3 Rules for Amazing Conference Contest Giveaways

Team CitySourced recently completed another successful trip to the Esri UC conference, which marks our third trip to the event. We’ve grown considerably since we took the stage in front of 15,000 with Jack Dangermond back at conference in 2010. In a short two year span, our mobile enterprise reporting system has grown to cover municipalities and school systems in 6 countries across 4 continents. That growth has been greatly supported by many partners, including our inclusion in the Esri Partner Network.

We’ve certainly learned a lot in our time. But, what does this all have to do with flying drones you ask?

Well, this year we decided to step up our Exhibit Booth efforts and hold a contest to giveaway a Parrot AR Drone 2.0. This hovering, spinning device was a hit! It helped us attract large crowds and easily grabbed passerby’s attention. Any one was allowed to enter and we were able to easily collect contact information from over 500 individuals. Our lucky winner was Allen Wright, a GIS Technician from City of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Click here to watch a video of the drone in flight

So what makes for a great giveaway? From our experience, here are our keys to success.

3 Keys to Conference Contest Prizes

1. Make it Unique

I love my iPad. Gift cards are nice. But, the endless rows of exhibitors begin to blend together. Therefore, if your prize is unique, you’ll grab much more attention, and other conference attendees will help spread the word. They become your own brand ambassador. Sweet!

2. Your Audience is #1

You’ve got to keep the interest of your audience in mind. Esri UC is about the power of GIS and how maps and data can solve major problems. As a result, it attracts many scientists and techies. What’s great about the drone is that it involves technology, but at the core it’s a high-tech toy. It speaks to the child in us all. Plus, many of our participants mentioned their own kids really wanting one of these. We struck a deep chord with our audience. Are your prizes and contests invoking this type of response?

3. Don’t Forget Cost

Spend too little and you’ll not get very far with conference attendees. Blow your marketing budget on an expensive prize and you’ll attract too many low quality leads. If money wasn’t an issue, it would be easy to find amazing prizes. You need to be creative to find your cost sweet spot, but remember that one prize giveaway should only account for a reasonable portion of your marketing and event budget.

Check out other great images from the event and leave your thoughts and questions in the comments!