Best Overall Large Market Strategy
Company: Utah Media Group
Market: Deseret Digital Media - Salt Lake City, UT
Population: 1,953,000
Key executive: Brent Low, President/CEO
Judges take: Non-traditional revenues is a core strategy for the Utah Media Groups MediaOne of Utah (real estate) and the events division has led the way with rocketship growth, big raw numbers and 70% margins. A combination of magazine supported B2B events, newspaper and tv supported B2C expos, and national mega events such as Comic Con have added an estimated ten million to the bottom line in the past two years.
* LMI stories:
Leveraging local business media into a money making events franchise
Governors summits are high margin events
What a woman wants expo draws 12,000
Best Overall Mid-sized Market Event Strategy
Company: WEHCO
Market: Chattanooga Times Free Press - Chattanooga, TN
Population: 171,279
Key executive: Angela Doggett, Events Manager
Judges take: Media American Cities business journal model, and runs a monthly recognition events (Top 40 CEO’s, etc.) tied into editorial, and generating $30,000 to $50,000 a month. But the icing on the cake are the Governors Summits (Health, Economics and Energy) with even higher dollars from institutional companies including banks and healthcare, and a creative alliance with the Governors office. This initiative has opened a new opportunity for capital city-based local media around the country.
Best B2B Events program
Company: Utah Media Group
Market: Deseret Digital Media - Salt Lake City, UT
Population: 1,953,000
Key executive: Brent Low, President/CEO
Media American Cities business journal model, and runs a monthly recognition event (Top 40 CEO’s, etc.) tied into editorial, and generating $30,000 to $50,000 a month. But the icing on the cake is the Governors Summits (Health, Economics and Energy) with even higher dollars from institutional companies including banks and healthcare, and a creative alliance with the Governors’ office. This initiative has opened a new opportunity for capital city-based local media around the country.
* LMI stories:
Governors summits are high margin events
Leveraging local business media into a money making events franchise
Best B2C Event
Event: Kidz Expo
Company: WEHCO Media
Market: Chattanooga Times Free Press - Chattanooga, TN
Population: 171,279
Key executive: Angela Doggett, Events Manager
Judges take: This is simply the largest and highest revenue generating event at the top event company. Not only does it focus on a female market and provide a new way to take on the parenting category – mostly ceded to local magazines - but also is an event filled with fun activities from bounce chambers, to jungle gyms, and national sponsors like McDonalds, that have been converted from the event into advertisers.
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