FAQ: HP Event Designer

What is HP Event Designer?

Event Designer is an HP tool that provides a solid framework for planning an effective and successful event. Event Designer consists of 2 easy-to-navigate steps that allow you to fill in the details and plan your event within minutes! There are several free services offered through the tool, including the ability to utilize and customize invitations, reminders, follow-ups and event registration pages. To further enhance your marketing efforts, you can also purchase marketing materials, telemarketing services, customized or unique webinars, promotional items and print packages—you can also rent lists of contacts for all of these efforts.

What can I get from Event Designer?

You can expect to get the framework for your event, free event communications (invitations, reminders and follow-ups), presentation and support content and materials, registration pages, marketing materials, list rentals, telemarketing services, promotional products and more!

What kind of response can we expect from the program?

There is no guarantee of results when it comes to planning an online or in-person event. Since it is easier for people to participate, you might not be surprised that the response rates/attendee ratio to those invited will be higher with online events. On the other hand, your in-person events will likely be more powerful, as you can be face to face with your audience. Additionally, there are ways to ensure a higher event success rate. By taking advantage of the marketing tools available to you through Event Designer's Step 2 "Add-ons", you can ensure that your reach will be broader and more effective.

Who can use the HP Event Designer site?

Any HP partner with a Location ID, internal HP staff and select HP employees (including sales representatives and Partner Business Managers) are eligible to utilize the site.

Is HP Event Designer free?

Yes. All of Step 1 can all be utilized free of charge, with a few add on services such as customizable webinars or printing services offered. The bulk of products and services for purchase are included in Step 2. Here, you will have the opportunity to purchase list rentals, telemarketing campaigns, additional marketing materials and promotional items.

How does Event Designer increase my ROI?

By planning and marketing your event through HP Event Designer:

• You are giving your event visibility it may otherwise not have had for less money than if you planned your event without assistance or another service.
• You will be guided through the entire event planning process, and you will not have to spend any additional time locating or developing invitations or registration pages. Therefore, your ROI will increase as the time you spend putting your event together will be less and the resources you need will be more easily available.
• The response you get will likely be greater because of the marketing options that HP Event Designer makes available to you.

When will I need to provide ROI reporting for HP?

HP works with a marketing agency called Pepper to manage much of the marketing activities of the site. One month after the event date in the system, Pepper will attempt to obtain how many guests were actually present at the event through your "registry". If this feature was not utilized in the event-planning process, Pepper will contact you directly through email. This is very important information, and will kick off the ROI process.

Eventually, the reseller will need to provide pipeline dollars, leads, and closed sales as a result of the event. They will be notified via email of the timelines after they provide the first piece of information (# of guests) to Pepper.

What will I need to provide for ROI reporting?

For ROI reporting, you will be asked to provide:

• Estimated opportunities in the pipeline (as a result of your event) after 2 months
• Estimated sales closed (as a result of your event) after 4 months
• Number of leads resulting from the event after 2 and 4 months

Where can I access an overview of how to use the site?

If you click on How to Use this Site on the top of the website, there is a brief overview of all of the steps. We have also included an on-demand webinar that walks you through the site on the first page of this area. Additionally, there are How to PDFs included throughout the steps. You can access them whenever there is a Learn more link displayed.

How do I plan my event if I want to hold the event over the web?

You will select Online live or Online on-demand when you choose your event location in Step 1. Once you fill out your event details, you will have the opportunity to send out invitations to your target audience. The invitation will include the location (webinar link), date, and time (if it is a live webinar), as well as a link to the registration page. You can purchase any additional services you need in Step 2. Then, once you go through the steps, you have the opportunity to send out invitations to your target market. Once attendees register on your free registration page, they will receive a customized invitation to view the webinar until it expires or on the live date.

What do I put for the event date for an online event?

For a live webinar event, the event date should not differ from planning an in-person event. You want to put the date and time that the webinar will be shown. For an on-demand webinar, the general rule of thumb is to put the last date the webinar will be available online.

How do I plan an in-person event?

You will select In-person when you choose your event location. You have the opportunity to download the PowerPoint presentation tailored to your event topic, or you can create your own. Once you fill out your event details, you are encouraged to send out invitations to your target audience as well. The invitation will include the location, date and time, as well as a link to the registration page. After you send out an invitation, you can send reminders, and also follow-ups at the close of your event thanking them for their participation. All of this is completed in Step 1. You can purchase any additional services you need in Step 2.

What if I want to view the webinar or presentation before I decide whether I want to use it?

When you plan your events online, you can choose to use a pre-recorded webinar that is specific to your topic. To preview the presentation materials, simply click on the link and it will open up on your screen.

If I plan an in-person event, can I still use the PowerPoint templates that Event Designer provides to me? And what if I want to adjust some of the information to tailor the presentation to my specific event?

You can certainly use the PowerPoint templates provided by Event Designer and you can always edit and customize this PowerPoint for your event. You can also insert your company logo for further customization. Please note: the presentations as they are available to you are legally approved by HP. In editing the content, legal compliance will be your responsibility.

Can I use a different topic than the ones offered through the site?

In Step 1 when you choose a topic, you can select Your Own Topic. With this, you can download the blank PowerPoint that is offered and build your presentation. The emails and postcards in Step 3 can also be customized with the specific details of your event.

Are new event topics ever added?

Absolutely. New topics are added regularly. Please contact hpeventdesigner@pepperglobal.com if you would like more information on how to add a topic or make a suggestion for a topic to add to Event Designer.

Can I save or edit my event?

Yes. The save button is at the top-right of every pane, and should be clicked whenever changes are made. Once you have saved all of your information, you can log out and return later to make edits or adjustments. When you log back in to the homepage, you can navigate to the Event Listings page by clicking "View/Edit Existing Event" in the second box. Here, you will see a list of all of the events you have created thus far. All you have to do is click the edit button to the left and you will be taken straight to Step 1 of the event.

Where can I get a summary of my newly created event to review?

The "Summary button" is at the top-right of all of the panes to the left of the "Save" button. You may access this at any time, and it will give you an overview of everything you have filled out thus far. This also gives you the opportunity to navigate to the exact area and make any changes necessary.

What if I want to access one of my old or unfinished events?

There is an Event Listings link on the top left corner of all pages. When you click it, you will be taken to the home screen that displays all of your events, either past or in progress.

How do I know if I missed something in one of the steps?

While going through the Event Designer process, you will notice a gray box in the upper right hand corner that tracks your progress and shows you if anything is incomplete. Remember to save after each step to allow you to move through the site more easily and efficiently.

Will I have my own event registration page?

Yes. You will create your own event registration page with a unique URL that will appear on your event's invitations. Your attendees will use this page to sign up for your event, and the URL ending can be anything you wish as long as it hasn't been used before.

Where can I view my registry?

On your Event Listings page, you will see a list of all events created by you, past and present. On the right, there is a column titled View Registry. If you have developed a registration page, there will be a View link in this column. When you click on that link, you will be taken to a page with all of your event's registrants. You can download this into a CSV or view it on the page.

What types of event materials can I use to help me promote my event? Can they be customized?

You will have the option to choose free invitations, reminders, and follow ups in either postcard or email form in Step 3. You will also have the opportunity to purchase and customize marketing materials such as posters, fliers, brochures, white papers and more, all customized for your specific event. Moreover, if you want promotional items, you can choose among tee shirts, coffee mugs, baseball caps, pens and more to hand out at your event all customized with one or two logos. Finally, you can purchase lists for email or print distribution, or telemarketing campaigns to further the promotion of your event. The combination of any of these makes for an efficient and integrated campaign.

Can I edit the invitations, follow-ups and reminders in Step 3?

Yes, but you can only edit the postcards in Step 3. When you click on an invite, reminder, or follow-up postcard in this step, you will be taken into an editing-ready environment. Here you can click on the different areas of the postcard that can be changed, and a text box will pop up in the left hand side. At this point, you can write and edit the content. You also are able to upload your own logo, and choose a color theme and picture if there are different choices offered (only some topics include multiple color themes and pictures).

Does Pepper provide written content for the customized marketing materials?

No. All written content needs to be provided by you. Pepper offers copy editing of your content as well as two rounds of review in which you can provide changes to the copy.

Can I provide past marketing collateral my company has created to leverage the content into my newly purchased marketing materials?

Yes. You may use existing marketing material as example(s) of copy/content you want included in your Event Designer marketing material. Your Pepper representative will work with you to ensure the final Event Designer marketing material fits into the HP branded template. Please note: All marketing materials created through Event Designer will follow HP brand guidelines (colors, templates, HP logos).

Where can I get a summary of my newly created event to review?

You will get a list of all your information in the final step of planning your event, on the page called The Rundown. This section will show you details on your event such as location, event name, any notes you provided, information on your presentation format or selected support materials, details on your invitations, follow-ups and registration page, and finally, your response and mailing address information. If you click on any of the areas, it will take you directly to the area you want to edit.

How long will my registrant information be available after my event?

The information on your registrants will only be available for a short time after your event, so make sure you collect all of their information before your event takes place!

How would I send any HTML emails I create?

If you do not purchase a list rental from Step 5 (they offer email blasting services if you purchase an email list), then you will need to send the emails from your own email account or email distribution service.

How do I send out custom invitations and direct marketing pieces?

In Step 3, once you are finished editing your postcard, you have the option to download it directly to your computer to send out as you wish, or send it to Print Services. A Pepper representative will contact you to provide a price quote and process your print order. These options are along the top of the Brandflex environment. You can choose to have additional marketing pieces created in Step 5; their creation, printing and mailing can be paid for with HP Marketing Subsidy dollars or MDFs.

Who will I be working with for the implementation of this program?

You will be working with Pepper, an international marketing and communications agency that has been working with HP for over 10 years, delivering hundreds of successful marketing campaigns including HP Technology at Work, the Bring IT Together partner program and many other email, print and integrated campaigns.

How do I pay for any add-on's or marketing materials I order?

The products and services you choose to purchase can be paid for using HP MDFs, HP Marketing Subsidy dollars or can be put on a credit card. When your cart is finalized in Step 5, you just hit Checkout and an email will be sent automatically to the hpeventdesigner@pepperglobal.com inbox. A Pepper representative will contact you within 24 hours, and process payment through the Marketing Subsidy center or your own funds. If your campaign is paid in part or in full using the HP Marketing Subsidy program, that portion of the campaign funding will be paid to us directly by HP. If you are funding part or all of your campaign with your own funds, we require funds for that portion of the campaign in advance of production.

What is a campaign discount/subsidy and how does it work?

HP often offers discounted campaigns to partners or resellers through HP Marketing Subsidy dollars. These subsidies vary by partner, content and value. Many subsidies are available on a first come, first serve basis, and can only be used a single time for up to the amount allowed. This type of subsidy will be described with the verbiage One Time Use. Additionally, there are subsidies offered to partners belonging to specific programs and therefore will not be available to the general partner audience.

What types of campaign costs are eligible for subsidies?

Subsidies are available for email and direct mail campaigns as well as customized literature and more. Some subsidies are only applicable to specific content, so please read all of your subsidy rules carefully. Subsidies apply to setup, print, mailing and direct mail list rental costs up to the amount of the subsidy. Each subsidy offer will define which campaign formats, quantity of campaign subsidies available, order date range requirements, applicable content, the number already used (for limited offers), etc.

Can I use subsidy funds for food/venue/etc.?

Currently, subsidy funds cannot be used for any event enhancements that are not offered through Event Designer.

How do I use/apply my subsidy to my campaign order?

You will have the opportunity to apply available subsidies to qualifying orders when you complete your event, choose campaign add-ons and confirm/place your order in Event Designer. Once a Pepper representative contacts you, you will confirm that you want to use an available subsidy to offset the cost of your campaign order. At that point, the amount of the subsidy will be applied to your campaign order through your Pepper representative. If your campaign order totals more than the available subsidy, you will be expected to pay for the remainder from your own budget.

Who will have access to my customer/prospect mailing list?

Only HP's third-party marketing vendor Pepper and its subcontracted, bonded mailing house will have access to your list. It will be used one time only (unless otherwise requested by you), exclusively for your mailing, and it will not be shared with HP or sold to other parties.

How do I end my Event Designer experience?

Make sure all of your event information is saved, and then you can hit logout in the top right hand corner. If you have items in your shopping cart, be sure to hit the blue check-out in the bottom right- hand corner. This will automatically send your order summary to Pepper, and a representative will contact you within 24 hours.

Who can I contact for support if I need additional help?

Contact information is provided on the HP Event Designer homepage under the Support tab. We'd be happy to help! You can always contact us at support@hpeventdesigner.com