New Organization Formed to Serve Information Needs of Event Marketers

Event Marketing Institute is the first organization to unite all facets of events

NORWALK, CT – Red 7 Media, LLC today announced the launch of The Event Marketing Institute (EMI), a global professional organization dedicated to the advancement and development of best practices, insights and business intelligence for individuals and companies using live marketing as a strategic marketing initiative.

EMI is the first and only professional organization focused exclusively on events from the business marketing perspective. EMI offers a new association framework that cuts across the many silos of events – trade shows, sponsorships, meetings, proprietary events, consumer events, and road shows. The mission of EMI is to provide key executives, event managers, agency executives and marketing professionals in organizations big and small with the newest ideas, cutting-edge resources, best practices, research, training, and numerous members-only benefits.

“Face-to-face marketing is one of the fastest-growing and most powerful areas of marketing today, yet many organizations are challenged with understanding how to integrate live events into their marketing mix to create meaningful customer relationships that generate measurable business results,” noted Kerry Smith, President & Executive Director of EMI. “EMI will be a single-source for information, training, services, and community for everyone in event marketing – and because the organization is backed by the resources of Red 7 Media, the publisher of Event Marketer, Event Design, and Agenda magazines, we have unparalleled access to years of valuable content, key industry relationships, and a database of over 90,000 event professionals which will provide a powerful platform from which to build a strong member-focused organization.”

The hub of EMI will be a content-rich website (www.eventmarketing.com) where members can access thousands of articles, case studies, research reports, white papers, webinars, podcasts, discussion forums, market reports, company profiles, publications and other exclusive information products and services created by EMI’s dedicated staff of researchers and content partners. The website is scheduled to go live on June 18th.

In addition to information and valuable content, EMI members will also have access to a wide and growing array of services, including recruiting, event analysis, on-site presentations, custom research and consulting services, presentation prep/research support, and other customized services.

“We’ve made a significant investment over the past 6 months in the development and ongoing operations of the Event Marketing Institute in order to provide real value to our members,” noted Smith. Investments include a state-of-the-art broadcast studio for the production of webinars and podcasts at EMI headquarters; a major investment in software for the creation of “eLearning” training curricula, outside research services in support of current and future reports and surveys, and the addition of 6 dedicated EMI researchers and member services professionals to create content and services for members.

“Event Marketing Management is not an extension of the traditional marketing services function. It is an evolving specialty within both corporations and agencies alike that is becoming a strategic discipline that requires its own curriculum and toolset, and represents important knowledge for every marketing professional,” noted Smith, adding that EMI Membership is an important resource for:

Brand-side marketing managers, event marketing executives, trade show/exhibit managers, meeting planners and procurement executives
Agency-side executive managers, new business executives, account managers, and operations executives
Supplier-side top management and client service managers
Fast-track leaders at any company who are employing (or want to employ) the best and most-informed live marketing strategies to ensure their marketing programs create the best possible results.

The Event Marketing Institute has assembled an all-star Executive Advisory Committee comprised of senior-level industry leaders who have committed to working with EMI leadership to identify research opportunities, content offerings and relevant member services. EAC members to date include senior-level event marketing executives at Boeing, IBM, Anheuser-Busch, TJX Companies, UBS, Miller Brewing, AOL, GE Healthcare, UBS, and Bank of America.

In addition, EMI is seeking working relationships with existing organizations representing various facets of the event business. “There are many established organizations serving the needs and interests of event practitioners in vertical segments of events and we look forward to working with them to identify mutually beneficial ways to serve our collective memberships,” commented Smith. “Many of these organizations have valuable resources and information to offer, and we hope to be able to work with them to provide a wider audience for their organizations.”

The Event Marketing Institute will make its formal debut during the Experiential Marketing Summit, May 14-16 at the Hyatt McCormick Place in Chicago (information at www.eventmarker.com/summit)