CASE HISTORIES: Event Recruitment

Recruit C-level Executives on Short Notice

A large software company needed to recruit C-level executives to attend a CRM seminar. This last-minute client request came after the registrations they expected did not arrive in response to mailed invitations. Therefore, they called Boardwalk at the 11th hour to "fix" the problem of low registrations. The target list was weaker than most, with an extremely high percentage of outdated names and titles. Added to this was the event’s election-day date, leading to a potential conflict for potential registrants. Boardwalk generated 72 registrants in 6 business days from a "raw" target list of approximately 1,500 names at 600 companies. Because of the low quality of the target list, Boardwalk was required to essentially develop an entirely new database of names and titles, used in conjunction with Boardwalk’s proprietary contact names, and recruit them to the seminar in a matter of days. Out of 72 registrants, only 11 of the registered names were on the original target list provided by the client, demonstrating Boardwalk’s ability to develop proper contact names and titles "on the fly" as necessary.

Boost Attendance Fivefold for a 7,000-Attendee Event

With the majority of its million-dollar-plus direct mail budget spent over the previous three months, one of the world’s largest software firms had only six more weeks to increase the number of event registrants fivefold. The registrations were restrained by an event cost of $900 with credit card payment required, as well as the week-long itinerary. Finally, the lists provided by the client were more accurate than most, but largely populated by small businesses that were unsuitable targets for the event. Boardwalk contacted 18,500 potential registrants. During the five-week program (versus the prior multi-month direct mail program), registrations for the event rose from 1,500 to over 7,000. In addition, Boardwalk found enough paying registrants to cover the entire cost of Boardwalk’s program. To address the challenge of the troubled database, Boardwalk used proprietary names and its own development and referral efforts to identify more appropriate individuals. In addition, Boardwalk identified over 800 individuals to whom Boardwalk sent an informational fax or e-mail.

Recruit Fortune 500 CIOs for Lengthy Televised Interviews

A lengthy direct mail campaign, as well as several other efforts, had yielded only two candidates for interviews run by a technology training client, falling far short of the 20-interviewee goal. Worse, the few who had agreed were only at the junior level and at little-known companies. The interview would be televised to large groups of businesspeople throughout metropolitan New York. In only two weeks, Boardwalk’s recruitment staff presented the firm with an abundance of senior-level candidates for the televised interview. Among those providing the interview were the CIOs of Prudential Insurance, Becton Dickinson, and Colgate Palmolive.

Ensure Rapid Payback on Recruitment Costs

A cost-conscious cash-sensitive client sought a means of economically recruiting paying business members for its Web site. The client found that its expensive "prospect" list was surprisingly weak, with inaccuracies and omissions. Additionally, the client’s internal efforts failed, citing the difficulty of explaining its value proposition. Boardwalk stepped in, providing paying clients who covered the cost of recruitment within only three months, on membership fees alone. Incorporating transaction fees further reduced the recruitment cost. To accomplish this, Boardwalk abandoned the client’s prospect list and developed a multi-source list of its own. Boardwalk’s staff — accustomed to explaining complex value propositions — had little difficulty with this aspect of the project.

Client’s Poor Mailing List Hinders Registration Count

Frustrated with the low registration rates for its events, a client cited a poor mailing list and minimal efforts to recruit registrants. This top-three software firm was running events in several cities as part of a nationwide tour covering CRM and supply chain management. Approximately 1,000 individuals were targeted in each city. Boardwalk was able to provide its proprietary contact names to these companies, and also develop substantial referral contacts during its calls to these contacts. Economically, Boardwalk was able to provide 40% more attendees at events — while increasing event costs by less than 10% for the software firm. So as to enhance the success of subsequent mailings, Boardwalk provided a "scrubbed" list of names contacted.