Outdoor Events & Advance Ticket Sales

It’s never too early to create a buzz about your event. A big mistake many event organizers make is waiting until it’s too late to promote their event. A direct result of promoting your event too late is a negative impact on your bottom line. Waiting to promote also creates unnecessary stress amongst the people running the event.  You can avoid most of the stress and anxiety. Start building the buzz about your event early using both traditional and new media.

How Early is Too Early?
I honestly don’t know if it’s ever too early to promote any event.  My recommendation to clients is for them to start their traditional advertising (television, print, radio, billboards, etc.) at least 60 days out.  You can begin your traditional advertising as a trickle and then build the crescendo.  Aside from traditional advertising you can use other mediums to build anticipation for your event months in advance. Two examples are leveraging social media and online champions.

Try promoting your event a year out.  Post a blog and photo gallery of your previous event.  Ask people to post their suggestions for making your event better than the previous year.  The online possibilities are nearly endless and sometimes cost nothing.  Use the Internet’s interactivity to your advantage.  In many cases you can build a buzz for little or no cost.

The Star Trek Example
Over the weekend the Internet was set ablaze regarding the new bootlegged Star Trek trailer. The brand new trailer doesn’t come out online until today at 1300 EDT. If you saw the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, you might have caught a glimpse. The new bootlegged trailer has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times online over three days and the movie doesn’t come out for almost 6 months. To the best of my knowledge Paramount, the studio producing the movie, hasn’t been voraciously issuing cease and desist letters.  Paramount realizes that people are building a huge buzz for their own online trailer premiere. The buzz building has cost them nothing. Their fans are happily doing the work. Can you think of a similar idea to build anticipation for your event?  Have you ever consider creating a movie trailer for your event?  You can probably get it done for free.  Check with a local college or university and find yourself some capable interns. It doesn't have to be a video, it can be anything. Use your imagination!

Here is the bottom line:
The earlier you create a positive buzz about your event, the more money will flow into your pocket.

If you're interested in the new trailer:
New Star Trek Trailer (*Launches November 17, 2008 at 13:00 EDT)

Want to get more great info? Check out the articles below:

• Advertising and Marketing that Sells
• Providing Massive Value in Your Marketing and Advertising
• P.T. Barnum on Advertising
• Why Well Planned Events Fail
• Turn Your Event Into an Experience

• The Event Promotion System
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