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When it comes to reaching a national audience it’s pretty hard to beat the raw power of television, with millions of eyeballs there for the buying. So why are the marketers at those valuable channels integrating more and more events into their marketing strategies to reach the consumers they need? Because, according to those networks doing it, the power of one-to-one engagement is the best way for them to get focused on key markets and demographics. TLC, Lifetime and WE tv lead the way this summer with a series of targeted tours.

With its new Hunt Across America Tour, which hits 27 GameStop and Cabela’s locations across the country this September and October, Activision is driving pre-orders and excitement for its new hunting-themed video game titles, Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011 and Cabela’s North American Adventures for Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Consumers that visit the tour will be among the first to play the new games.

Conventional wisdom dictates that the best way to woo those hard-to-impress c-suite decision makers is to fly them all to the Seychelles, put them up in the swankiest all-inclusive resort, buy them a few rounds of golf and along the way, chat up your product. The thing is, sometimes it’s better to leave the gravy at home and focus on the meat.

When interactive learning technology provider Promethean saw trade-show attendance drop last year, it created the ActivClassroom Experiential Tour, which takes its products directly to customers and beefs up its experiences at industry events. The tour is geared toward school district decision-makers at K-12 schools, such as superintendents, principals, teachers and IT consultants. The tour travels in a 36-foot ActivBus, which started up in April and is currently on the road with a second vehicle in the works for 2011.

 Orlando@50+, the national event and expo sponsored by AARP that is expected to draw more than 25,000 people aged 50 and older to Orlando later this month, this year will feature the AARP Digital Experience, a virtual event that expands the reach of the three-day extravaganza for members, exhibitors and sponsors.