{"id":38532,"date":"2020-02-26T23:45:51","date_gmt":"2020-02-27T07:45:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=38532"},"modified":"2020-02-28T05:07:31","modified_gmt":"2020-02-28T13:07:31","slug":"expanded-educational-opportunities-aggressive-marketing-lead-to-impressive-growth-for-impact-optimize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/case-study\/2020\/02\/expanded-educational-opportunities-aggressive-marketing-lead-to-impressive-growth-for-impact-optimize\/","title":{"rendered":"Expanded Educational Opportunities, Aggressive Marketing Lead to Impressive Growth for Impact Optimize"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In June 2018, Impact Networking hosted its first-ever business and technology summit, Impact Optimize. With just 100 paid attendees, the inaugural event proved to have huge potential in providing education and thought leadership to clients, prospects and community members.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, Impact Optimize grew tenfold, hosting over 1,000 business leaders at Chicago\u2019s iconic Navy Pier with keynote speakers, Robert Herjavec and Michael \u201cMafiaBoy\u201d Calce. And now, the team at Impact is already preparing for Impact Optimize 2020\u2014set to be the biggest and best summit to-date\u2014which will again take place at Navy Pier Aug. 13. Daniel Pink is confirmed to take the stage as the keynote speaker, and Konica Minolta has secured a Platinum-level sponsorship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a look at how Impact Optimize grew in popularity and get a sneak peek at this year\u2019s event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Attendees enjoyed interactive experiences, such as this virtual reality tour for flying over New York City <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How did Impact Optimize Come About? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event came to life after Impact Vice President of Managed IT and Co-Founder of Impact Optimize, Patrick Layton spoke with Impact CEO Frank Cucco about why he wasn\u2019t involved in the company\u2019s past tech shows. Knowing the IT solution didn\u2019t have associated physical hardware to present at a tech show, Layton proposed that the best way to sell Impact\u2019s IT solution was to host a summit focused on educating potential customers. Cucco agreed that this type of event would set Impact apart, while providing value for customers and prospects. Frank DeGeorge, Impact CTO and co-founder of Impact Optimize, came together with Layton to spearhead the event, gather sponsors and vendors, and fill the agenda with educational tracks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Has the Event\u2019s Focus Evolved? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first Impact Optimize was concentrated almost solely on security, targeted towards IT professionals. As the event has grown in size, so has the focus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, the theme for the event was \u201cDigital Transformation for Growing Companies.\u201d Since a true digital transformation typically involves multiple people from one team, the summit\u2019s ticket pricing changed. It allowed attendees who bought one full-priced ticket to purchase up to four additional tickets at a discounted price, making it easier for multiple members from one company to attend. With a number of different agenda tracks in 2019, team members could walk away with a different understanding and strategy based on their roles in digital transformation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, the event will cover business and technology trends aimed at helping companies \u201cFuel the Future of Business\u201d with seven defined tracks\u2014Business Agility; Security & Compliance; Customer Experience; AI, Machine Learning & Automation; Operational Efficiency; IT & Cloud; and Culture & Strategy. The goal is to bring current customers, future customers and community members together to collaborate and network with their peers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Does it All Come Together? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Putting together an event such as Impact Optimize is no easy feat\u2014it takes months of research, planning and preparation. Over the last year, Carly Cucco, Impact operations manager, has taken on event planning, leading the logistics behind the annual summit. This includes everything from coordinating the AV teams for the Aon Grand Ballroom and seven breakout rooms; setup for vendors and sponsors in the sponsor hall; and coordination of all main stage speakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The logistics start nearly a year in advance, making sure to reserve the space for an appropriate date and begin sourcing talent for the keynote address. However, even with months of planning, event coordination happens right up until minutes before the event, ensuring every detail is ready for attendees when they arrive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to Cucco, the Impact corporate marketing team begins working on Impact Optimize nearly a year in advance of the next summit. As technology experts, DeGeorge and Layton provide the marketing team with current trends and themes the summit should focus on. From there, the marketing team dives into researching possible themes, taglines and agenda tracks that would interest attendees. These first steps guide not only the branding, but the summit content, so it\u2019s critical research done ahead of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An important step was giving Impact Optimize its own branding to stand apart from the Impact brand. Impact is a sales organization, but Impact Optimize is focused on education, and while sales typically occur from the event, that isn\u2019t the main goal. The best way to communicate this distinction was to give Impact Optimize its own branding and voice as an educational summit that anyone\u2014Impact client or not\u2014could attend to learn about trends in business and technology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Millennia, a mobile social robot, mingles with guests at Impact Optimize<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The event branding is truly the first step\u2014from there it\u2019s important to start researching ticket platforms, creating an event website, building out 50-plus sessions and demos for the agenda, coordinating both speakers and vendors, crafting onsite signage and d\u00e9cor for the 18,000-plus-square-foot space and more. A fun element of last year\u2019s event included sourcing on-site experiences for attendees to enjoy throughout the day. Impact Optimize 2019 featured a Twitter vending machine, at which attendees could Tweet using #ImpactOptimize2019 and receive a prize; a Birdly virtual-reality flight simulator, which helped attendees realize their dream of flying over the New York City skyline; and Millennia, a world-class mobile social robot that interacted with guests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Driving Attendance <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Impact may be well known throughout the Chicagoland area, the Impact Optimize event is still a growing brand, and marketing it to potential attendees requires a multichannel strategic campaign. For Impact Optimize 2019, marketing efforts included Metra advertising, social media (paid and organic), paid search, radio advertising, email marketing, affiliate marketing through partner events, billboards, emails, print materials for sales reps, videos, direct mailers and more. This year, organizers continue to use a multichannel approach while investing more in digital marketing and focusing on the value of the event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Impact\u2019s sales team was also a driving force for attracting registrants. Although this was a paid event, which was a departure from past lunch and learns and tech shows, sales reps were offering their prospects and customers the opportunity to educate themselves on issues they were facing in their organizations. There\u2019s always a degree of worry when building out a new event or brand, but the Impact team was happy to discover that people truly valued the education presented by Impact leaders, industry experts and vendors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Impact Optimize 2019 By the Numbers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
  • 43 emails sent inviting people to register <\/li>
  • 147 customer services emails answers <\/li>
  • 2.63 million day-of social media impressions<\/li>
  • ImpactOptimize2019 was trending on Twitter on the day of the event<\/li>
  • 327,049 website pageviews <\/li>
  • 1,000 attendees <\/li>
  • 26 sponsors <\/li>
  • 60+ speakers<\/li>
  • 60+ breakout sessions & demos <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    Feedback and Final Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Planning and executing an event such as Impact Optimize takes months of effort by a large team of people, but the payoff is worth it. Although 2019\u2019s event was educational, and not a sales pitch, the aftereffect of customers and prospects wanting to speak with account executives and specialists about their businesses needs was remarkable. Based on an anonymous survey, 94% of attendees from Impact Optimize 2019 said they would recommend the event to a colleague. When asked what the most-valuable takeaway was, attendees said: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    • \u201cI identified new opportunities where my company can improve our systems.\u201d \u2014VP of Operations<\/li>
    • \u201cA plan for what my organization needs to do moving forward to secure our information as well as improve our efficiency with new technology.\u201d \u2014CEO<\/li>
    • \u201cNew insight on cybersecurity, process improvement, and digital transformation.\u201d \u2014IT Director<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Based on attendee feedback and associated sales from the event, there is no doubt that the investment in time and resources was well worth it. We are excited to remain a leader in the industry, and to provide our clients and prospects with the knowledge and education to grow their businesses and remain competitive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      In June 2018, Impact Networking hosted its first-ever business and technology summit, Impact Optimize. With just 100 paid attendees, the inaugural event proved to have huge potential in providing education and thought leadership to clients, prospects and community members. In 2019, Impact Optimize grew tenfold, hosting over 1,000 business leaders at Chicago\u2019s iconic Navy Pier with keynote speakers, Robert Herjavec and Michael \u201cMafiaBoy\u201d Calce. And now, the team at Impact is already preparing for Impact Optimize 2020\u2014set to be the biggest and best summit to-date\u2014which will again take place at Navy Pier Aug. 13. Daniel Pink is confirmed to take the stage as the keynote speaker, and Konica Minolta has secured a Platinum-level sponsorship. Let\u2019s take a look at how Impact Optimize grew in popularity and get a sneak peek at this year\u2019s event. How did Impact Optimize Come About? The event came to life after Impact Vice President of Managed IT and Co-Founder of Impact Optimize, Patrick Layton spoke with Impact CEO Frank Cucco about why he wasn\u2019t involved in the company\u2019s past tech shows. Knowing the IT solution didn\u2019t have associated physical hardware to present at a tech show, Layton proposed that the best way to sell Impact\u2019s IT solution was to host a summit focused on educating potential customers. Cucco agreed that this type of event would set Impact apart, while providing value for customers and prospects. Frank DeGeorge, Impact CTO and co-founder of Impact Optimize, came together with Layton to spearhead the event, gather sponsors and vendors, and fill the agenda with educational tracks. How Has the Event\u2019s Focus Evolved? The first Impact Optimize was concentrated almost solely on security, targeted towards IT professionals. As the event has grown in size, so has the focus. In 2019, the theme for the event was \u201cDigital Transformation for Growing Companies.\u201d Since a true digital transformation typically involves multiple people from one team, the summit\u2019s ticket pricing changed. It allowed attendees who bought one full-priced ticket to purchase up to four additional tickets at a discounted price, making it easier for multiple members from one company to attend. With a number of different agenda tracks in 2019, team members could walk away with a different understanding and strategy based on their roles in digital transformation. In 2020, the event will cover business and technology trends aimed at helping companies \u201cFuel the Future of Business\u201d with seven defined tracks\u2014Business Agility; Security & Compliance; Customer Experience; AI, Machine Learning & Automation; Operational Efficiency; IT & Cloud; and Culture & Strategy. The goal is to bring current customers, future customers and community members together to collaborate and network with their peers. How Does it All Come Together? Putting together an event such as Impact Optimize is no easy feat\u2014it takes months of research, planning and preparation. Over the last year, Carly Cucco, Impact operations manager, has taken on event planning, leading the logistics behind the annual summit. This includes everything from coordinating the AV teams for the Aon Grand Ballroom and seven breakout rooms; setup for vendors and sponsors in the sponsor hall; and coordination of all main stage speakers. The logistics start nearly a year in advance, making sure to reserve the space for an appropriate date and begin sourcing talent for the keynote address. However, even with months of planning, event coordination happens right up until minutes before the event, ensuring every detail is ready for attendees when they arrive. In addition to Cucco, the Impact corporate marketing team begins working on Impact Optimize nearly a year in advance of the next summit. As technology experts, DeGeorge and Layton provide the marketing team with current trends and themes the summit should focus on. From there, the marketing team dives into researching possible themes, taglines and agenda tracks that would interest attendees. These first steps guide not only the branding, but the summit content, so it\u2019s critical research done ahead of time. An important step was giving Impact Optimize its own branding to stand apart from the Impact brand. Impact is a sales organization, but Impact Optimize is focused on education, and while sales typically occur from the event, that isn\u2019t the main goal. The best way to communicate this distinction was to give Impact Optimize its own branding and voice as an educational summit that anyone\u2014Impact client or not\u2014could attend to learn about trends in business and technology. The event branding is truly the first step\u2014from there it\u2019s important to start researching ticket platforms, creating an event website, building out 50-plus sessions and demos for the agenda, coordinating both speakers and vendors, crafting onsite signage and d\u00e9cor for the 18,000-plus-square-foot space and more. A fun element of last year\u2019s event included sourcing on-site experiences for attendees to enjoy throughout the day. Impact Optimize 2019 featured a Twitter vending machine, at which attendees could Tweet using #ImpactOptimize2019 and receive a prize; a Birdly virtual-reality flight simulator, which helped attendees realize their dream of flying over the New York City skyline; and Millennia, a world-class mobile social robot that interacted with guests. Driving Attendance Although Impact may be well known throughout the Chicagoland area, the Impact Optimize event is still a growing brand, and marketing it to potential attendees requires a multichannel strategic campaign. For Impact Optimize 2019, marketing efforts included Metra advertising, social media (paid and organic), paid search, radio advertising, email marketing, affiliate marketing through partner events, billboards, emails, print materials for sales reps, videos, direct mailers and more. This year, organizers continue to use a multichannel approach while investing more in digital marketing and focusing on the value of the event. Impact\u2019s sales team was also a driving force for attracting registrants. Although this was a paid event, which was a departure from past lunch and learns and tech shows, sales reps were offering their prospects and customers the opportunity to educate themselves on issues they were facing in their organizations. There\u2019s always a degree of worry when building out a new event or brand, but the Impact team […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":242,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3791],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38532"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/242"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38532"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38532\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38617,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38532\/revisions\/38617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}