Event Marketing: Salt of the Earth

Recruiting Channel Partners at Industry Trade Shows

Experts and Opinion Makers Gather in Paris for Biennial SIAL Gourmet Foods Trade Show

Hawaii Kai Corporation, providers of premier gourmet sea salts harvested from the Pacific Ocean, required expertise from Hanson Marketing in recruiting and qualifying a network of wholesale partners for the influential European gourmet food market.

At the same time, the company was testing market reaction to its new, mid-range blend product and exploring emerging food trends.

SIAL, the gourmet food industry's biennial trade gathering in Paris, was evaluated and selected as the optimum venue for extending Hawaii Kai's reach in the gourmet food market.

Objectives and metrics for success were defined at the onset, and follow-up analysis after SIAL confirmed that Hawaii Kai's sponsorship of SIAL met its goals. New selling partnerships formed there yielded revenue that recouped tradeshow costs within six months. Market research onsite also revealed a wide-open niche for capturing the Hawaiian brand cachet in the specialty seasonings sector.

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