About The Event: iTEC India is one of the leading conferences and expo on transportation electrification in India. The event is a biennial conference organized jointly by SAEINDIA & IEEE IAS. The event caters to various stakeholders of the automotive industry. The 2019 edition was held at a critical time when India was planning for the transition to electric vehicles.
Background: The automotive event had previously focused on the leading automotive giants in the country. However, as the automotive landscape evolved in India, it was important to engage newer stakeholders - startups who were working in the EV and battery technology space, entrepreneurs, academia and students.
PR Strategy: We deployed the P4P module to attract different audiences. The messaging was created according to the challenges and interest topics of various stakeholders, engaging them through social media and traditional media stories.
Sub-Events: A hackathon, focusing on engaging students, startups and entrepreneurs across the country, working on 6 critical problem statements, was created as a part of the event planning. This was open to entrepreneurs, students and others who had potential solutions to the problems presented. 10 finalists were shortlisted from over 100 applicants, presenting to a jury consisting of eminent personalities from the automotive industry and journalists.
Social Conversations: Visual communications was used strongly to create the required conversations on social media. Videos from industry leaders, including Mr. Mahesh Babu, CEO - Mahindra Electric, Mrs. Rashmi Urdhwareshe, Director - Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and Mr. Bala Bharadwaj, MD - Boeing E&T Center, India, were shared on social platforms - for the first time in the history of SAEINDIA.
Live videos and interviews were streamed from the event, allowing participants from across the world to participate and engage with the delegates.
The Result: An average engagement of 89% across various platforms, and ROI of 13,150%, helping attract the attention of the newer stakeholders.