Teacher Association Boosts Engagement with Virtual Event Swag Boxes

Overview

The Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), a teacher-led association across the US and Canada, knew they needed assistance when COVID-19 forced their annual in-person conference to be held virtually.

Leadership came to GoDelta for help engaging its virtual attendees. We designed custom swag boxes and created an unboxing campaign on social media to humanize the event and increase member engagement.

Services Provided

  • Campaign Strategy
  • Branded Merchandise
  • Fullfilment & Logistics

2,000+

Kits Sent

16,000+

Individual Products

35,000

increase in Twitter impressions

Client Testimonial

"As soon as we decided to send out swag boxes to our attendees, I immediately reached out to GoDelta for help. We are a small team of 10, and our conference was double the size of what we were expecting in person, so I literally could not have done this without their help. When the boxes finally shipped, the results were even better than I could have imagined. Attendees LOVED the boxes and had so much fun unboxing them. Weeks later, they are still talking about them!"

Michelle-Lippoli-CSTA

Michelle Lippoli

Event Manager

CSTA

Challenge

CSTA’s annual conference is a huge part of what they do. The event includes inspirational keynote speakers, over 150 professional development breakout sessions, and ample opportunities for members to connect on a more personal level.

CSTA needed to ensure its members still had a unique conference experience, regardless of the new digital format. The organization needed to bridge the gap between virtual and human, crafting an experience that reinvigorates, inspires, and leaves a lasting impression on its members.

Goals

In the past, CSTA would set up an event venue and order a few swag items for in-person attendees. However, this year’s virtual format posed a much bigger challenge that led to a shift in their entire approach. CSTA needed an experienced partner to host an event of this caliber.

Fortunately, we've had the privilege of assisting numerous organizations with in-person events and quickly learned the nuances of the evolving virtual event landscape to best guide CSTA. We conducted a series of extensive discovery meetings to identify CSTA’s goals and established a project timeline for achieving these desired outcomes.

  • Increase website traffic and social media engagement  
  • Distribute branded swag boxes filled with useful and unique products
  • Establish a partnership for kitting and fulfillment
  • Host a virtual event that would live up to member expectations
  • Boost morale and make teachers feel appreciated amidst a global pandemic

Solutions

Here’s how we helped CSTA express gratitude toward its members and drum up anticipation for its upcoming virtual conference.

Virtual Event Gift Strategy

We met with CSTA to understand their personas, goals, and aspirations for the event, resulting in a comprehensive presentation with recommendations tailored to their needs. This presentation included various elements, such as:

  • Promotional product ideas
  • Swag box examples for inspiration
  • Kitting and fulfillment options
  • Shipping timeline

Once the products were chosen, we curated and designed each individual item, incorporating CSTA’s key brand elements and strategic messaging.

"GoDelta came back with dozens of ideas to help our teachers feel appreciated and get them excited about our conference. They helped us find creative items within our budget that would impact attendees."

- Michelle Lippoli, Event Manager at CSTA

 

CSTA-Swag
CSTA-Awards

View Our Creative Work for CSTA

Swag Box Design

Our in-house graphic designers came up with specific recommendations and provided two unique swag box design options for CSTA to choose from in less than 24 hours. The box design, collateral, and the branded items inside all aligned with CSTA’s brand guidelines, ensuring a cohesive and consistent representation of the brand throughout.

CSTA-Box-Designs

Fulfillment and Logistics

To make remote attendees feel more connected and engaged, we devised an ambitious plan — deliver personalized swag boxes to every attendee’s home prior to the event. Coordinating the delivery of 2,000 swag boxes seemed like an impossible task, but our relationships with various fulfillment partners enabled us to get the job done on time.

"Delivering them the Friday before the conference began was perfect as it increased enthusiasm and build-up for the conference. They were a true partner throughout the process, collaborating with me on design, product selection, shipping, fulfillment, and even tracking every single box we shipped to ensure they had all been delivered."

- Michelle Lippoli, Event Manager at CSTA

Social Media Unboxing Campaign

To support the swag box initiative, we determined that an unboxing campaign would be an effective way for CSTA to increase member engagement and excitement for the upcoming event. Because what’s more fun than opening a gift when you’re stuck at home?

We launched the campaign on Twitter and instructed CSTA to encourage its members to share pictures and videos of themselves opening and using the swag kit items using the event hashtag #CSTA2020.

Results

It’s safe to say that the results speak for themselves. A week before the event, over 2,000 swag boxes arrived safely at teachers’ doorsteps, and CSTA saw a 35K increase in Twitter impressions in one day alone as a result of the unboxing campaign.

Twitter Impressions Daily Increase from 10K to 45K

CSTA_Twitter-Impressions

CSTA received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback about the virtual event. From the custom swag boxes to the coordinated unboxing campaign, attendees felt connected during a time when everyone felt distant.

"This partnership made a huge impact on our teachers and exceeded an overall organizational goal -- helping teachers feel celebrated and appreciated. I am already brainstorming what we can do next year with GoDelta!"

- Michelle Lippoli, Event Manager at CSTA