B-to-B Events

In a TED talk entitled “The technology of storytelling,” celebrated multimedia storyteller Joe Sabia said, “The art of storytelling has remained unchanged… but the way in which humans tell the stories has always evolved, with pure consistent novelty.” Storytelling, and especially the way brands use stories to create a compelling narrative around their products, is making just such an evolution.

The 102-year-old Hallmark brand is a $4.1 billion business reminder that our e-society still values a meaningful message delivered in a physical form, be it a greeting card, plush toy or figurine. But like most (if not all) 21st century companies, Hallmark is busy forging a new path into the future, leveraging digital strategies to enhance the experiences consumers have with its products.

Every conversation in the event marketing industry eventually comes around to technology. You want to know what tools are out there to make your jobs easier, make your programs more successful and most crucially, make your target consumers love you the most. We have heard your clarion calls for help and now, with this monthly series, EM’s own Ken Briodagh will collect and codify the hottest, newest, most interesting, best (and sometimes worst) technological doohickeys available to you.

Event staffers today come in every stripe and skill set and it’s up to you to pick the right one for the job. Do you need them to tweet, post and Instagram from the fair, festival or trade show floor? And if so, how big should their personal social networks be? Do they need to talk product features and benefits like an expert, or do you actually need a real expert to talk to your attendees?

For cable and network television channels, April showers bring just one thing: upfront season. It's the time of year when the execs and sales people show off their new and continuing shows to advertisers, and try to get the bulk of the year's sales on the books. On April 11, IFC threw an Upfront party like these advertisers have never seen. It was dubbed the IFC Unexpectaganza, and boy, was it.