CASE STUDY

Suffolk Agricultural Association – Suffolk Show

How PLMR Genesis helped Suffolk Agricultural Association generate a year-on-year increase of visitors to the Suffolk Show

Client

Suffolk Agricultural Association - Suffolk Show

The Situation

As a charity, the Suffolk Agricultural Association’s (SAA) core purpose is to encourage positive engagement between the public and those working in food and farming. The SAA achieves this through the annual Suffolk Show tourism event and through a series of education programmes aimed at young people.

To generate a year-on-year increase of visitors to the Suffolk Show, particularly from wider East Anglia, and to raise the profile of the SAA as the Show organiser, as well as their other events and educational initiatives throughout the year. The need for a successful Suffolk Show was even more pressing in 2022 following a two-year hiatus during the Covid pandemic, all amid public uncertainty about attending large events and lower personal budgets in the ‘cost of living crisis’. The Suffolk Show needed to demonstrate true value for new and returning visitors.

What we did

Each year (since 2016) we have been running a robust PR campaign of consistent, positive news exposure (press, radio, TV and specialist farming/equine press) to build excitement and encourage pre-event ticket sales. We have helped the Suffolk Show to define its core purpose and identify its key messages, which are then weaved through all content. We have also supported with Facebook advertising and online competitions to engage new audiences and expand the Suffolk Show’s reach to wider East of England.

The Result

Ticket sales have increased each year since we were appointed, with an average of 90,000 visitors over the two-day event. In 2022, the Suffolk Show reported 97,000 visitors – the highest ever on record. We typically achieve over 100 items of positive media coverage in a five-month pre-event period.

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