The Counterintuitive
Know Your Program Audience
Mark Schofield
NFPA
November 15, 2007
NFPA: The Authority on Fire,
Electrical, and Building Safety.


The mission of the nonprofit NFPA is to reduce
the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards
on the quality of life by providing and advocating
consensus codes and standards, research,
training and education.
NFPA serves as the leading advocate of fire
prevention and is an authoritative source on
public safety. NFPA's 300 codes and standards
influence every building in the U.S.
The Counterintuitive
NFPA Educational Products





Open Registration Seminars
Contract Seminars
World Safety Conference
Video
On-line Learning
The Counterintuitive
Fire Alarm Seminars
The Counterintuitive
What a business, many come
back every third year!
The Counterintuitive?

Project Manager
– Role - Manager of engineers, technicians
– Need - Understanding of major codes & how they interact

Domain Expert
– Role – The Specialist, Resource to engineers, Internal
Consultant
– Need – “Competency”

Designer
– Role – Puts in on paper…accurately
– Need – Ensure Compliance…quickly, Produce! Billable Hours

“Auditor “ (POSH)
– Role – Confirms Compliance
– Need – Confidence!
The Counterintuitive
How Segment Needs Influenced
Open Registration Seminars

Increased schedule for Designer; more
deluxe for Project Managers
– Las Vegas and Omaha / Continental Breakfast


Added more checklists and job aids for
Auditors (“Tools” to confirm compliance)
And, realized that the Domain Experts only
went to the Conference
The Counterintuitive
What a business, they have to
come back every third year!
The Counterintuitive…
…”they” are “thems”
…some will do much more
What a business, they have to
come back every third year!
The Counterintuitive side note…
…Seminar attendees do not attend the
conference and vice-versa
The Counterintuitive
Life Safety Code Programs
Plans Review
The Counterintuitive
Lower the price, they’ll come
by the dozens!
The Counterintuitive?
Low Price Seminar Test


Test: create a financially viable seminar model
below the $200 per day threshold, to reach
the segment of our audience that has
“proven” to be price sensitive.
Background: When subsidized by a Grant,
average attendance in the NFPA 1600 seminar
was 65, without the subsidy it averaged 18
The Counterintuitive
Low Price Seminar Model
Non-code seminars
 NFPA 1600
 Emergency Evacuation Workshop
 Facility Safety
– 1-day of Management and Prevention
– 1-day of Maintenance & Protection
The Counterintuitive
Lower the price, they’ll come
by the dozens!
The Counterintuitive…
…The “offer” and the “Sponsor”
have far greater influence than price
Just my opinion, but you are
wasting money on a 32 page
brochure…
The Counterintuitive?
Conventional wisdom
32 Page
8 Page
ASAE = 64 Pages in 2004
Exhibitor Show = 52 Pages in 2004
MacWorld = 28 Pages in 2005
The Counterintuitive
Background Information

Potential Cost
Savings (8 Page)
– Printing $22,000
– Postage $5,000
– Design $3,000





8 Page
Strong relationship
with NFPA
Dedicated to the
Industry
Networking with
peers
Magazine, Web,
Email…
Contingency plan if
needed
The Counterintuitive
The Test


32-page brochure mailed to 190K,
subsequent mailings sent to smaller
targeted audiences within that list.
8-page brochure – nth select of 10K
Consistent across all lists and mail drops
to insure integrity
The Counterintuitive
The Results
32-Page
*
8-Page
List Name
Response
Rates
Response
Rates
In-House
Names
Previous
Attendees
1.64%
2.85%
2.39%
5.68%
Outside Lists
.36%
.92%
Rental Tests
.16%
.82%
Rental
Continuations
Average
.16%
.43%
1%
1.92%
Action Steps/Results




2006 & 2007 NFPA conference brochure
was 12-pages (Pre-conference)
Website / Email / Advertisements /
Calendar Listings / Etc…
Saved $30,000
Exceeded attendance target!
The Counterintuitive
Just my opinion, but you are
wasting money on a 32 page
brochure
The Counterintuitive…
…Don’t confuse me?
Dull
39,947
Fancy
272 .68% 39,947
The Counterintuitive
212
.53%
I don’t want to share…
The Counterintuitive?
Background
Joint Commission on Hospital
Accreditation (JCAHO) requires use of
NFPA’s “Life Safety Code”
– NFPA decides to test a 3-day “Health Care
Life Safety Code” seminar, then…
– JCAHO approaches NFPA to jointly hold 3day “Health Care Life Safety Code” seminar
The Counterintuitive
NFPA’s Seminar Results

Boston
13 Attendees

Baltimore
16 Attendees

Orlando
22 Attendees
The Counterintuitive
The Counterintuitive
Shared Seminar Results



Boston
13 Attendees
 Boston
68 Attendees
Baltimore
16 Attendees
 Chicago
76 Attendees
Orlando
22 Attendees
 Orlando
79 Attendees
The Counterintuitive
I don’t want to share…
The Counterintuitive…
…The sum is greater than the parts
An Amazing Selection of
Unbelievably Priced Seminars!
The Counterintuitive?




Earn valuable CEUs
Interact with
nationally recognized
instructors
Protect lives and
property
Stay up-to-date with
evolving fire
protection and
safety standards
The Counterintuitive
Brand Statements



“There are 300 Fire Codes. And one reliable
source to help you sort through them.”
“Fire protection and safety standards are
constantly evolving. NFPA gives you the most
up-to-date information.”
“Fire protection and Safety requires extensive
knowledge in hundreds of areas. NFPA brings
you experts in all of them.”
The Counterintuitive
An Amazing Selection of
Unbelievably Priced Seminars!
The Counterintuitive!
…not our spin, but their perceptions
More Counterintuitive?
List Description
Mailed
buyers of 70E
Response
Attendees
%
4,028
1.76%
71
40%
healthcare section
436
1.15%
5
3%
buyer of NEC $200+
996
0.90%
9
5%
electrical section
604
0.66%
4
2%
5,967
0.52%
31
18%
421
0.24%
1
1%
12,452
0.97%
121
68%
buyers of LSC 101
industrial section
Total Lists
The Counterintuitive