SIG Chair
Emma Wood Leeds Metropolitan University
 Deputy SIG Chair
Phil Crowther, Senior Lecturer, Events Management Team, Sheffield Business School, Sheffield Hallam University
Event marketing encompasses a wide range of event types from exhibitions and trade shows to publicity stunts, themed and created events and corporate entertainment. In fact there are very few events which could not be used for a marketing purpose as all communicate something to a target audience. Events can be used to perform a number of marketing functions (for example communications, relationship and loyalty building, database compilation, targeting, brand enhancement and personal selling). Event marketing is not, therefore, merely another form of promotion but a new way of marketing which fits well with society’s demands in this new millennium. It has the ability to deal with small groups or individuals, to be customised, to create interactivity, involvement and interest and to cut though the clutter of competing brands. Events can be and often are related to worthy causes and social responsibility and take an audience through from initial attention and interest to purchase, use and post experience evaluation, reward and loyalty. Event marketing is, therefore, experiential marketing in its practical form.
The aim of the Special Interest Group in Event Marketing is to establish a team of like-minded professionals who wish to:
- Raise the level of recognition of and academic debate in the field of event marketing
- Set a research agenda
- Establish a collegiate network and potential research partners
- Hold specialist conferences
- Justify specialist tracks at established conferences
- Target journals for publication
- Contribute to an edited text
- Establish a specific journal (in the longer term)
- Put together collective research bids
Subject/topic areas covered within the Event Marketing theme As marketing events range from product launches to trade shows, from mega-event sponsorship to charity fundraisers the marketing implications are wide ranging and varied. Examples of the areas to be included within the activities of the SIG are given below, although this list is far from exhaustive.
- The effectiveness of events as communication tools
- Experiential marketing through events
- Relationship marketing and business to business events
- Cause related events and social marketing
- Brand building through themed events
- Leveraging the benefits of event sponsorship
- Corporate entertainment and key account management
- Public relations, publicity events and press conferences
Biography of Chair
Emma Wood is Reader in Festivals and Event Marketing at the UK Centre for Events Management, Leeds Metropolitan University. Her research and consultancy work is specialised in the areas of event marketing effectiveness evaluation and public sector events. This work has involved a number of social and economic impact studies for local government as well as audience development research and studies of event marketing communication effectiveness. Emma is co-editor of the Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events and sits on the editorial board of other international journals and has co-authored books on Services Marketing (2009, Cengage) and Innovative Marketing Communications (2006, Elsevier).
Emma’s current research interests include
- event marketing and the customer experience
- exploiting the communication potential of non-promotional events
- evaluating the effects of event marketing experiences
Biography of Deputy Chair
Prior to moving into academia Phil Crowther worked for eleven years in Senior General Management, and Business Development, roles within the private sector. His expertise is in multipurpose venue management and event management within the leisure and tourism industries.
It was within this environment that Phil developed an interest in experiential communications and particularly the role of events. As senior lecturer at Sheffield Business School Phil has developed this interest and is now publishing and presenting within the area of event marketing. As an event manager he is also interested in how event management practice can enhance or devalue the event outcomes and particular experience of attendees.
Contact
Email
Website www.eventsandfestivalsresearch.co.uk
UK Centre for Event Management, Leeds Metropolitan University, Calverley Street, Leeds, LS1 3HE +44 113 8123963
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