Data-driven media powers record attendance at Automate
Following the success of our 2022 marketing program for Automate, North America’s largest automation show, the Association for Advancing Automation (A3) decided to hold the show annually vs. biennially.
To help the show continue to set record-breaking growth in attendance—and to keep exhibitors engaged and excited—we turned to the data to help build a framework that can be replicated year over year.
Creative Services
Media
Website Development
Content & SEO
Email Marketing
Demand Gen
MarTech
Social Media
Our objective: Continue to grow attendance annually by zeroing in on the right audiences, in the right ways and at the right time.
Data leads the way
We always have a specific goal in mind for attendance. To help us meet that goal, we look at the data. Who do we want to reach? Where and when should we engage with them? As with all strategic media assignments, this process begins with an analysis of first-party data from several sources, including site analytics and previous attendee datasets. We analyze the top industries driving attendance and focus our efforts on these audiences.
Strategic segmentation
The analysis of this data allows our team to refine and expand our targeting of core industries but also identify later-adopting industries that show strong growth. Since expansion industries have lower awareness of automation technologies and events, we speak to them earlier in the cycle with awareness and educational content to pique their interest in automation—and in attending the show where it all comes to life.
Additionally, by comparing registration data with audience size metrics from media channels, we can identify which industries have additional potential by virtue of larger addressable audiences on key platforms like LinkedIn.
Bringing the heat
By heat mapping the geographies of prior show attendees, we can observe hot spots that drive attendance from key industries and geographies, as well as the clear strength of regional attendance. This information helps us maximize budget impact by using tighter geographic targeting around industry hubs while also building strong regional and local campaigns to maximize registrations from people closer to the show.
Tracking and optimizing along the way
To ensure our educational and awareness programs track with growth goals, we analyze and map weekly performance data from prior shows, looking at marketing investment and the resulting site traffic, engagement and registrations, among other KPIs. Our 2023 site traffic followed a similar trajectory as the year before, gradually increasing closer to the show. However, we were able to grow the number of sessions significantly. We then compare current performance to projected forecasts. All of this together enables a high degree of confidence in the final outcome throughout the journey of the campaign.
Additionally, since show campaigns are run across many different media types and advertising channels with segment-specific creative, there are dozens of metrics that are monitored daily throughout the campaign. This data is distilled into reporting dashboards to keep our internal and client teams informed.
The proof is in the numbers
The growth goals for Automate continue to be aggressive. This data-driven approach has allowed us to forecast and budget to deliver results with a high degree of confidence and accuracy. To date, the formula has proven out and with each campaign cycle, our data and programs are further refined. The 2023 show saw record attendance, exceeded growth goals, and set the stage for continued growth in 2024 and beyond!
30,000+ show registrants
A record-breaking number
29% growth
Powerful momentum
“The industry response to Automate validates our commitment to this pivotal event every year. Partnering with Losasso, leveraging insights gleaned from previous collaborations, has been instrumental in refining our approach and amplifying our success. Their strategic guidance has propelled us forward, solidifying our position as leaders in our industry.
Deb Kling, VP Marketing, Automate.
