“Jason was absolutely great to work with. He was always thinking of new ways to get our message in front of the right audiences, making inroads with potential strategic partners, and going above and beyond. I would recommend Jason and his firm to anyone that needs a hands-on, driven partner that exceeds expectations.”

Kate Hotchkiss, national solar conference director, ASES

Background

Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is the nation’s leading association of solar professionals and grassroots advocates. Supported by more than 13,000 members (ASES figure, 2011), ASES’s mission is to inspire an era of energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy. The group began planning for its most important annual event and fundraising effort to date and needed support to make it a success. It hired SCM in early 2011.

PROBLEM

ASES had limited staff and resources to promote its 40th Annual National Solar Conference. It competed against the larger, better-funded Solar Energy Industry Association for attention, sponsors and partners.

SOLUTION / ACTIVITIES

SCM created and implemented a strategic plan focused on:

  • Identifying, approaching and building strategic partnerships with highly aligned, relevant organizations that could extend the influence, memberships base and revenue for ASES – as well as attendance at the 40th Annual National Solar Conference.
  • Implementing an aggressive, multi-staged media relations program focused on increasing attendance at the conference and advancing ASES’s awareness and marketing objectives.
  • Creating unique and new revenue streams for ASES via a partnership with pvpower.com wherein ASES member installers would secure a significant discount on PV equipment purchased and ASES would receive a percentage of each sale.

RESULTS

SCM secured pre-, during- and post-conference media coverage in the following outlets:

  • National: Contractor Magazine, Climatewire, U.S. Dept. of Energy Newsletter, Green Energy Ohio, Renewable Energy World, Tree Hugger (a Discovery company), Eneref Institute, Green Energy, Eco-Structure, 800 Renewable, Solar Novus Today, Green Technology News, Energy Digital Media and others.
  • Raleigh and N.C.-based: Triangle Business Journal, News & Observer (three articles), Independent Weekly, Political News, WUNC 91.5 North Carolina Public Radio, News 14 Carolina (Time Warner), Free Speech Radio News, Pacifica Network, News/Talk WPTF AM 680, Community Radio WCOM FM 103.5 and others.

SCM forged alliances with the following organizations (each offering unique opportunities):

  • Environmental groups: Sierra Club, CSRWire (Corporate Soc. Responsibility Newswire), CARE2 (nearly 16 million member subscribers), World Wildlife Fund and 350.org.
  • Relevant unions: United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers (national HQ and local chapters), and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, AFL-CIO, CLC (national HQ and local chapters).

SCM helped to produce record attendance at this important conference.