Marketing has become increasingly important in driving attendance at meetings. It's no surprise, then, that a session on attendance promotion at the annual meeting of the Professional Convention Management Association, held in Indianapolis in January, was well-attended. Participants brainstormed ideas on how to increase attendance at their meetings. Here are some of their thoughts:

• Put stickers with the basic conference information on all the materials you send to members throughout the year.

• Include convention info, including a link to registration, in your e-mail signature and in your voice mail message.

• Include a multimedia CD that promotes the city and the meeting's education with your print mailings.

• Use testimonials in promo materials.

• Piggyback meeting promotions with other mailings. For example, a medical association could include the meeting brochure with a video of a new medical procedure of interest to its members.

• To get e-mail addresses for members, mail a postcard inviting potential attendees to participate in a contest if they register on your Web site. Providing their e-mail address is required for entry.

• Ask the CVB to e-mail short, interesting facts about the location, speakers, or other aspects of your meeting as a weekly promotion.

• Send several short e-mails that highlight one or two aspects of the program, rather than sending the entire brochure in electronic form.

• Use the association name or acronym in the subject line of e-mails so it will stand out from the spam.

• Know your market (some of your members may prefer fax or snail mail).

• Include a “tell a friend” option on all e-mail and Web promotions.

• Include a direct link to the housing registration site from your Web site — and offer a chance to win a prize for those who register and book housing through your site.

• Send press releases showcasing the highlights of your meeting to all related trade magazines, as well as the local press at your meeting's locale.

• If your organization includes regional chapters, have someone from the national end attend regional conferences to promote the national meeting, and take registrations on site.

• Partner with exhibitors and vendors. Provide a print piece with meeting information that exhibitors can send to their clients, and fliers they can include in billing envelopes for their customers. Create coupons with both your and their logos for vendors to give to customers.

• Partner with your speakers. Ask them to create a video snippet you can put on your Web site to create buzz.

• Partner with other related or complementary organizations. Offer discounts to their members.

• Let attendees and exhibitors know they can hold their sales, training, or other meetings in conjunction with your meeting. Work with the hotel to get them good prices on rooms.

• Call longstanding members who have stopped attending to find out what it would take to bring them back.

• Offer a discount for the next year's meeting at this year's meeting, and be prepared to register attendees on site.

• Invite the CVB from next year's meeting site to this year's meeting so they can promote their destination.

• Offer group discounts, e.g., buy five registrations, get one free or discounted.

• Recap last year's highlights in this year's promotions to show attendees what they missed, and what they have to look forward to.