Saffire Blog

Welcome, Sangamon County Fair!

We are so excited to welcome Sangamon County Fair to the Saffire family. Upon meeting this fair at the IAFE Convention & Trade Show in Vegas this year, we knew it was a match made in heaven. This fair has one event we have never heard of before: the HAYLOFT (Helping All Youth Learn Of … Continue reading “Welcome, Sangamon County Fair!”

We are so excited to welcome Sangamon County Fair to the Saffire family. Upon meeting this fair at the IAFE Convention & Trade Show in Vegas this year, we knew it was a match made in heaven.

This fair has one event we have never heard of before: the HAYLOFT (Helping All Youth Learn Of Farming Techniques) in which kids step into the shoes of a farmer for a day to learn how food is grown from the land. The kids even get to enjoy hands-on activities, like milking cows, collecting eggs and riding a mini tractor around!

We can’t wait to see what kind of an impact their new site will have on their attendance and online presence when their fair opens up in June of 2013.

6 Tips to Keep You on Schedule in the New Year

In 2012, did you do everything possible to meet all your goals? How about all your deadlines for social media updates? Did you find yourself feeling overwhelmed with multiple projects popping up at once? Feel at ease, because we are here to help with these 6 tips to get you back on track. Download our … Continue reading “6 Tips to Keep You on Schedule in the New Year”

Download our easy to use Editorial Calendar to help you organize your marketing efforts.

Determine your audience. Who are you talking to & where? (Newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) Knowing your target audience will help you in crafting your message as you think about what they are wanting and needing to hear from you. Establishing an online presence with social media efforts, such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc., will help you reach this audience to develop yourself as a brand they need.

Determine your message. Think about why your customers love you & what they are looking to gain from you. Developing a message that speaks their language is key. Always reach out to your customers, even in the off season. If they feel you care about them, they will, in return, care about you.

Make a plan by arranging your weeks with due dates and deadlines, but don’t forget to track the planning process of your projects as well. It can be easy to say when things will be due, but keep in mind the planning it takes to get there. In the weeks prior to your deadline, map out smaller milestones so you can plan ahead and stay on track. Focusing on one small milestone at a time will help to keep you from getting stressed over the big deadline. Crossing off that checklist feels pretty good, doesn’t it?

Get to work by sticking to the schedule and staying ahead of the game and completing tasks in advance. If you find yourself with extra time available to work on your small task milestones, go ahead! It is always better to get them completed ahead of time whenever possible. Do you already see your stress level going down?

Reach your goals by completing projects on time, simply by following your plan. Go ahead, have a little victory dance; you deserve it! Doesn’t it feel good knowing you are not that guy/gal completing projects late?

For a hands on overview of how we use the editorial calendar, join Kendra Wright on Tuesday, Dec. 18, (3:00-3:30pm CST) for a FREE Online Webinar – 5 Steps to Kick Your Online Marketing into Gear!

Welcome, The Delaware State Fair!

We are so thrilled to announce the newest member to the Saffire Community, The Delaware State Fair! What began in a small Harrington railroad station, quickly grew into a fair that houses over 300,000 attendees a year! They always have great performers, including Luke Bryan, who will be performing next year when their fair opens … Continue reading “Welcome, The Delaware State Fair!”

Delaware State Fair

Delaware State Fair heard about us at this year’s IAFE Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas just a few weeks ago. We were overjoyed to receive a new client so quickly after meeting us, and are excited to be a part of this “Best of Delaware” event!

What happens in Vegas…

Thanks to IAFE for yet another wonderful and fun filled time meeting so many new people and catching up with old friends. Walking into the Paris Hotel with our matching shoes, shirts and jackets, they knew we had arrived…the Turquoise Team was back in action for the 2012 IAFE Convention & Trade Show! Those long … Continue reading “What happens in Vegas…”

See the NO Guy buttons above? Those were the biggest hit at this year’s convention. It was clear how many people were sick and tired of their “Web Guy.” If you didn’t get one, DON’T WORRY! We will be at the Texas Events Summit, hosted by TAFE & TFEA in January. Stop by our booth to pick one up and show your support for no more unreliable web guys!

Another exciting moment at IAFE was seeing CLAY WALKER perform. We couldn’t keep our feet on the ground, with our boots tapping to the beat! There’s nothing better than a country performer to get you hyped up for all the events later in the week!

Did we have a TV giveaway again this year?” you ask. YES! We gave away another 46″ TV and our winner was Aaron Owen from Ozark Empire Fair! CONGRATULATIONS AARON

Our booth was also a great way to meet some wonderful people and organizations. We had a Fairs Everywhere booth next to ours allowing fairs, festivals and rodeos a chance to sign up. We provided demonstrations of our fabulous software to give viewers an interactive chance to see up close and personal how Saffire works. Booths are always a great way to get your name out there; and one thing we do best is have fun with it!

We also gave a presentation about the Saffire software which is also another great way to meet people, show how the software works and answer any questions people had. If you missed the presentation on Increasing Bucks & Butts: Growing Revenue & Attendance with Saffire, have no fear, enjoy the slides here!

While the hours drug on, the night was still young as we prepared for our Hollywood themed Happy Hour. Recognize the names on the stars…one of them might just be yours. Playing dress up isn’t just for kids anymore; adults, you can still have fun too! We had plenty of fun items for people to wear and decorate themselves.. For more fun pics and the recipe for the Paparazzi Punch, check out our next entry!

Our team members say it best:

“Absolutely loved meeting all our new clients from 2012! Happy hour and breakfast were GREAT opportunities to put faces to names, and learn more about individual events we support. Socializing with existing clients and prospective clients is such a huge part of what makes IAFE so successful for Saffire. Our presentation in one of the showcase rooms was so packed, the Fire Marshal had to stop letting people in! Our information is highly regarded by everyone in the industry, and it was great to be able to share our 12+ years of web development experience with the attendees.

Having the gang from San Antonio bid and win the dinner out with Saffire was such a great time. We visited TAO restaurant in the Venetian for a phenomenal meal and experience, and they subsequently introduced us to a drink at the Cosmopolitan that was more of a science experiment than a beverage. It was surreal and fun!

We also had lots of great introductions to new fairs from our existing clients that made us grateful to be a part of this industry.”

– Jeremy

“This year’s IAFE Conference was another glowing success! My favorite experience was actually getting the chance to meet some of our newer clients in person. This not only helped put a face with a name but allowed us to visit and get to know each other better than we had before. We also had the opportunity to meet and get to know so many new faces that I look forward to working with in the future. As always, it’s the people who make up the fair industry who impress me the most with their genuine personalities and their fun-loving attitudes!”

– Jessica

Here’s a party favorite: Paparazzi Punch!

As always the Saffire team brings the energy and fun to any event we attend, especially when it involves Paparazzi Punch! That’s right, our Hollywood themed Happy Hour was such a success with costumes, snacks and our very own original punch! We provided costume pieces for everyone to enjoy as they relaxed from working so … Continue reading “Here’s a party favorite: Paparazzi Punch!”

As always the Saffire team brings the energy and fun to any event we attend, especially when it involves Paparazzi Punch! That’s right, our Hollywood themed Happy Hour was such a success with costumes, snacks and our very own original punch! We provided costume pieces for everyone to enjoy as they relaxed from working so hard during the trade show. Our punch was definitely a HIT!

See if you can re-create this delicious drink. If you are planning a big party, get enough ingredients!