ICCA BestMarketingAward 2007Luigi Cammi - October 30th 2007

15TH CONGRESS OF EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR PSYCHOTHERAPY3O CONGRESSO DELLA FEDERAZIONE ITALIANA ASSOCIAZIONI DI PSICOTERAPIA

Humour and other strategiesto survive emotional crisisFlorence, 14-17 JUNE 2007

I C C A B e s t M a r k e t i n g A w a r d

OverviewThe beginning

In February 2006 Florence Convention Bureau asked four PCO’sto compete for EAP - FIAP Congress 2007

We worked on distinguishing our services

Not a ‘routine’ job of a PCOwe started thinking about something new and creative…

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OverviewMarket elements

Analysis of Psychotherapy events in Italy andin Europe and previous Congresses (from ICCA database):• 10-13 July 2003 Lviv Ukraine 320 participants• 24-27 June 2004 Belgrade Serbia 280 participants• 06-10 June 2005 Vilnius Lithuania 800 participants• 13-16 July 2006 Cambridge UK 300 participants

Inspection visit and promotional standat EAP 2006 Congress, in Cambridge (UK)

Psychotherapists and Psychologists do not prescribe medicines

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OverviewMarket elements

The selected theme of the scientific workswas very strong… and we started using it

in order to create the ‘brand’ of the Congress itself!

The aim of the campaign was to involve:Institutions, Sponsors, Media and Scientific audience

raise funds for the Meyer Paediatric Hospital of Florence

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IdeaHUMOUR in Therapy

The link between HUMOUR, SCIENTIFIC RESULTSand HEALTH LIFE was… a special ‘purple clown nose’

The design of all printed materials was created mixingan image of ‘Palazzo Vecchio’ with the famous

comic actor Charlie Chaplin and a boy,holding a picture of Sigmund Freud,

‘father’ of Psychotherapy.

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Goals frombeginning

• New President Election for 2009• More students and young fellows• PR and Media recognition of both EAP and FIAP Associations

We moved to other opportunities…• Using HUMOR in managing Hospitals• Using HUMOR to bring wellness and happiness in daily life• Asking MEYER HOSPITAL to bring their knowledge• Asking PATCH ADAMS to join us in the Project

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What we had done…

EAPCongress

Politics, Sponsor,fellows, institutional

MEYER foundation,FIORENTINA Calcio,Florence Population

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The project

Let Florence being the Capital of Humour for morethan just the four days of the Congress duration.

Several ingredients, in a city “theme dressed”to show how humour can be useful in different realities,

from psychotherapy to medicine.

The target audience was:1.200 people (psychotherapists, psychologists, paediatricians, social assistants,

educators and teachers), as an International Scientific Congress; simultaneous events reached 55.000 people in the whole city.

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Overview

First press conference al the Congress Palace in May, to launch theevents related to the Congress and Fiorentina Soccer game

At the end of the month, we filled the soccer stadiumwith purple noses (more than 30.000 noses were sold)

Second press conference in Palazzo Medici Riccardi,to present the special picture show on

‘Humour and other strategies to survive emotional crisis’.

The presence of Patch Adams at the Charity Dinnerfor the Paediatric Hospital, and his final speech,

concluded the successful event.

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MarketingCampaign

Marketing campaign of the wholeproject started in April 2007, thenwe launched the football gameand the raisingof the funds for Charity.After that, we promotedthe Congress and the presenceof Patch Adams

Different locations have beenchosen in order to involve thewhole city

Selected locationsin Florence were: • “Artemio Franchi” Soccer Stadium • Congress Palace• “Limonaia” of Medici Riccardi Palace• Repubblica Square• Budini Gattai Palace• Grand Hotel Baglioni

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Campaign

The event has been promoted through: • advertisement on several web sites for doctors, psychologists,

paediatrics, educators, family therapists; • dedicated web site (www.humourintherapy.com); • articles and advertising on daily and monthly magazines; • scientific programme sending and postcards; • t-shirts and obviously....purple clown noses!

These simultaneous events reached a larger target:the Florentine citizens first of all, the supportersand the national and international medias.

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Unique Features

Two main moments:

The first one with the handing out of “purple clown noses”into football stadium, on May 27th

The initiative, to support the “Meyer” Pediatric Hospital Foundation,colored the last Fiorentina Championship match, involving the whole terraces

with the hymn of both teams (Fiorentina and Sampdoria),sung by the “Melograno” Little Chorus of Florence, and letting all players

take the field strictly wearing a “purple nose”.

I C C A B e s t M a r k e t i n g A w a r d

Unique Features

The second topic moment took placeat the presence of PATCH ADAMS

He attended a round table, on Saturday June 16th;

Successful and attractive (for both media and citizens) lectio magistralis, on Sunday 17th.

Finally, he was guest star at the Meyer Foundation Charity Dinner.

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Results

A “cheerful” atmosphere spread all around fromthe very entrance of the Congress venues,

at the secretary desk, where famous quotationson humour and psychotherapy themes were drown up.

Purple was the main colour of the staging:flowers, bags, badge collars, pens…

The staff members put on purple noses during all the event,nicely welcoming all the participants - who have been

on good terms with the Meyer Paediatric Hospital Clowns, too.

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Results

1.200 delegates (four times as large as the last years)60% young fellows and student

350 participants to dinners and social events;

32.300 purple noses handed up - at the Stadium (26.300)and at the stand in Repubblica Square (6.000).

Funds raised from purple noses,for the new Paediatric Hospital of Florence

more than 55.000 euros.

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Results

The Congress President, Prof. Rodolfo de Bernart,thanks to the success of the event,obtained the future EAP Presidency.

We are planning other similar project in Italy with MEYER Foundationand politics in Florence to raise money - April 2008

A huge project to be announced soon with PATCH ADAMSto make Florence the first HAPPY CITY in world - May 2008

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Results

Besides the joyful atmosphere in the air of our offices,our Company, obviously, gained lot of media promotion

and hundreds of newspaper articles.

It has been a big lesson on making our job with more FUN.

Opportunity to present here our professionalism to ICCA member!