SAVOR... is the exclusive provider of full-service event planning and catering services for the nation`s top venues, including the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center and the Aquarium of the Pacific. While these venues are well-known throughout the LA and Orange counties, few people are aware that the Aquarium services private special events. SAVOR was looking to build awareness of these opportunities available at the Aquarium, and enhance the number of bookings for holiday parties, wedding ceremonies and receptions, picnics, and other private and corporate events.

One of the largest challenges was the concentrated amount of competition within the Downtown Long Beach area; Restaurants, hotels, harbor cruises, museums and churches line the streets of the city. SAVOR needed to inform consumers about the Aquarium and its services while standing out from their competitors.

The solution was to assess the Aquarium’s competitive advantage over other event venues and create a demand for the Aquarium through effective branding and informative advertising. NHaK developed a full 2007 marketing plan, focusing on direct mail and print/online advertising. The agency designed a series of effective advertisements and direct mail pieces that would expand public awareness of the venue and inform consumers about its unique and incomparable attributes.

The marketing efforts provided dramatic results for the Aquarium’s special events bookings, resulting in an increase in overall bookings and a nearly sold-out holiday season. Upon conducting a formal telemarketing survey interview with recent Aquarium of the Pacific clientele, NHaK was able to monitor the success of recent marketing efforts and attribute it to specific elements of the marketing campaign. Clients reported first-hand what ads they saw, what they thought of them, if they were a motivating factor in their decision to choose the Aquarium, as well as their perspective of the event experience. The results from this survey help NHaK to continue designing effective ads in addition to keeping SAVOR in tune with crucial client satisfaction reporting.