For the second consecutive year, the Vancouver Convention Centre is honoured with an international Meetings Industry Marketing Award (MIMA). The Centre took home the coveted award for “Best Use of Video Marketing” (bronze) at the recent MIMA gala in London.
The award recognizes the Centre’s new video testimonial campaign, which was created to showcase the expanded facility and Vancouver’s success in hosting large, complex conventions. Each video testimonial chronicles the experience of event organizers at different stages of a high-profile convention held in Vancouver.
“We are thrilled that our innovative marketing strategies continue to receive international recognition in our industry,” says Claire Smith, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Vancouver Convention Centre. “The goal with our video testimonial campaign is to let our clients tell our story – the story about Vancouver as an ideal meeting destination, our stunning waterfront setting, flexible space and exceptional service.”
Smith explains that the campaign moves away from the traditional testimonial, which typically consists of a simple message from a client after their experience with a company. “We produced short video case studies that take viewers on a journey through a convention from set-up to move-out, addressing the key concerns and considerations that event organizers have when choosing a venue.”
The video testimonials are versatile. Not only can they be used in business development initiatives, they are shared on social media platforms to further the Centre’s reach in international markets. Clients showcased in the campaign can also use the videos to further promote their events.
This award complements the 2011 gold MIMA earned by the Vancouver Convention Centre for “Best New Media Advertising Campaign.”
The Meetings Industry Marketing Awards were launched in 2002 to raise the standards of marketing in the meetings and events industry and to recognize the marketers. An independent panel made up of meetings industry experts and leading buyers judged all award entries.
The only two-time winner of the International Association of Congress Centres’ APEX award for “World’s Best Convention Centre,” the Vancouver Convention Centre features two connected buildings with a combined total of 466,500 ft2 (43,340 m2) of flexible meeting, exhibition, ballroom and plenary space. Since inception, the facility has demonstrated a constant commitment to service, technical and culinary excellence, as well as environmental sustainability. In fact, the Centre’s West building has received LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification, and is the only convention centre in the world awarded the highest LEED® rating.
