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IOWA IRISH FEST EVENT MARKETING

IOWA IRISH FEST EVENT MARKETING

AMPERAGE Marketing & Fundraising has been the creative partner for the Cedar Valley Irish Cultural Association’s annual Iowa Irish Fest since 2014 in downtown Waterloo. The weekend of Irish music, food, dance, sports and culture has attracted visitors from 38 U.S. states and five countries since its founding in 2007.

Connect

AMPERAGE consultants developed strategies to increase the weekend event’s success, thus furthering its mission of fostering and developing Irish fellowship and outreach into the community with Irish cultural events and programs.

Motivate

AMPERAGE focused on tactical event planning, including brand image and public relations. Strategies included:

  • Creation of a compelling, unified brand image used throughout all media and at all events
  • Extensive PR efforts with regional and national media prior to and during the days of the festival
  • Social media support to achieve goals for increased social media interaction
  • A comprehensive media plan that encompassed TV, radio, digital, print and outdoor advertising
  • A tactical event plan that included strategies for brand, advertising, media and PR to increase overall awareness and promote attendance

Measure

Working with AMPERAGE, the 12th Annual Iowa Irish Fest:

  • Set an attendance record for the 12th consecutive year, with an increase of more than 20% over 2017, from 38,500 to 48,389 attendees
  • Sold more than 12,600 tickets in advance
  • Increased Facebook followers from 1,877 to 13,249 from 2014 to 2018
  • Reached new regional and national Irish and Celtic organizations for future partnership opportunities
  • Attracted 14 on-site media sessions during the event
  • Compiled important information for the future through a post-festival survey of attendees created, distributed, collected and analyzed by AMPERAGE