Catalyst Programme and Framework in Action
Reclaiming dominance in a competitive event landscape
A case study in event reinvention
Situation
The event no longer occupied a monopoly position
- The event had occupied a monopoly position for its first 12 years.
- Complacency in delivering quality attendees had presented an opportunity for a competitor with a hosted buyer proposition.
- After two years the competitor was gaining market share attracting new suppliers and taking the events exhibitors.
Objectives
Revenue, audience and proposition
- Regain industry confidence and restore the monoploy position within 3 show cycles.
- Return revenues to pre-competition levels.
- Invest to increase the quality of the buying attendee
How
Strategy, tactics & implementation
- Set out a 3-year plan focusing on raising attendee quality.
- Invested in a new hosted buyer programme to deliver more buyers than the competitor.
- Reviewed attendee personas to support the marketing team with audience delivery across social, email, content marketing and video.
- Reviewed value proposition to set out clear competitive differences creating new content features and networking events.
- Bought in an experienced conference producer to create a relevant and innovative education programme to match attendee needs
- Revamped the supplier proposition focusing on quality attendance and 1-2-1 appointments.
- Added new stand packages and sponsorship opportunities
Results
Growth and market-leading position returned
- Revenues grew beyond pre-competition levels after 2 years.
- The events’ hosted buyer programme consistently outperformed the competition.
- The competition ran its last event in its 5th year.
- The show celebrates its 30th year in 2024 with profit margins of 60+ per cent.
- The event is now being geo-cloned in APAC
Learning: Don't be satisfied with past accomplishments
Never be complacent even with a monopoly position. Constantly review your event propositions, always improve, or better, over-deliver and have a long-term strategy, because if you don't someone else will.
Are you facing a rebrand, relocation, new competition, or shifting market dynamics, the framework acts as your team's strategic compass.
It is the distilled wisdom and experience of 25 years of jostling with these challenges at your fingertips.
The ten comprehensive modules below are built on these learnings and equip all event organisers with the necessary best practices, core principles and growth strategies.
