How Social Media Helped Promote the ISPA 2013 Conference and Expo

The ISPA 2013 Conference and Expo just took place from October 21 to the 23. They used multiple social media channels to enhance this conference before, during, and after the event. Before the event, ISPA used social media channels to promote the 2013 ISPA Conference and Expo by reminding followers of the upcoming event, highlighting sponsors of the event, guest speakers that would be presenting at the event, and products that would be showcased at different booths. ISPA encouraged attendees to follow them on Instagram and post pictures using #ISPA2013. They also promoted different exhibitors that had registered for the show and shared links to content about those products so attendees could find out information before

the show.  Information about registration information, seminars, development sessions, and tips and checklists to prepare for the event were shared on different sites.  They also posted details about hotels to stay at for the expo, auction details, and contest information. Basically, social media was used to attract exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees for this event and to increase awareness about the conference.

During the event, the ISPA Association used social media to inform attendees and followers about what was going on at the event and to promote the different sessions and exhibits at the event. They posted information about the times and locations of different events and sessions that were taking place and encouraged interaction from attendees.  They reminded attendees of what specific events were taking place on that day and brought the excitement of the conference to attendees and followers as it was taking place. They posted highlights from the day and reminded attendees about what events were going on the next day.

After the event, ISPA Association used social media to thank exhibitors and sponsors of the event, as well as attendees who came to the event. They continued the buzz about the conference by asking attendees to share their experiences on Instagram and on the ISPA blog site. 

The ISPA Association used multiple social media channels for event marketing for the 2013 Conference and Expo including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and their blog site. Their Facebook posts received the most responses in terms of likes, comments, and shares. Attendees shared their excitement by interacting with posts. They also received comments on their Instagram posts where they captured special events through images and on Twitter.  

The ISPA Association posted a variety of content on their social media sites about this event. They posted registration information and reminders consistently on Facebook and Twitter. They posted high quality photos on all their sites before, during, and after the event. They even posted some behind the scene photos of the showroom as they were setting up. They posted a variety of content promoting different products, speakers, and exhibitors that would be at the event. They also provided links to content on their blog site and magazine. They shared links to brands that were promoting their products at the event.

Hashtags were used on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest sites. Events, general sessions, workout sessions,  the silent and live auction, development sessions, guest speakers, and products were highlighted on these social platforms. They did a very good job of letting attendees know what events were taking place at different booths and where and at what time social events were taking place. ISPA did retweet tweets posted by followers and exhibitors. 

Sponsors of the ISPA Conference and Expo were promoted by special hashtags that identified them as sponsors. ISPA Association also included information on the sponsors in the October digital issue of Pulse. The ISPA Association website has a link to the sponsors for the conference that directs you to their websites.

The ISPA Association used IMC for promoting this event. They provided information about this conference not just on social media sites, but also in Pulse, a magazine for spa professionals, press releases, ISPA SmartBrief,  the ISPA Association website, and through emails. They used multiple channels to promote the event and to deliver a consistent message to the audience.

ISPA Association maintains its brand personality on its social media platforms and website. They created a specific website for this event. Their voice is consistent and expresses their commitment to supporting educational opportunities and networking experiences for the spa industry worldwide. The images, colors, font, and logo are consistent on their website and social media platforms providing followers with a brand image that is recognizable. 

A highlight that impressed me was the behind the scenes photos and information that they provided on their social sites, specifically Facebook and Twitter. These images really highlighted all the work and effort that goes into putting together such a large event. I think that this information builds anticipation for such an event and gets attendees excited about being a part of the event. 

I think that the ISPA Association could have included some more videos on Facebook or Twitter that might have given followers a more in depth view of sessions. The images they posted were very engaging, but nothing captures someone’s attention like a live short video of some portion of the event where attendees can tell about their experience. They could have also done live streaming of some of the events.