TEDxStanleyPark

The Story

In winter of 2015, GEM’s public relations department was selected as the PR agency for TEDxStanleyPark, an independently-run TED Talks event held on May 28, 2016, in Vancouver, British Columbia. GEM had two main objectives: first, to generate broad market awareness and interest for TEDx throughout the Lower Mainland, and second, to increase ticket sales to the main event.

Press Outreach

GEM began by cultivating a media list in the Greater Vancouver area, and targeting the largest print and digital media outlets through strategic press advisories. In addition, GEM’s PR department packaged and pitched individual speakers and stories to specific journalists. Altogether, GEM’s outreach involved over 120 journalists at the 35 Metro Vancouver outlets during the lead-up to the event at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

Outcomes

During the the three-month lead-up to the event, GEM’s PR department gained over 357 million earned media impressions, and earned pickups in over 70 websites, with an advertising equivalency rate of almost $200,000. Most importantly, the press coverage led to a 260% increase in ticket sales for TEDxStanleyPark, making for one of the most successful and most talked-about events of 2016 in the greater Vancouver region.