Toronto-based National Event Management is currently in the throes of planning an extensive campaign to promote its first National Women’s Show, coming to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in November.

‘We’ll be blasting out a very aggressive marketing plan about six weeks before the show to make a lasting impression on our target audience,’ says Nicole Graves, manager of event marketing and sponsorship at the agency, adding that she hopes to attract 25,000 visitors to the two-day show.

A broad traditional media buy will be combined with PR, promos and sponsorship deals to reach the show’s very wide target of women aged 19 to 64 – with the target bullseye centred on upwardly mobile urban women aged 35 to 45.

High frequency radio buys and promotions are scheduled on sponsor stations such as Mix 99.9, EZ Rock and CHFI. Kicking off about 10 days before the show, the radio blitz will include produced radio ads, two weeks of contests as well as station promos and live remotes from the show.

Meanwhile, a print campaign running during the last two weeks of October will feature ads in major dailies and women’s publications such as Canadian Living. An eight- to 10-page women-focused feature will also appear in the Toronto Star (one of the show’s many sponsors) two days before the show. Regular press releases during the run-up to the show are expected to garner substantial editorial coverage from local TV, print and radio outlets.

National Event Management is also negotiating with a potential TV sponsor which Graves hopes will provide extensive on-air promotion to the right crowd. ‘I’m in talks with a station that targets our demo,’ she says

Direct marketing will also be used to reach the female masses. Brochures will be mailed and faxed to the event company’s vast female database, gathered from previous shows. And more than 75,000 pieces of promotional material are to be distributed through exhibitors, retail outlets and media partners, offering such incentives as free or two-for-one admission coupons.

The show’s Web site, www.nationalwomenshow.com, will complete the marketing plan with up-to-date information on show hours and features, along with sponsor logos and site links.