Let’s Put On A Show!

By: Rich Kane

In the never-ending pursuit of new and successful revenue streams, some newspapers have turned to producing events and conventions. At the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, this directional shift has begun to pay some welcome dividends.

In August, the newspaper organized its second annual Hawaii Homebuyers Fair, a free, open-to-the-public experience that featured real estate professionals, mortgage firms, home improvement experts and development representatives all networking with potential customers. Held at the Hawaii Convention Center and billed by the paper as a one-stop shop for both first-time homebuyers and those looking to purchase new digs, it was a Saturday full of informative workshops, furious business-card swapping and exhibitor booth tchotchke hording.

All in all, a huge hit, according to Patrick Klein, the Star-Advertiser’s director of advertising.

“This idea originated from our clients,” Klein said. “As a newspaper, we’re the largest print media here, we have all these relationships with developers and real estate professionals. They came to us and asked, how can we help educate the people who are really serious about buying a home?”

The newspaper’s marketing department sold the booth space. Klein said they found fair exhibitors through already-established ad accounts. They worked with the convention center to get trade-outs and favorable rates to keep costs low on things like food and drinks. Promotion was a cinch, with space available in the newspaper and the ability to blast out alerts on the newspaper’s website and social media accounts. The paper also produced a tabloid that served as the event brochure. Prudential hosted a first-time homebuyers seminar, while Bank of Hawaii hosted a home-financing workshop on mortgage preparation.

There was also a special promotion where the first 100 people who registered for the fair in advance got their $10 parking fee waived, thanks to a sponsoring partner.

“We got people to show up who may not have because they had free parking,” said David Kennedy, the Star-Advertiser’s chief revenue officer. “It was a great response and a great turnout, a six-percent growth over last year.”

Just weeks before the Hawaii Homebuyers Fair, the Star-Advertiser also put together the Hawaii Career Expo, another success that attracted 100 employers and job-recruiters. “Those exhibitors are able to now be our customers, so we can continue that relationship,” said Klein. “It naturally opens up doors.”

A key to the Star-Advertiser’s success is relatively low overhead, according to Klein.

“Events are successful for us because we have the framework set. We’re not adding extra expense because our sales force is already there, and is our marketing department. We have the relationships to defer a lot of costs.”

Still, event production isn’t headache-free. “You have to find out who works with the people who build the booths, who handles electrical, the water and the tablecloths,” Kennedy said. “It’s a learning process you go through.”

Whatever they’ve learned, it seems to be working. Kennedy and Klein are talking about future events, and they hope to add a couple more.

“Other papers have been contacting us for tips and advice on how we’re doing it,” Klein said. “Everyone is looking at different ways to get extra revenue.