February 2010
Rentals and Staging

In This Issue:

Meeting Planning Named Among Best Careers for 2010
Social Networking in the Meeting Industry - Twitter
Follow Image Audiovisuals on Twitter
Denver Meeting and Events Industry - Upcoming Events
Image Audiovisuals Named Among Best of Colorado Finalists
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Series: Social Networking in the Meeting Industry
Part #1: Twitter

Social media is simply everywhere. Like it or not, “tweets,” “followers,” “friends” and “fans” are here to stay. Once seen as a waste of time, social networking is rapidly growing in popularity among meeting and event planners. A recent survey by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) revealed that 61 percent of meeting planners use some form of social networking to identify new prospects, to communicate with colleagues, to maintain client relationships, and for many more reasons!

Upon recognizing this trend, Image Audiovisuals conducted extensive research on how social media outlets are being used in our industry. The first part of our social networking series examines the use of Twitter in the Meeting and Events industry. Twitter, which currently has 18 million users, is expected to have 26 million users by the end of this year.

Twitter as a Marketing Communication Tool:
It’s amazing how much you can say about your company, or about an upcoming event in a 140-character “tweet.” There are many ways to use Twitter for marketing purposes, including creating Twitter updates (“tweets”) to generate excitement for your speakers, events, and other meeting-specific details. You can also use Twitter to announce event registration updates, or even to ask for input from attendees. Be sure to include numerous links back to your blog or website to generate traffic.

Twitter as a Logistical Tool:
Many meeting planners are using Twitter for logistical purposes, including setting up a live event chat room on Twitter, so attendees can see everything that is being said about a meeting. To set this up, simply assign your meeting a hash tag (i.e. #MPIAnnualConvention) and search for the term at http://search.twitter.com. Be sure to include the hashtag in all meeting materials. You can also use the TweetDeck application to monitor what is being said around your meeting in real time.

You might also consider creating an Audience Response System (ARS) using Twitter feeds. This can be accomplished by projecting live questions or comments onto a large screen so everyone can view them.

There is also a Twitter application, Tweet Later, which allows you to set-up tweets in advance. Once this is done, you can have timely "tweets" of schedule reminders, or other important details.

Twitter as a Resource:
Image Audiovisuals recently joined Twitter and we’ve been amazed at the wealth of industry resources that are available. We’ve enjoyed following many meeting planners, AV experts, hotels, and other hospitality colleagues. You can also network with your colleagues on Twitter by commenting on their tweets.

Please be on the lookout for an article on how the meeting industry is using Facebook in our March newsletter.

We want to hear from you!

What is the most valuable social networking tool for businesses?

How do you use Twitter as a meeting tool?

Please e-mail your responses to Dan Carrese at dcarrese@imageav.com, and we will include them in our March newsletter.

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Dan Carrese
Director of Sales
Rental and Staging
Image Audiovisuals, Inc.
2130 S. Dahlia Street
Denver, CO 80222
303-758-1818
dcarrese@imageav.com

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