American Quarter Horse Association Improves Event Communications with AlertMedia Notification System

May 25, 2017

Once upon a time, the American Quarter Horse Association relied on the antiquated method of using email to communicate with attendees and event staff during their world shows and events throughout the year.

As a result, the largest equine breed registry and membership organization struggled to provide real-time updates and other important notifications that were crucial to the success of their events.

Enter emergency notification system provider AlertMedia, which helped bring AQHA’s mass communications methods into the modern age via a user-friendly, two-way notification software platform that now helps the organization communicate quickly and easily with event staff and attendees – especially crucial in the case of last-minute schedule changes, emergency situations and other important notifications.

“There are many unpredictable factors that can and do have an impact on our events,” explained Lauren Walsh, CMO of AQHA.

She continued, “Our website is designed to provide information about our organization but not necessarily to provide real-time updates with vital information to event participants. With AlertMedia we can easily distribute show updates and information, respond to questions and keep everyone updated with schedule changes as well as weather announcements.”

Designed to deliver communications that protect organizations, improve operations and mitigate loss from any location, at any time and from any device, AlertMedia uses a two-way mass notification software that incorporates a built-in 24/7 monitoring system, tracking thousands of information sources that allows organizations to easily communicate incidents during their events.

The cloud-based platform also enables organizations to send and receive unlimited messages via multiple channels, including custom channels that can be easily integrated using the AlertMedia API, while an intuitive mapping feature provides event staff with insight into their attendees’ locations and proximity to potentially dangerous incidents.

“Being able to communicate with all of our onsite staff, participants and the event attendees at the touch of a button is fantastic,” Walsh said.

She added, “Our staff can relay information to the event organizers and answer questions in a timely fashion. AlertMedia helps us keep our people safe and informed, which leads to better events and a better participant experience.” 

By using AlertMedia’s web and mobile applications, AQHA now has the ability to interact with attendees and staff from any device and over any communication channel, including voice call, text, native mobile apps, email, social media and Slack, thus, keeping their people safe and informed with just a few clicks.

Pre-event, AQHA simply uploads all staff and registered participant information into the platform, grouping people in a way that makes it easy for them to reach the right audience quickly.

“We work with a lot of vendors, contractors, and consultants and AlertMedia’s customer service and attentiveness has been unparalleled,” Walsh said.

She continued, “Our exhibitors greatly appreciate the timely information they receive and especially the ability to communicate back to us with questions and information. The AlertMedia team is available to us at night and over the weekend during the entire course of our events, which truly sets them apart from other vendors.”

So far, the AQHA has used AlertMedia during its Built Ford Tough AQHYA World Championship Show; the Adequan Select World Championship Show and the Lucas Oil World Championship Show, with great results.

According to Brian Cruver, AlertMedia CEO, hundreds of enterprise customers in more than 80 countries across all industries are using the AlertMedia platform to protect their organizations, automate operations and mitigate loss.

“Putting on events that involve thousands of participants, whether it’s a corporate conference, global sporting event or community affair, can be a tremendous responsibility,” Cruver said.

He added, “AlertMedia is proud to help AQHA keep its attendees and employees safe and well informed while they are participating in AQHA world shows. They turned to us when they recognized they needed a better way to send and receive critical information and that’s what AlertMedia delivers.”

Learn more about AlertMedia here

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Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? 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As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. 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Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.