B-to-C Events

Bicycle and motorsports equipment manufacturer Bell Helmets this spring is reaching out to non-endemic consumers to promote a new type of motorcycle helmet, the Rogue, by partnering with celebrity tattoo artist Corey Miller for its Go Rogue campaign. Miller, star of TLC series “L.A. Ink” and an avid biker, is helping the brand reach out to the tattoo community, of course, but also a wider base of consumers who are fans of his, but not necessarily familiar with Bell.

HISTORY in March launched a mobile “Count the Cars Tour” to promote the April 9 season two premiere of “Counting Cars,” its car restoration show. The centerpiece of the tour was a 1966 Cadillac Coupe de Ville that had been restored by the show’s star, Danny “The Count” Koker, and filled with thousands of miniature die-cast cars. Fans could win the Caddy by guessing the number of tiny cars inside.

EM editors Rachel Kirkpatrick and Kenneth Briodagh kissed the frigid Northeast goodbye and embedded themselves for a few days of sun, surf and sponsored activations at two of the country’s top spring break destinations. Despite being a little overdressed and, let’s face it, a lot over age, the duo hit the scenes like a couple of college kids fresh off midterms. What follows are their full reports on the best marketing programs on the beach.

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?