Slashed marketing budgets and a public that is saving their money for uncertain times could mean lower attendance rates for the events industry in 2009.  We’ve talked with some of the industry’s top event organisers to see how they are beating the economic crunch.  Across the board, the feedback we received shows that everyone is trying to accomplish one thing in particular: Increase attendance while lowering costs.  This can be a real challenge but here are some low cost marketing ideas many are using that could also help you grow your event in a down economy.

Email Advertising
Minimise the amount of print advertising you are doing.  Paper, ink and labor involved can be very expensive and oftentimes, it is very difficult to gage the success of a print advertising campaign.  With a limited budget, you need to be able to show a return on every cent you spend on marketing.  Email marketing costs nothing in materials and you have access to reporting that will instantly show your return on investment.

Social Media
The best advertising for an event is word of mouth.  Social Media is a very low cost and effective way to create word of mouth on the internet.  Make a presence for yourself in places like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and blogs or forums where the audience would be interested in an event like yours.

SEO
If you have an official event website, you need to focus on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).  The goal is to get your website at the top of the search returns for keyword searches such as “Marathons in Melbourne” or “Australia Marathons”.  With some small adjustments to your website, you can vastly improve your Google rankings.  Just imagine all of the people out there searching for what you offer – they just don’t know about you yet!

Offer Online Event Registration
Collecting participant data online with an event management system will streamline your staff’s workload and open up more time that you can devote to all of the above.

It's everywhere - EVERYONE is "Going Green".  Some say it's a fad or just another clever maketing campaign, but in any case it can't be a bad thing, right?  More and more people are becoming aware of their enviornmental impact and many event organisers are also working to reduce consumption when planning their events.  Here are a few ways you can "green-up" your event...

1. Develop an environmental impact statement.  Include information on your website that showcases all of the earth-friendly things your event staff is doing to reduce the event's environmental impact.  You may also want to choose an enviormental cause to focus on such as water preservation.

2. Offer online event registration as a way of conserving paper. Asking your attendees to use an online registration form will cut down the largest source of wasted paper for any event. 

3. Do more event marketing online.  Email marketing campaigns not only save paper but have proven to be more targeted and time-efficient than traditional "snail mail" advertising.

4. Reduce automobile emissions.  If your participants or spectators will need a ride to get to another part of the course, hire a bus so that they can ride in groups.  This will not only reduce carbon dioxide emissions but also give your attendees a chance to meet a new friend!

5. Use recycled materials.  If you must print signs or forms, see if you can use a recycled paper.  Even better yet, try to gather those materials back together after the event so that you can re-use them the following year.

6. Spread the word. Use your platform as an event organiser to spread your message.  Your participants will leave the event proud of their accomplishments and a feeling of being part of a larger cause.