Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) made the decision to shift the 2020 AFPM Summit from an in-person event to a virtual event. As their first all-virtual event, there was concern that their audience would not find value in an online event, which could lead to low registration and attendance numbers. AFPM made the decision to offer complimentary registration for their members and an affordable, reduced rate for non-members (under $200).

With less than 11 weeks to the start of the summit, CSG updated their strategic marketing plan, messaging and digital creative to support the marketing recommendations. The goal was to reach and convert more prospects and grow overall attendance, with a focus on operating companies and international prospects.

Much of the US was working from home during the pandemic, so more traditional marketing efforts, such as direct mail and telemarketing, would not be effective. CSG developed a robust digital plan that included both awareness and conversion tactics, and targeted past attendees by utilizing AFPM’s internal database. It also focused on reaching new prospects in the Petroleum Refining and Petrochemical industries, targeting specific job titles and areas of focus.

The plan included a robust email marketing campaign, Google search engine marketing and display campaigns, Facebook awareness & remarketing campaigns, a LinkedIn display campaign, and a Gmail remarketing campaign.

CSG also worked with AFPM to identify key locations for an Addressable Geofencing campaign. The goal was to convert site managers and facility employees at top operating companies, who would normally not be able to attend in-person events due to scheduling conflicts and time away from the plant. Although most of the US was working remotely during the pandemic, this group was considered “essential” and was working on-site, providing an additional opportunity to reach them at their place of business.

Lastly, with the shift to a virtual event and the elimination of travel time and costs, international prospects became a larger focus for the 2020 summit. With roughly 4 weeks until the start of the event, CSG expanded the reach of the Google display and Facebook

Overall, the 2020 AFPM Summit Digital Campaign resulted in 4.5M impressions, 19K clicks, a strong CTR of 0.42% and 2,308 conversions.* The Google campaigns drove over 85% of the conversions, and in only 4 weeks, the international display campaign resulted in an impressive 1,391 conversions. Social media — primarily driven by the Facebook remarketing campaign — brought in 282 conversions. And while conversions were not able to be tracked, the Addressable Geofencing campaign had a CTR 3x the benchmark.

In total, the summit had 3,605 registrants, well surpassing AFPM’s goal of 1,200. An impressive 67% of registrants were from operating companies and 553 (~15%) were from countries outside of the US.

*A conversion for this campaign was counted as a click on the “Register” button on the summit landing page.