Spring 2017


FOUR UNIQUE EXPERIENCES THAT GOT HIGH PRAISE FROM SUMMIT ATTENDEES


Marketers and event planners have one common goal: engagement. At The Southern C Summit, unique formats and experiential moments won the hearts and minds of the attendees.


1. LIVE PITCH: The standard conference panel discussion was taken to a new level at the


2017 Summit, with great success. Rather than a typical Q & A on how to do a live pitch, a live-pitch session was conducted, with 10 preselected attendees pitching their products to a group of editors from national lifestyle magazines, while Summit attendees watched from the audience.


2. MENTOR SESSION: The approach was simple. With more than 20 mentors on


hand with expertise in media, publishing, marketing, and business ownership, attendees preselected the mentor group they wished to join. Groups were small, with only 8–10 attendees around a table participating in honest conversations and real-time problem-solving between mentors and mentees.


high-profile organizations such as Coastal Living, Traditional Home, Pinterest, and One Kings Lane, to name a few. Presenters shared inspiring success stories pulled from the pages of their own work, while offering reality checks and tips on how businesses can leverage everything from influencer and advocate marketing to social media marketing. Networking continues to be a significant part


of the Summit experience. “We have to make sure people understand the networking aspect of the Summit, too,” says Paye. “With three days of events and a smaller group of people, you have more opportunities for connection points,” she continues. “Conversations are longer and deeper with the people you meet at our summit, including the presenters. Our goal is to create intimate and meaningful involvement, unlike the traditional larger conference experience.”


WHY A LIMITED HEAD COUNT? By limiting attendance to 300, The Southern C enables Summit attendees, partners, and presenters to dive in and embrace authenticity. “Transparency among our group is huge. Everyone is willing to share stories and resources, and this authenticity


3. ENVIRONMENT: Creating a beautiful and relaxing environment for both the speakers


and attendees was crucial. Roomy, 10-top tables were draped in rich fabric and set with only eight chairs, all facing the stage. Sensory touches were added in the form of fresh flowers and chocolate-dipped or candied locally-grown Georgia pecans on each table. The stage mirrored a well-dressed living room, with plush sofas, lamps, and artwork as opposed to long tables, stiff chairs, and a line of microphones.


4. FORMAT: The Summit team chose a format that kept the attendees all together in the same


room for consecutive sessions. The result was a calm experience of settling in for the day in one seat, with everyone hearing all speakers and presentations rather than checking schedules, choosing between concurrent presentations, and scurrying from one room to the next.


is incredibly important to our attendees. It truly is a hallmark of the Summit and, as we curate our presenter list, we keep this in mind,” says Whitney Long. “At this year’s Summit, presenters willingly gave out their email addresses on stage and shared their own resources, while editors eagerly invited entrepreneurs to send them pitches of their products.” There is an earnest sense of camaraderie at the


Summit fostered by the culture and atmosphere of sharing. New attendees are welcomed into the fold quickly, and returning alums are thrilled to reconnect. Leavy says, “In some ways, each Summit is like a class reunion. That’s why we use the word ‘alumni.’ Once you participate, you want to stay involved, which, of course, helps with ticket sales year after year.”


ORGANIC REACH Despite the dominance of an online world, the leadership team attributes the overall success of the Summit to word-of-mouth referrals. The energy of the experience spills over into social media, drawing in both newbies and repeat attendees, and referrals spread like wildfire. “Search #tscsummit or #ConnectCollaborateCreate on Instagram or Twitter and you’ll see,” says Cheri Leavy.


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The volume of social media created during


the Summit continues to grow year over year, according to Paye. Preliminary stats captured during the week of the 2017 Summit revealed that the presenters posting about the Summit on their Instagram accounts resulted in 63,426 total likes and an average engagement rate of 3.11 percent, while posts on The Southern C Instagram account reflected 7,611 likes, representing a significant increase over previous years. Organic earned media in digital and print outlets, as well as influencer coverage, is also an important piece of the promotional strategy to help drive Summit momentum throughout the year. “In terms of PR, we can’t rest on what’s worked in years past. It’s important to know your audience and where and how they consume media,” says Libba Osborne, Principal at Leapfrog PR, which is based in Charleston and The Southern C’s partner agency. “We work with presenters, influencers, and media outlets in The Southern C’s target pillars to garner endorsements leading up to the Summit. After the Summit, we focus on post coverage, recapping the educational takeaways and highlighting the signature Summit lifestyle events. This strategy helps propel promotion and keep momentum leading up to subsequent Summits.”


EVENT APP TECHNOLOGY To give attendees yet another return on their investment, The Southern C founders created a custom event app through Attendify. The app not only connects attendees during the event with live activity and social streaming, it also includes gamification and push notifications for news and updates. The app remains active after the Summit ends to allow attendees to search out other attendees, read profiles, and continue to connect and communicate.


POSTEVENT INSPIRATION The Southern C team realizes that they need to keep up the momentum, excitement, and sharing through continued storytelling after the event. #ISpyTSCSummitAlums is a series curated in social media posts and email-newsletter mentions that show off alumni collaborations made from connections at the Summit. “The ‘I Spy’ series is a celebration, but it’s also a set of powerful case studies,” says Leavy. 


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