Event Management and Green Marketing for Renewable Fuels

It was the launch of a new energy trade show, and it culminated in a historic resolution that would change the industry. It started with branding and event planning and ended with a nationwide public relations campaign.

First there was an idea ("We need a trade show that focuses on real issues for our industry"), and then a name (The Heating and Energizing America Trade Show or HEAT Show), and then a mission, “The Road to Net Zero Carbon Starts Here.” We knew the players, knew the audience, and knew what had to be done. We also knew we had less than 6 months in which to do it all.

It was all hands on deck, as the graphics and branding teams came up with logos, designs and general concepts. These were used everywhere: signs and brochures and show swag and apparel and posters and so on. We were the guardians of the brand standards and ensured consistency wherever it was used.

The website was quickly developed and ready for visitors … completely functional … including user admins and integration with third-party APIs.

All the while, our event management crew was creating a trade show. From registration costs to sponsorship packages, from session schedules to speaker RFPs – we worked with our client’s development team to produce a show that truly answered the needs of the industry. 

Media planning jumped in with marketing strategies, email schedules and social media campaigns. Our content developers worked overtime: content for industry publications … affiliated associations … newsletters … email blasts … more email blasts … social media … more social media … and just, more! Focusing on industry specific outlets, we blanketed the market with a continual stream of information, updates, reminders and exciting news.

Opening day and the show was an unqualified success, with nearly 1,500 attendees, 120 exhibitors, 22 major sponsors, and four days of high level business seminars and technical training courses. It all culminated with what would come to be known as “The Providence Resolution.”

In a meeting room in a convention center in Providence, 300 liquid fuel industry leaders from across the Northeast and East Coast, including equipment manufacturers, producers, wholesalers and retailers, association leaders and others, joined together to discuss the realities of climate change, carbon levels, and their already strong commitment to renewable fuels with lower emissions. It was there that the historic resolution to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions 15% by 2023, 40% by 2030 and reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 was passed by unanimous consent.

It was time for us to spread the news! Our public relations team went into overdrive. The release was written with the client that very night at the show. Distribution soon followed: direct to our contacts at media outlets across the region … through news wires to reach everyone else ... and to any publication or association even tangentially related to the energy market. We even physically walked the news into a major newspaper’s office and spoke with their energy editor!

For PriMedia, this was green marketing at its most important – being part of something that could positively affect our environment for decades to come, helping our clients do well by doing good, and seeing the optimism spread. We are already planning and promoting next year's HEAT Show, which we expect to be equally historic!