Event cashes in on girl-power

Everybody knows it's just a big marketing push, yet people flock to shows like Girl's Day Out. What's more they happily pay for the privilege and then rave about the experience.

It seems like a no-brainer - both for the branding company which puts the event on and for the 120 exhibitors who have access to a captive, and eager, audience.

This year's event, the fifth, takes place next month and organiser Brad Clark from Brand Advantage is expecting big things.

"I think it's an evolution of marketing, it seems to have hit a niche in New Zealand and just taken off.

"It's an evolution of the way companies connect with consumers - in an experiential way rather than them just being faced with a brand. Here you can feel, see, smell touch."

Women don't see it as paying to be bombarded with advertising - they go to be entertained, have fun hanging out with their girlfriends and checking out the latest trends, Clark said.

With four 'zones' - Health and Fitness, Beauty, Fashion and Lifestyle, he's confident there will be something for all women.

"Girls' Day Out offers entertainment, food, wine, interactive attractions and more.

"Last year's most popular activities are all back, including the World of Bendon lingerie show, the Pump Dunk-the-Hunk tank, the TV2 GDO Big Sister reality event and the Red Tickets Netball Challenge," he said.

This year's exhibition has new features, including the '13 going on 30 DVD Theatre', the Champion Hip Hop Dance Challenge, and leading woman's authors speaking about and signing their books.

There will also be a New Zealand first - a live web-cam broadcast of the Girls' Day Out version of reality show Big Brother. Dubbed 'Big Sister' it will put 10 contestants (five guys and five girls) to task to see who survives living in the big sister house all weekend to emerge with $5000 cash.

Ex-True Bliss singer Jo Cotton will be the 'big sister'.

"Over the past four events more than 100,000 women have sampled the delights of Girls' Day Out - and this year we expect tens of thousands more to join them," Clark said.

Girls' Day Out is on from March 11 to 13 at the Auckland Showgrounds in Greenlane. The inaugural Girls' Day Out Sydney opens April 15 to 17 and hits Melbourne again April 28 to May 1, 2005. (The event ran in Melbourne two years ago.)

Organisers say women buy or influence the purchase of 80 per cent of all consumer goods - including 51 per cent of consumer electronics, 75 per cent of over-the-counter drugs and 80 per cent of all healthcare decisions.

Given this girl-power, the show aims to help companies build relationships and lifelong customers, demonstrate and sell their products and interact with customers, enhance branding and company images and launch new products.

It comes at a cost, though, with sites ranging from $3250 to $5750 for the three day event.

Last year over 28,000 people visited the show for an average of three hours each. They spent a combined $1.21 million over the three days.

Organisers said there was a strong representation from the target market of women 18-35 and a broad visitor demographic overall.

Clark is aiming for 30,000 visitors spending $1.5 million over the three days this year. At 120, the number of exhibitors is steady on last year but, as he explains, that is the capacity.

"The big challenge is for us to evolve and make sure we stay relevant in the marketplace," he said.