2008 Builder Tradeshows and Outreach DOCKET 12562

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1 2008 Builder Tradeshows and Outreach DOCKET January 7, 2008 I. Statement of the Project Situation Analysis In 2007, the propane industry worked to increase rapport with builders in a number of ways, including enhanced tradeshow presence, increased partnership efforts and educational outreach in order to convince those in the building industry that building homes with propanefueled appliances and systems can deliver long-term value and positive ROI. Our success has been tangible in the increased awareness of propane through an enhanced focus on builders, the number of qualified leads the industry has acquired, and the relationships we have developed with those in the building industry. Particularly in a challenging marketplace, builders, remodelers and developers look to suppliers to the industry for differentiation and education for business success, and are listening like never before. Tradeshows provide a real face-to-face opportunity for the propane industry to take advantage of the open minds and ears of those looking to survive and thrive in another predicted down year. Through an enhanced presence at the very venues builders trust and rely on for critical education and networking industry tradeshows propane can connect with those in the building industry making decisions now and position itself as a critical energy resource and partner. The building industry is in many ways very much an industry run at the local level. Builders tend to have a handful of suppliers that they rely on and go to again and again for their building needs. To those in the business, it s all about who you know and those trusted resources are the ones that have their builder s ears and business for the long haul. Knowing that this is how many in the industry operate, it is critical to develop relationships with those in housing on a face-to-face, personal level. Tradeshows facilitate this type of relationship and an active presence at such venues can result in increased customer loyalty, brand image enhancement and the ability to increase sales. In addition to facilitating the type of relationships that increase builder loyalty to propane, tradeshows provide opportunities for education as well as wholesale access to media dedicated to the industry. Objectives Position PERC as the go-to energy expert in the building industry by demonstrating to builders through face-to-face dialogue and education the real-world, whole-home applications of propane. Convince builders, developers and remodelers that building with propane results in more satisfied customers and higher home values. Page 1

2 Generate propane conversations between builders, remodelers, developers and the propane industry including their respective marketers that explores how propane can benefit their businesses and help them create high value homes that sell faster. Secure an increased number of qualified home builder leads that results in a high conversion of gallons sold. Take advantage of the natural opportunity that tradeshows provide to promote propane educational modules and further develop partnerships. Use the venue of tradeshows to effectively and efficiently reach dedicated attending trade media to highlight propane s role in the building process, its benefits for those in the industry and position propane as a resource for builders who want to talk energy with their customers. Leverage presence at tradeshows to reach out and further relationships with other target audiences such as prosumers, industry decision makers, consumer media, and others. Work with participating OEM partners to leverage presence at show as well as advertising and sponsorship opportunities. Strategies Secure high-visibility advertising and promotional opportunities that resonate with tradeshow attendees. Incorporate campaign messages developed as part of the 2008 home builder marketing efforts into tradeshow marketing and promotions to ensure consistency of messages and reduce production costs. Showcase builder best practices and develop valuable education and research to show attendees. Aggressively pursue all builder and trade media attending shows to secure post-show media coverage that reaches builders unable to attend. Provide low-cost materials and relevant messages that are in alignment with national programs for locals to use as part of a tradeshow extension program. Provide a useful insight to builder media on consumer habits, with the end result of educating and informing builders on the benefits of propane through trade research for ink. Use accessibility at tradeshows to gather feedback for crafting messages that resonate with builders. Page 2

3 Tactics Attend 1 international tradeshow (International Builders Show) and 4 national tradeshows. These shows include Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Expo, ISH, the Remodeling Show and the Green Building Conference. National shows provide propane with the chance to engage builders through exhibiting, sponsorships, education and speaking opportunities and indicate critical audiences and messaging that we want to address in Exhibiting opportunities such as international, national and regional tradeshows allow a more product-orientated and demonstrative presence than conferences and symposium, which are better for networking and developing relationships. Attend 3 regional tradeshows. These shows will include the Pacific Coast Builders Show, the 2009 Midwest Builders Show, and the Sunbelt Builders Show. Regional shows provide propane with the chance to engage builders through exhibiting, sponsorships, education and speaking opportunities while focusing on regional issues (i.e., the importance of secondary power supplies in south.) Attend 10 trade meetings, conference and symposiums. These shows include Custom Builders Symposium, Big Builder, Presidential Seminar, Green Build, AIA National Convention, PHCC Convention, Reinventions Symposium, EcoHome Expo, Directions 2008, and the Remodeling Leadership Conference. These shows serve primarily as networking and educational opportunities and allow propane to further develop relationships with each of these audiences. Support a new flexible booth system to support attendance at shows. This booth system will allow for modifications depending on show. In addition this will fund booth materials such as quick screens and table top. Create 2 research studies to provide positive hooks in earned media targeting builders at shows. Two separate studies will be developed to give fresh perspectives on product verticals and use as a hook with trade media attending shows. IBS extension. Offer the marketing materials produced for national shows to state PGAs for use in regional home builder shows. Essential Personnel Kate Caskin, Senior Vice President, PERC Tracy Burleson, Director, Residential Trade Outreach and Partnerships, PERC Tom Jaenicke, ATomiK Creative Solutions Rita Pecilunas, Strategic Marketing Resources Andy Ferrin, Executive Vice President, PN2 Megan King, SVP, PN2 Angela Grossfeld, Account Supervisor Niki Clark, Account Supervisor Page 3

4 II. TIMELINE This docket will cover the period March 31, 2008 to April 1, 2009 (this request includes several shows in Q1 2009). A comprehensive timeline will be included in the Statement of Work. III. BUDGET We will develop a more detailed budget as we develop the statement of work. The following budget is requested, pending industry and comment review in February Builder Tradeshows and Outreach Budget Scope of Show Shows Attending Presence at Show Includes Budget International International Builders Exhibit space $290,000 Show Shipping and Education Speaking management of booth and materials Booth staffing s and follow up National HPBA Exhibit space $100,000 Green Building Shipping and (HPBA) Conference ISH Remodeling Show Education Speaking management of booth and materials Booth staffing s $98,000 per show (Green Building, ISH, Remodeling Show) and follow up Total: $394,000 Regional Pacific Coast Exhibit space $294,000 Builders Show Midwest Builders Sunbelt Builders Education Speaking Shipping and management of booth and materials ($98,000 per show) Page 4

5 Booth staffing s and follow up Trade Custom Builders Tabletop space $280,000 conferences, symposium Symposium Big Builder (tabletop) s Materials ($28,000 per conference) Presidential Seminar Networking Green Build and followup AIA PHCC Reinventions Symposium EcoHome Expo Directions 2008 Remodeling Leadership Conference *Note for tradeshow expenses. The shows are broken out as follows: National/regional: $10K travel, $10K technical/industry support, $40K media outreach/creative support, $10K booth space, $15K booth management/logistics, $10K sponsorships, $3K materials/mailers hard costs=$98k per show Conferences/symposium: $5K travel, $5K technical/industry support, $5K media outreach/creative support,$10k sponsorships, $3K materials/mailers hard costs=$28k per show Total for Builder Tradeshows and Outreach $1,258,000 Component Includes Budget Tradeshow Booth Support Support of a new modular tradeshow and smaller booth materials such as quick screens and table top. Management of the booth, shipping, setup and $150,000 Page 5

6 working the show. IBS Extension Trade Research for Ink Continued extension of the IBS marketing approach to regional home builder shows by packaging and delivering marketing materials produced for IBS to state PGAs Two separate studies to develop fresh perspectives on product verticals $48,000 $50,000 Other Tradeshow Elements Total $248,000 Overall Tradeshow and Outreach Funding Request Budget $1,506,000 IV. Cost Benefit Analysis An enhanced presence at builder tradeshows, conferences and symposium are cost-effective because that are targeting the key decision makers in the building process active and interested builders, remodelers and developers that have self-selected themselves for further education and networking opportunities. Contacts made at these shows can be moved from potential target to informed, engaged and qualified lead, adding to our arsenal of highly interested builder energy experts. These contacts, in turn, spread the propane message to their colleagues and customers and create an ever-expanding network of builders and professionals in the industry trying to differentiate themselves in a challenging marketplace. By focusing our efforts to reach builders through the venues they rely on for advanced education, networking and support, we can also effectively and efficiently reach the trusted, dedicated media networks that frequent these shows as well as partners in the industry. In 2008, propane also can evaluate further the benefits of these shows and determine which shows are essential that a national voice is present, and which shows a state or local PGA may be able to take over in the future. V. Evaluation Statement Participation in trade shows would provide the propane industry with metrics to assess program reach and effectiveness: Page 6

7 Program Metrics Trade shows Lead generation from shows, conferences and symposium Inserts and brochures distributed Information on lead generation through propane industry feedback Feedback from industry volunteers attending show Booth traffic at each show Frequency and reach of on-site advertising and promotion Media Outreach/Trade Circulation of media coverage obtained from contacts made Research for Ink at show Placement within publications Circulation of media coverage from Research for Ink IBS Extension Program Number of shows participating Booth traffic at each show Builder kits and brochures distributed Feedback from state representatives Page 7