by Opus to help convey event benefits.
“We do partner with Dell’s sales team very closely,” Todd said. “Their sales reps know that when their clients are there with them, it’s an opportunity to grow the relationship and deepen the partnership. The sales team is a key component along with our marketing efforts.”