Derek Thomas,
NASCAR

"The Power of Research"

In today’s competitive business environment, successful marketers are relying more and more on sound research to make informed decisions to support their efforts.

NASCAR is a good example of a business that understands the power of research. As NASCAR has grown over the past several years, so too has its need for research to help drive this growth. From new partnerships to continuing existing relationships, NASCAR uses a variety of research sources to help decision makers make informed decisions that impact the bottom line.

Using NASCAR as an example, this session will help you:

1. Understand the power of research in business
2. Gain insight into why successful marketers expect research when making decisions
3. Think about how research may help in your own business objectives

Derek Thomas is Manager, Market Research, in the Brand and Consumer Marketing department at NASCAR, the sanctioning body for one of America's premier sports. NASCAR is the #1 spectator sport – holding 17 of the top 20 attended sporting events in the U.S., the #2 rated regular-season sport on television with broadcasts in over 150 countries, and has 75 million fans who purchase over $2 billion in annual licensed product sales. These fans are the most brand loyal in all of sports and as a result, more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport.

Mike Brown,
YRC Worldwide

"Lessons in Becoming a More Successful Sponsorship Marketer"

With sponsorship marketing being one of the fastest-growing brand-building approaches in use today, marketers thrust into roles managing sponsorships need to be attuned to the nuances that lead to success.

This session, based upon lessons learned from building & activating award winning sponsorship programs, will help prepare you to:

• Think through links between your business and sponsorship strategies
• Be prepared to identify & implement successful activation approaches
• Develop a variety of metrics to track sponsorship returns

Mike Brown is Vice President-Strategic Market Planning & Research at YRC Worldwide, a Fortune 500 company, and one of the largest transportation service providers in the world, with more than 70,000 employees globally and $9 billion in annual revenue. It is based in Overland Park, KS. Its primary transportation & logistics brands include Yellow Transportation, Roadway, USF, and Meridian IQ.

Joel Dunkel, President, EventEvolution Management Inc.

"Navigating the Treacherous Trade Show Seas"

Just like an iceberg, exhibitors only see 10% of what goes on at a trade show. Make no mistake, trade shows are still the best face-to-face marketing value out there. However, they can also represent some of the most costly marketing mistakes a company can make. This session will shed light on how trade shows are built and what you as an exhibitor need to know to squeeze every sales and marketing drop out of them.

EventEvolution Management Inc. is a free-thinking, fast-moving company that owns, produces and manages professional trade shows and conferences. With a combined 20 years of hands-on, real-world experience, EventEvolution specializes on producing vertical market events that provide a unique platform to educate, enlighten and conduct business in a creative environment.

Carol Galle, President, Special D Events, Inc.

"Outsourcing: Friend or Foe?"

If you haven’t considered outsourcing your company’s meeting management activities, there is a good chance your boss has. No need to panic, though. In house corporate event planners have a lot to gain by outsourcing the tactical/logistical aspects of their job and positioning themselves as a strategic contributor to the company’s goals.

Organizations spend millions annually on event management and planners are continually asked to demonstrate better return on investment. Outsourcing is one way for you to retain control over your events, but better manage budgets, and increase your value as a strategic partner.

This session will teach you how to:

• Maximize the benefits of outsourcing
• Identify the best third-party agent for your organization
• Position yourself as a strategic partner
  

Carole Galle, CMP has a solid background in both event management and corporate communications, having worked on both the corporate and the agency sides of the business. She began her career with General Motors. In 1992, Carol co-founded Special D Events, a corporate event management firm serving a very diverse client base, including Schneider National, Motorola, Eaton Corporation, and NBC Universal. Events range from client hospitality events, trade shows,and management retreats.

"The Evolving Event Marketing Landscape"

Event marketing has progressed beyond the traditional tradeshow and conference to cover more of the landscape than ever before. Today, there are more ways to engage customers and employees than ever!

This executive panel discussion will provide a topical overview of today's most prevalent event styles, including academic, thought leadership, customer appreciation, sporting events and more! Hear from the experts that are causing the trend and learn why upper management isn't complaining.

Bill Lyons, Principle, New Business Development & Special Projects for William Lyons Associates, Inc.

Dan Farrell, Executive VP of Sales, Lowe's Motor Speedway

"Finding Traction to Build Your Brand"

Leading organizations are finding traction with race fans. From the on-site event and live television coverage, to off-track marketing opportunities, find out what's hot with organizations wanting to accelerate their market power. Lowe's Motor Speedway and Bulldog Marketing will take you inside a success story that will open your mind. Find out how to investigate the opportunities, put power behind the creative and get the traction you're looking for. This best practice will uncover the "what works and why" approach that can apply to any marketing opportunity.

A.J. Maestas, founder, Navigate Marketing

"How to measure ROI from Your Sponsorships, Events and Promotions"

“If you can't measure it, you can't manage it.” Whether you live by the statement or consider it outdated, you have certainly felt the movement toward an era of accountability. In this session you will learn the techniques used by industry leaders to measure return on investment (ROI). The session is structured in the format of Navigate’s Boomerang Effect, a methodology that guides marketers through targeting efficient investments, effectively activating against those investments, and ultimately maximizing your program’s ROI.

Topics covered will include:

• The role of research in measurement
• When and how to launch a measurement effort
• What resources to use and how much it should cost
• Four (4) proven methods for measuring performance

A.J. Maestas is the founder of Navigate Marketing, an agency dedicated to the measurement and analysis of sponsorships and promotions. Maestas built his expertise working with Yellow Transportation, at IEG as the Senior Manager of their valuation group and most recently at rEvolution as their Director of Marketing. His professional experience includes working with the sponsors, properties and leagues of the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, AVP, NASCAR, IRL, Champ Car and NCAA. Maestas is also a frequent speaker at conferences and universities on the topic of sponsorship measurement and return on investment. http://www.navigatemarketing.com/