Join our Webinar “Marketing on a Budget”

Marketing on a Budget Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/890304078People say you have to spend money to make money. But for fairs and rodeos, there isn’t always a lot of money to spend, so you need to make every penny count. From this Free Webinar you will learn: Where you need … Continue reading “Join our Webinar “Marketing on a Budget””

Free Webinar!
Marketing on a Budget


Reserve Your Seat Now!
Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/890304078People say you have to spend money to make money. But for fairs and rodeos, there isn’t always a lot of money to spend, so you need to make every penny count.

From this Free Webinar you will learn:

  • Where you need to be spending your marketing budget
  • Why your website plays an important part in the success of any event or business
  • How to get people to engage with you on mobile during your event
  • 6 free tools you can use to enhance your online presence

Register now to join Kendra Wright, President of Saffire, and Cassie Roberts, Manager of Sales and Partnerships, as they answer these questions and help you get the most bang for your marketing buck.

Title: Marketing on a Budget
Date: Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM CST

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

 

Free Webinar!

 

Have we got a deal for you!

Last week, one of our friends in the fair industry introduced us to a wonderful company called Consistent Computer Bargain and we wanted to share this resource with all of you! We hear from events all the time that money is tight, and we understand that when finances become available, there are often more pressing … Continue reading “Have we got a deal for you!”

Last week, one of our friends in the fair industry introduced us to a wonderful company called Consistent Computer Bargain and we wanted to share this resource with all of you!

We hear from events all the time that money is tight, and we understand that when finances become available, there are often more pressing issues than updating your technology.  That’s where CCB comes in.

They provide reasonable pricing to non-profit organizations to stay up-to-date on the latest available technologies including brands like Microsoft, Apple, Dell, McAfee, HP and more.

If your event is a 501(c)(3) Organization, we encourage you to see what CCB can do for you!  Please know, you will need to be able to prove your tax status with documentation to verify your current status as an accredited charitable organization to take advantage of this opportunity.

Saffire 101: Create Your Own Form

It is no secret that a lot of people are involved in making an event successful.  Coordinating and communication information takes up a lot of time, so we wanted to do what we could to make the lives of our clients a little easier. Gone are the days when customers, vendors and sponsors printed PDF … Continue reading “Saffire 101: Create Your Own Form”

It is no secret that a lot of people are involved in making an event successful.  Coordinating and communication information takes up a lot of time, so we wanted to do what we could to make the lives of our clients a little easier.

Gone are the days when customers, vendors and sponsors printed PDF forms and mailed them to your office. Now, you can create custom forms to collect the information you need, complete with online submissions. And you no longer need to manually enter the information, because forms come to you by email and you can also export form data to a spreadsheet or any database.

In this episode of Saffire 101, our creative director Jeremy will show you how easy it is to create a form and access the data to learn more about your customers, vendors and sponsors.

Understanding the New Facebook Timeline

After lots of buzz and a first appearance on personal accounts, Facebook rolled out Timeline for brands on February 29.  While some brands have received the new format with open arms, others are a little unsure of how to create their new presence, so let’s take a little time to explain the Timeline and what … Continue reading “Understanding the New Facebook Timeline”

After lots of buzz and a first appearance on personal accounts, Facebook rolled out Timeline for brands on February 29.  While some brands have received the new format with open arms, others are a little unsure of how to create their new presence, so let’s take a little time to explain the Timeline and what it can do for your event.

Some have compared the new Timeline to a blog template that allows you to focus more on images and milestones.  You are basically given a skeleton to fill in with your event’s unique story.  Now, you can focus less on trying to sell yourself and more on showing your personality which will create a personal connection with fans.

Cover Photo

Not long ago, brands began creating default landing pages to display large images.  While that will no longer be available with the new Timeline, Facebook’s answer to the situation was offering a cover photo.  The recommended image dimensions for the large photo are 850 x 315 pixels.

The cover photo is your chance to get creative.  Use this space as a way to make big announcements like next year’s dates and concert performers.  You can change your cover photo any time, so it would be beneficial to change it each day during your event to focus on what’s happening on the grounds each particular day.

While many people are excited about the possibilities of cover photos, please don’t forget your profile picture.  This picture will still appear everywhere else on Facebook, so make sure it can stand alone and represent your brand.

Milestones

While the new timeline will automatically create a recent history of your event, you can also tell the story of how your event became the experience visitors have come to know and love.

You can add milestones as far back as the year 1000.  You should use the information you already have, but take this opportunity to research your event’s history for new information.  You may find interesting photos and stories that could also be used as marketing materials.

Make sure to call out important photos and events on your Timeline by clicking the star on a post that expands the photo to a widescreen view.  You can even pin content so it will remain the top post for 7 days.

For some fans, displaying your history may reignite enthusiasm for your event.  They may see something that reminds them of their experience when they were younger and encourage them to once again make your event a priority.

Because Facebook no longer has the issue of information being “below the fold,” your content has a much longer lifespan.  Users will likely continue to comment and like posts long after their initial creation date, which means you need to focus more on quality of posts instead of quantity.

What’s next?

Brands have until March 30 to go live with their new Timeline, but some pages have already made the switch.

Here is our list of events to watch as you create your new profile:

  • Missouri State Fair– Their cover photo collage gives you a look at the past and present of the fair to show you that they are an established event that has stood the test of time.
  • Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo– You quickly see that this event has a rich history since their milestones go all the way back to the 1900’s!
  • California State Fair– Their dates are right at the top for all to see.
  • Montana State Fair– Touting a giveaway is a great way to increase fans and interaction on your page.
  • Eastern Idaho State Fair– While their cover photos is whimsical, they remembered the importance of their profile picture as a Facebook wide representation of their event.

Saffire Updates: Version 1.6.5

Last week, up made a few minor updates to Saffire that are now live on our customers’ sites!  Here is a quick summary of the changes to bring you all up to speed. 1.  You now have the option to print mailing labels for your SaffireCommerce™ orders! We made sure that our software was compatible with … Continue reading “Saffire Updates: Version 1.6.5”

Last week, up made a few minor updates to Saffire that are now live on our customers’ sites!  Here is a quick summary of the changes to bring you all up to speed.

1.  You now have the option to print mailing labels for your SaffireCommerce™ orders! We made sure that our software was compatible with Avery 5160 labels.  You can also add custom text on the receipt so you can use it as a packing slip.
Watch this video to learn more!

2.  Now changing your homepage featured events is easier than ever! You will notice on your featured events tab when you add items to your homepage, the dropdown menus automatically sort your events in alphabetical order and display the date for easy searching.
Watch this video to learn more!

3.  Your Saffire site is now running smoother with faster load speed on your interactive event schedule, which helps event pages load faster too.

We’re already getting started on our next updates.  That’s the beauty of Saffire: we are always improving without having to charge you for every single update.  And trust us, we like not having to charge you!

Welcome Palomino Fest & Pro Rodeo!

We are excited to announce lucky client #13: Palomino Fest & Pro Rodeo of Uvalde, TX! Last week, Cassie made a road trip out west to meet with the festival committee and show them all of the features included in Saffire.  They must have liked what they saw because they signed up right on the … Continue reading “Welcome Palomino Fest & Pro Rodeo!”

We are excited to announce lucky client #13: Palomino Fest & Pro Rodeo of Uvalde, TX!

Last week, Cassie made a road trip out west to meet with the festival committee and show them all of the features included in Saffire.  They must have liked what they saw because they signed up right on the spot!

We’ve already started on the look and feel of their website and will be training them on the software later this week.  It will be ready to go soon so they can take full advantage of their new online presence before Labor Day weekend.

Our trip to the Big Show: Rodeo Houston

As rodeo season got into full swing, the Austin office realized that we all had one thing missing in our lives: none of us had ever been to the Houston Rodeo. Kendra quickly took matters into her own hands and bought tickets for us to take a little field trip down to Houston, and it … Continue reading “Our trip to the Big Show: Rodeo Houston”

As rodeo season got into full swing, the Austin office realized that we all had one thing missing in our lives: none of us had ever been to the Houston Rodeo.

Kendra quickly took matters into her own hands and bought tickets for us to take a little field trip down to Houston, and it was quite a fun evening!

Once we arrived, Kendra, Jessica and Rebekah wanted to take a walk around the grounds, but Cassie headed straight for the arena so she wouldn’t miss a second of the action.  She even got to see her childhood friend Kay, whose husband is Pro-Bareback Rider Steven Dent.

We were happy to be a part of the crowd of 76,987 that attended the rodeo on Thursday night as we enjoyed a night filled with fried food and cold beer.

I think I can speak for the whole team when I say that the highlight of the night was Lady Antebellum!  They played a great set and really had the crowd going.


(Photo courtesy of Houston Radio Station KHMX)

The next morning, we couldn’t help but notice the cutest cupcake shop on our way out of town.  We decided to make a quick stop at Crave Cupcakes to get a treat from their rodeo inspired selection for the ride home.  It was a great decision!

The Austin office had a great experience at Rodeo Houston, and we hope to make it back next year.  We wish their team the best of luck on the last few days of their 2012 event.

Saffire 101: Interactive Event Map

When we first started working with Rodeo Austin, we created a completely custom interactive map for their website, but we quickly learned that event locations don’t always stay the same.  Rodeo Austin needed to make changes, but didn’t have the control. We didn’t think events should have to choose between a custom interactive map at … Continue reading “Saffire 101: Interactive Event Map”

When we first started working with Rodeo Austin, we created a completely custom interactive map for their website, but we quickly learned that event locations don’t always stay the same.  Rodeo Austin needed to make changes, but didn’t have the control.

We didn’t think events should have to choose between a custom interactive map at a higher price or just a plan PDF, so we were inspired to create a way for Saffire customers to build and control their own interactive map.  We studied the way we created our first custom map and built a tool for customers to choose unique color-coded categories and arrange hotspots themselves.

In today’s episode of Saffire 101, Kendra will show you how to create and manage your own interactive event map.