Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2014: Building Buzz

July 30, 2014

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is the world’s premier exhibition for the gaming industry. The show is sponsored by Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which is the U.S. association dedicated to serving business and public affairs needs of companies, publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, PCs and the Internet; and is managed by IDG World Expo.

Each year, without fail, E3 draws tens of thousands of professionals (47,000+) to experience the future of interactive entertainment. Some of the most influential people who lead the most innovative companies in the industry attend E3 to witness the premier of groundbreaking technologies and never-before-seen products for computers, video game consoles, handheld systems, mobile and social along with the Internet.

It’s no surprise that this show garners a whole lot of buzz. Gamers eat and breathe every form of information they get over the Internet. They actively share their opinions over Twitter, Facebook, blogs,YouTube, etc. How does E3 continue to create the online commotion they’re known for? By constantly keeping their online and at-show target on their toes…

Here are my two favorite tactics I observed as I walked the show floor and searched #hashtags online:

1. Celebrity Appearances- Everything from vlogs during the show on celebrities playing video games for the first time to having them make guest appearances where fans could meet and greet with them… My favorite was this one with Conan O’Brien. It not only captured their at-show attendees, but also gave online fans a reason to continue following the chatter. They never knew what was coming next!

2. Live Feeds- Some show organizers view live feeds as dipping into potential revenue, but in all reality it gave fans watching online a reason to not miss the show next year and gaming fans an inside look. This also was a chance to earn another sponsorship with a company called, “Twitch.” In addition, it gave bloggers an avenue to participate in the conversation even if they were not able to attend. Checkout thelive feed and you’ll understand why they called it being an insider. Twitch received over 10.9 million views the day before E3 even opened!

Even though there are consistent hesitations when it comes to attracting the wrong types of buzz, I believe that E3 has shown our industry that shows and their community benefit from the online chatter and buzz… It’s even better when you have control over it. It’s genius people.

How are you planning to strategically create buzz for next show? Share your tips below.

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