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CampSight Vail 2019 Event Recap with SurveyCampSight Vail Education & Enrichment Category Aug. 8, 2019 CSE meeting CampSight Vail: April 10-12, 2019 Amy Kemp Phone: 970-331-7362 amy@mountaintop-media.com 2 CampSight Vail Highlights & Successes 3 •Attracted key influencers and organizations to Vail : Protect Our Winters, Outdoor Industry Association, VF Corporation, Leave No Trace, etc •Provided an insider’s experience of the Town of Vail through the unique format, showcasing local restaurants, coffee shops –which financially benefitted local businesses, as well as the attendees who had a more authentic engagement •Produced an event focused on Sustainability –from the content (with Protect Our Winters, Walking Mountains to the “Best zero waste event” (kudos from Kim from Walking Mountains) •Delivered the right experience / 75 net promoter score (and an epic powder day) •Attracted a younger demo who were eager to learn / 57% were 25-44 Questions from CSE 4 Program Impact, Testimonials & Observations 5 “We really enjoyed being a part of it as attendees and partners! I can’t say enough positive things about it: the interesting and “out of the box” agenda and village-wide breakout locations, collaboration concept, quality of speakers, delicious local food, sustainability practices, everything was fantastic (and the powder day morning really was the icing on the cakeJ )! The content was more marketing-focused but it allowed me, as a sales person, to really take a deep dive in to what the sole purpose and “story” is of what I sell.I’d love to make it an annual conference on my travel budget!” --Jessica. Manor Vail “I can’t thank you enough for hosting CampSight. The schedule, the speakers and most of all – the attendees –made for a truly enlightening and inspiring event.” --Barclay, Entrepreneur + Writer/Blogger “One of the best zero waste events” –Kim and the Walking Mountains team “It was an intimate setting so you could have real and meaningful conversations. I felt like people were genuine and wanted to have good discussions. Got to talk with a lot of different types of people, all who were doing cool stuff.” –Survey response Attendance Estimate 6 •Was this the attendance you expected? •With only 3 months to promote the event and the capacity limits of GrandView Room, we hit our registration target (102 –aiming to have 100-125) •But, the weather and Vail Pass closures prevented about 1/3 of the attendees + 5 speakers from traveling to Vail •How would you impact attendance next year? •More lead time & higher marketing/staff budget would boost attendance & increase overnight stays Visitor Type 7 •We were aiming to focus on Vail locals & businesses, in addition to overnight visitors. I think we achieved that. But, would like to have a bigger draw from out-of-state •Weather impacted the ability of speakers and attendees to reach the Town of Vail •For the future, a bigger marketing budget, more staffing and a longer lead time to plan & promote would allow us to attract regional + national attendees Overnight Visitor Profile: Overnight Visitors & Seasonal Residents Only Only 8 •What measures did you take to encourage attendees to book lodging in the Town of Vail? •We partnered with 3 different lodging companies and offered special rates •Manor Vail, Antlers + Evergreen Lodge •We promoted the rates in emails, online Program Attendee Profile 9 •We were targeting locals in addition to marketing leaders + innovative outdoor leaders from around the world •Did you reach your target demographic? We reached locals and attracted key profile organizations: OIA (Outdoor Industry assoc.), Protect Our Winters, SmartWool, but would like to see more out-of-state attendees (we had some attend, but not fill out the survey). •The biggest challenges/opportunities: •Marketing budget •Lead time Role/Importance of Event/Program as Reason to come to Vail 10 •What actions did you take this year to generate the amount of event attendees? •Email outreach through the CampSight list and partners: (The Wright, Startup Colorado, CTO) •Direct mail and promotion at key industry events •Targeted social outreach (marketing groups, outdoor industry groups, etc) •Discount for locals to attend •How would you increase the amount of attendees coming for the event/program next year? •Increase marketing budget, more PR outreach, longer lead time NPS (Net Promoter Score)/Likelihood to Recommend 11 •Do you think the NPS scores reflect the attendee event/program experience? •Yes. But, we always strive to improve the experience and would love to see an even higher score! •What steps would you take to improve the NPS scores for your event/program next year? •More advance planning and a larger team (more budget) would help with finalizing the schedule + speakers in advance and providing a better experience overall. •Also, we would allow for more time in between sessions for transit between VV and Lionshead Estimated Return on Investment (ROI) & Attendee Expenditures 12 •What did you or your event/program do to encourage spending in Vail? •Partnered with lodging properties + local restaurants •Hosted sessions at the local businesses •Data not available from RRC Event or Program Strengths & Weaknesses 13 •How did the event/program exceed expectations? •The content and the experience were stellar (in our humble opinion!) •The venues were amazing and the partnerships were phenomenal (thanks) •The attendance was below expectations due to Vail Pass closures and airport closures •What are areas for event/program improvement? •More outreach and PR/marketing. And, more sponsorship budget, overall. •More advance planning –for sponsors, speakers, operations, marketing •Either keep the event in one village or plan for more time in between sessions for transit •Increase the lodging + spend per visitor by attracting the right attendee and advance planning •Increase the involvement of Vail Resorts and plan a session on the mountain •How did this year’s event/program compare to previous years? •We deliberately pared down the attendance due to the capacity constraints of Grand View Room (90-ish registrations) so it was smaller than years past, but.. •Attendance was severely impacted due to an epic storm and multiple Vail Pass closures (5 speakers weren’t able to attend and about 30% of attendees weren’t able to attend) Vail Brand Compatibility The Premier International Mountain Resort Community 14 •How did the event /program support the Vail Brand? •A 12” powder day provided a truly epic “like nothing on earth” experience for the attendees who were already in Vail (but thwarted others from coming) •We attracted the right (or premier) people (influencers, storytellers, major brands) at the right time (April) to the right place (Vail!). CampSight is emerging as one of the top innovative outdoor industry gatherings in the country, which aligns with the Town of Vail’s brand. Brand Positioning: •Town of Vail: The Premier International Mountain Resort Community •Vail Mountain: Like nothing on earth Community Contribution 15 •How did the event/program impact Vail’s sense of community? We believe in supporting our local mountain communities and, at CampSight, lead with a give-first mantra. For CampSight Vail, we spent time fostering relationships with Walking Mountains + Vail Valley Partnership + VVYP + other local influencers. One of our goals was to invite local business owners, entrepreneurs and brands to become part of CampSight either as a speaker, host or attendee –and to inspire new projects, businesses, perspectives and partnerships in our mountain communities. We offered a locals-only discount through VVP and VVYP. Through our unique format of hosting sessions at local restaurants and businesses, we believe we connected our attendees to a true insiders experience of Vail and provided them with a new perspective of Vail. Topline Marketing Efforts 16 •What are the top 3 successful marketing tactics, executions or results from your event/program? •Unique and personalized direct mail / postcard campaign (Camp Letters sent from attendees to friends, colleagues, other leaders) •Articles about climate change discussions published from CampSight sessions •Successful email campaigns / CRM outreach •NEXT UP: Video series to launch with CampSight talks •Please attach complete marketing plan to end of presentation. Potential for Growth & Sponsorships/Media Exposure 17 •How do you see the event/program evolving next year? •More sponsorship outreach + public relations / marketing •What sponsors do you plan to target next year? (Including existing and potential sponsors) •Manor Vail + VF Corporation + Vail Resorts + Outdoor Industry Association + Outside Magazine + Ski manufacturers + Marketing companies (Kapost, Hubspot) •How will you leverage media exposure and extend the marketing reach next year? •We’re working on a media sponsor and want to invest in PR Sustainability Efforts 18 •What measures were taken at your event/program to support the environmentally-friendly goals of the Town of Vail? •We partnered with Walking Mountains to make the event zero waste. We provided each camper with a “camp cup” and spork and worked with the caterer to provide delicious meals with a zero waste goal. We also invited the Town of Vail + Walking Mountains to present about their sustainability initiatives and accolades, as well as the marketing/storytelling –in addition to inviting Protect Our Winters, Colorado Tourism Office’s Leave No Trace and others. •What waste reduction methods were used during your event/program? •Walking Mountains Zero waste and reusable cups and utensils •How could you improve on sustainability efforts for next year’s event? •Plan even further ahead with the caterer and the restaurants •Provide a full mess kit with a dish washing station •Carbon credits and encourage more carpooling, public transit •Provide fat bike rentals for every attendee Event Budget 19 * Event producer to attach detailed budget for recap Item $ Total Event/Program Budget:$17,290 CSE Funds:$10,000 Cash Sponsorship (not CSE):$1,000 In-kind Sponsorship:$6,000 Marketing Budget:$1,150 Profit & Loss:$47 (profit) How did you use the CSE funds? (marketing, operations, staff, venue, etc.) Operations, marketing Additional Information/Appendix 20 •Detailed budget attached in the Appendix •Final marketing plan attached in the Appendix •Provide full version of the Survey Dashboard PDF in Appendix •Provide any additional information or marketing materials you think the CSE would benefit from 21 22 MARKETING PLAN PERSONAS: •OUTDOOR MARKETERS: Bold, adventurous marketers who love to drive results, ride bikes and go hard (outdoor + travel industry).They are the crème de la crème. •MARKETING NINJAS: Marketing gurus who like innovation and are casual hikers, bikers. •STORYTELLERS: Videographers, photographers, writers, content creators who are inspired by being outdoors. SEGMENTS: •Past Attendees •Attendees + Camp Counselor referrals •New and interested folks in the outdoor industry -OIA lists, Assembly list, OR list, NSAA list, SIA, Camber Outdoors, -Attend OR event or sponsor Pitchfest at OR or sponsor other events •New and interested folks in the travel industry -DMO lists and outreach -US Travel Layered with: •Local •Regional •National / International PAST ATTENDEES: Messaging: •It’s a can’t-miss event •Remind them of the memories and previous videos/photos of sessions •Share the lineup and schedule •Send a must-book offer (50% off) Channels: •Email newsletter •Personal email outreach to key folks •Social media (especially LinkedIn and Instagram) •Handwritten Postcards / direct mail •Phone calls •Retargeting from website 23 MARKETING PLAN (page 2) ATTENDEE + SPEAKER REFERRALS Messaging: •Check this out. You won’t want to miss it. A new event –fresh perspective. •Come, hang with me (a former presenter, attendee) •Share the lineup and schedule •Use last year’s memories and testimonials •Killer offer (friends and family deal?) Channels: •Get their email and add to email newsletter •Personal email outreach to key folks •Phone calls •LinkedIn posts by camp counselors •Blog posts by camp counselors on key topics •Social outreach •Paid social (FB ) NEW OUTDOOR & TRAVEL FOLKS Messaging: •New, fresh event for the industry. Not your typical event. Must do. •Share lineup and schedule •Potential partner discounts (for OIA, NSAA, SIA, etc) Channels: •Partner email lists, write guest blogs for key partner sites •Assembly, MTS, OR lists and outreach •Paid social •Retargeting •LinkedIn and blog posts by key camp counselors •PR efforts •Potential paid placement on key sites