Promoting large events is one of the purest of forms of marketing. Timing is crucial, your event is happening on a specific date so you need to get it right first time and your results walk through the gates. Any mistakes are painfully clear. But it is the high profile nature of these events that provides the opportunity to implement a hugely efficient campaign. This allows you to maximise your budget using the multiplier effect. The high profile nature of events makes them attractive to the media. They want you to advertise with them as they will get the halo effect from your profile. This article intends to show how you can get the most out of your event's marketing budget.

Link ad spend to editorial

It's a time when you have the power in the relationship with any publication. Make sure that you use he time before you commit to maximise the amount of editorial each publication offers. It is amazing how much attention you get when you have an advertising budget! Most providers of advertising media will be happy to offer matching space or time. One useful tool is the use of competitions.

Advertising providers are normally happy to run ticket competitions. Free tickets are a great tool to get more coverage at minimal cost.

Involve sponsors

Most events are seen as a great marketing tool for potential sponsors offering both customer entertainment and market profile. But most exhibition organisers don't use the promotional opportunities that working with a big company can provide. Most will have fantastic client data which can be used, staff to be targeted, advertising which can be piggy backed or instore/office promotions opportunities.

Use exhibitors promotional budget

With an event where exhibitors make up a large percentage of the content using their budgets can be a great addition to your promotions. You can enhance this by providing them with proforma PR stories and usable versions of your event identity.Exhibitors are a great source of competition prizes.

Get a media sponsor

Media sponsorship packages make your budget go further. The cooler your event the more the media will want to be involved. Offering key suppliers the opportunity to have media sponsor status is free for you - often only requiring the partners logo to be featured on ads, tickets and websites - but will give you access to free advertising.

Use the local press

With a national event local press can be very keen to be involved. They enjoy he cache of being involved with a big event and like to give their readers benefits. Competitions are therefore an inexpensive way for you to get profile across a region. Competitions can be designed to get over the unique nature of your event. Entrants can be encouraged to find out more about your event through editorial or on your website.

Target features journalists

Most events organisers perceive their event as being hugely newsworthy and think that you should be able to get them into the press easily. However, even if the event is seen as being of importance the reality is that your press overage may we be limited to a launch, a pre event profile and a post event round up. If your event is regional the coverage may well be limited to the local area.

One way around this is to target features rather than news editors. This may require a little thinking out of the box. An ecology event will obviously target environment writers but if the event is exhibiting green vehicles then target the motors writer and what about the food, gardening and lifestyle writers. Features tend to give you more and higher quality coverage.

Collect data for your next event

It never ceases to amaze that most events don't collect data from their visitors. Simply collecting email addresses gives you a great tool for using to market for free. Data can be collected during the ordering process, from quizzes and competitions, from exhibitors or from kiosks onsite. Over a few events a significant amount of data can be collected.

By thinking around the campaign, broadening those involved, working with suppliers as partners and using exhibitors and sponsors budgets to broaden the campaign can effectively multiply the value and reach of your promotions. And bring more visitors trough the door? Why not try these tips and see?