B-to-C Events

Wired magazine on Jan. 7 offered select show-goers and members of the press at CES a chance to rejuvenate from the busy trade-show floor at its Recharge lounge at The Society Café at The Encore, a concept it first launched in San Diego at Comic-Con this summer. Besides serving as a hospitality venue for invited guests, the space was a forum for the magazine’s editors and bloggers to interview show attendees and exhibitors about new products and trends for 2010 and to showcase advertisers’ new wares.

2010 Olympic Torch Relay sponsor RBC has launched the Create A Better Canada Experience, a mobile tour traveling to community celebrations and places of interest along the nearly 28,000-mile torch relay route. A centerpiece of the experience is an interactive mobile Eco Home housed in a hybrid truck that runs on solar and wind energy and is heated by solar radiant heating. Tents outside the truck feature an Olympic medal display area, a snowboard simulator, a hockey rink and a green-screen opportunity where visitors can have their picture taken with the Olympic flame.

The California Lottery in December held a private concert starring Michelle Branch for 200 guests. The concert was part of a promotion with Warner Bros. Records that included a new series of lottery scratcher tickets featuring Branch and WB artists Goo Goo Dolls, Seal and Taking Back Sunday.

By Lisa Goell Sinicki


Selling sponsorships into your b-to-b events is no longer an option—it’s a necessity. “Without sponsorships we’d drive up our cost our attendees’ cost or both ” says Lynn Connelly director of sponsorships at Office Depot.

June/July 2007

Motorola

Back then: Before moving on to marketing for Motorola in Latin America Omar Albertelli was senior manager-promotions events and sponsorships. The goal was to get kids to tune into its portable listening devices and the StudioMoto campaign provided the ultimate stage reaching 1.3 million consumers and creating more than 100 000 one-on-one conversations. The mobile tour garnered sales and recognition for the brand as well as the coveted Grand Ex Award.