Invest in Hamilton: Collision Booth & Social Campaign

Invest in Hamilton attended Collision Conference 2024 in Toronto and developed a marketing campaign promoting Hamilton as a tech investment destination through a unique booth design, collaboration, social media, and efficient networking.  

The initiative aimed to:  

• Attract: Draw attention from tech entrepreneurs, investors, and talent—positioning Hamilton as an emerging tech hub.  

• Educate: Inform the audience about Hamilton’s unique value proposition, which includes a diverse talent pool, available land and office space, a supportive ecosystem, and proximity to major markets.  

• Connect: Facilitate dialogue between developers, partners, and potential investors to foster relationships and future investments. 

• Amplify: Extend the campaign’s reach beyond the conference through social media engagement and lead follow-up, fostering ongoing interest in Hamilton’s tech scene.  

Effectiveness/Meeting Objectives: 

• Booth Engagement: Our eye-catching 14×14-foot booth, which highlighted the city’s collaborative ecosystem and emerging tech sectors, attracted a steady flow of visitors and sparked conversations. Sixteen partners and ecosystem companies, such as Mohawk College, McMaster University, McMaster Innovation Park, Innovation Factory, Synapse Life Science Consortium, and Cabot Solutions, joined Invest in Hamilton at the booth, showcasing innovative products like a robot arm for those with mobility challenges and a robot programmed to follow medical patients. 

• Social Media Campaign: Through a series of 11 social media posts over six days, our LinkedIn campaign highlighted the city’s position as a tech hub, and the contributions of its partners drew 8,295 organic impressions and 256 interactions.   

Challenges & Changes Made: 

• Standing Out from the Competition: We commissioned a local Indigenous artist, Dope Chief, to create Hamilton-themed artwork for a 3-day event with over 40,000 attendees. The artwork served as a booth visual to attract attention and featured significant investment headlines incorporated into the city landscape. 

• Limited Time and Resources: Trade shows typically have a short duration, so we invited several partners and their brightest clients (Team Hamilton) to join our booth and walk the floor, acting as Hamilton ambassadors. 

• Capturing and Qualifying Leads: Capturing visitor information can be challenging. Fortunately, we had lead capture tools, like QR codes on our booth walls and badge scanning software.  

• Measuring Return on Investment (ROI): Quantifying marketing campaign success at a conference can be challenging, so Team Hamilton members conducted post-event meetings with leads to explore opportunities and gather feedback on our booth, services, and overall experience.  

• Budget Constraints: We recruited partners and stakeholders to the booth, sharing the cost while spreading a uniform message about the city as an investment destination.  

Target Audience:  

• Investors: Companies seeking to relocate or expand in Hamilton, as well as various types of investors looking for growth opportunities. 

• Entrepreneurs: Startups looking to relocate or expand in a supportive environment. 

• Talent: Skilled professionals considering career opportunities in Hamilton’s growing tech sector. 

Sustainability: 

We prioritized sustainability through a digital-only focus. Print materials were not used, and visitors were asked to scan QR codes that led to our landing page, emphasizing digital communication channels to reduce waste. 

Overall, the Invest in Hamilton Collision Campaign effectively showcased Hamilton as a burgeoning tech hub. By strategically addressing challenges and focusing on collaboration, the campaign successfully attracted, educated, and connected with key stakeholders, positioning Hamilton for continued growth and investment in the tech sector.