PMM!

You Needed to Be There

Situation

Every year, the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI) puts on the largest packaging show in the Western Hemisphere: PMMI challenged Slack Barshinger to do more than help it meet its preregistration goals. It asked that we significantly improve the quality of PACK EXPO attendees, so sales on the show floor would be increased.

Marketing Challenge

The campaign called for heavy print exposure that communicated both the personality of the show and the importance of attending. The concept had to be especially compelling in print form, as ad placements were made in 44 trade publications throughout North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.

Solution

The creative team explored a number of rallying cries. Concept testing confirmed that we had a winner in “You need to be here.” With its graphic human silhouette, this theme reflected all the communicative priorities of the campaign.

Leveraging the 45,000 email addresses of attendees who had attended the show in the past, we also created an online campaign to support our ads and carry them forward. For attendees who had already registered, we honed a separate series of informative emails highlighting key events and encouraging participation in activities beyond the show. Our integrated campaign involved a range of other carefully planned and executed tactics, including:

  • International brochures
  • An award-winning Web site
  • European direct mail
  • Packaging Digest inserts
  • General show and conference mailers
  • Valued attendee mailers that featured city maps
  • Targeted vertical mailers
  • “Did-you-register” and “last-chance” postcards
  • VIP invitations

Outcome

To call the PACK EXPO International campaign a success would be an understatement.

  • More than 48 million impressions
  • Attendees from 90 different countries
  • 10% increase in pre-registration

According to Tom Egan, PMMI’s Director of Marketing, “the overwhelming response among our exhibitors was that they enjoyed a dramatic improvement in the overall quality of the prospects they met with at the Show this year. They told us that more people were there to buy—and that’s just what they were doing. This outcome alone qualifies PACK EXPO International as our most successful show yet.”

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