Association Insight International & European Association Insights Spring 2015 | Page 31

Association Success Story | Association Insights Association Success Story Project Re-inventing the European Self Storage Conference based on a platform of quality venue, content and sponsorship Categories Events, Marketing Dates The SSA UK proposed a new strategy to completely rework the event, investing heavily in quality speakers and premium venues, working with sponsors and increasing ticket prices for delegates. This would begin to be implemented over 2 events as the venue and some speakers had already been secured for 2013. There was significant financial risk in this strategy as funding would need to be committed to investing in the premium product, with no guarantee delegates would May 2013 to October 2014 pay a higher ticket price. The SSA UK agreed to take on Association the entire financial risk of the event for the next 3 years. Federation of European Self Storage Associations Activities (FEDESSA) and Self Storage Association UK (SSA UK) Sponsor Involvement – Communication was had with Members existing sponsors as to what was important to them; FEDESSA has 12 member Associations that represent around 1300 self storage stores across Europe including the UK Project team Rennie Schafer – FEDESSA and SSA UK CEO Bryony Caswell – SSA UK Membership Services Officer Tracey Prigmore – SSA UK Administration Officer they wanted better trade space and more promotion of the trade show. Major sponsors were actively engaged in the planning process of the event. During the 2013 conference a meeting was held of suppliers and exhibitors to explain how the event would change and get their input. This meeting is now held as a part of the event every year. Venue – A venue was sought in an accessible European City with large and suitable trade space, state of the art Speaker Corner plenary rooms and hotel accommodation all under the Objectives one roof. The priority was the venue, not the location. The aim was by 2014 to have 330 people attend the consideration was given to the size of the local market event from all over Europe, make a £30k profit and for delegate attendance. The RaddisonBlu Stockholm double income from sponsors and trade. Importantly, Waterfront was chosen as it had the best facilities the event was to be reviewed by attendees as an and negotiations then began on securing the best essential investment in their development and a flagship price. Pricing was not considered as part of the venue industry event. selection, it was purely done on the facilities and service Introduction offering. The conference was declining in attendance and Speakers – rather than just using industry speakers and sponsorship. Attendees were viewing it not as a must free speakers who often promote their own businesses, attend event, but something to think about attending investment was made into business speakers from other every few years. Too much focus had been placed on industries whose message could transfer to self storage. reducing cost to the detriment of the quality of the Industry speakers were also sought from developed event. The event was re-invented based on a platform self storage markets outside Europe and a professional of quality venue, content and sponsorship and then a moderator was hired for the event. The professional ticket price set that reflected this. moderator made a huge difference lifting the whole Background Previous “rotation” policies were discarded, however mood of the event and freeing staff up to deal with delegates and not have to worry about speakers After the 2012 Conference, the event had shown and sessions. Having high profile business speakers declining attendance for 4 years and had lost money for enhanced ticket sales and gave the event a huge point the past 2 years. When attendance began to decline the of difference to other industry events. strategy had been to make the event as affordable as possible, however this had also reduced the quality of the speakers and venues. www.associationsnetwork.org © Associations Network 2015 | 31