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MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Recruiters for America’s Navy have one of the most rewarding and responsible jobs around. They are ambassadors across the country telling our Navy’s story seeking the best and brightest qualified men and women to join; they are the gateway to the future of our Navy’s fleet. To support recruiters with this critical mission, the Navy’s Recruiting Command (NRC) Events Marketing division helps start those conversations recruiters have with stakeholders which can eventually lead to new applicants while offering support to recruiting efforts on a national level.
Events Marketing is located at NRC’s headquarters in Millington, Tenn., and has representatives at each of the 26 recruiting districts across the nation. The goal of the department is to seek out and create a Navy presence at highly visible public events and conferences to ultimately increase awareness, along with developing and tracking national recruiting leads. One example is the Navy’s participation and sponsorship of the ESPN X Games, said Cornell Galloway, director of Events Marketing.
“[It’s] another means to assist our recruiters in generating quality leads to support the mission,” said Galloway.
Examples include simulators, a Navy video-game suburban, the Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) tour display, and convention booths to attract and engage the local audience on location and at events. The department also coordinates performance groups such as the Navy Bands and the “Leap Frogs” parachute demonstration team, said Galloway.
“Attract, engage, inspire, then hire,” said Galloway.
Although the Navy, along with the other military branches, has had to dig deep to find ways to manage activities with the recent government shutdown and ongoing budgetary constraints, recruiters and the events marketing departments across the country are coming up with creative solutions.
“[We are] reviewing best practices, after-action reports, and cost analysis to develop and present to leadership the most efficient convention and event plan that supports lead generation,” said Galloway.
Recent available assets have been limited to the STEM display. It is modular, however, and can take on the themes of aviation, medical, and engineering to support a myriad of events and venues. This allows the Navy to have a greater recruiting presence in more places despite limited means, said Galloway.
If a recruiter would like to request assets or funding from Events Marketing, the first step is to obtain a written proposal from the host organization listing exactly what they would like. The proposal should detail exactly what assets will be used such as speakers, simulators, or display booths, and include the fees and charges for sponsoring the event, said Galloway.
At this point a convention or sponsorship pre-event assessment and request form (NAVCRUIT 1150.1B) must be submitted at least 90 days prior to the event and it is submitted to headquarters for review. Once approved, Events Marketing establish contracting and will provide strategy, guidance, and support for the supporting NRD, said Galloway.
“We try to give them a turnkey operation,” said Galloway.
The majority of events the division targets has a national audience and originates from headquarters; however, approximately 10 percent are requests submitted from the individual Navy recruiting station (NRS) or district (NRD), said Galloway. In both cases the division works closely with leadership at the NRD.
There are many factors involved in the process of selecting which events are approved. In many cases, the strongest proposals are annual events that have been covered before and have established a proven track record of return on the investment in the way of leads generated. Events must also support the recruiting mission and be within budget, said Galloway.
“[Is it] within strategy?[Is it] within budget? And [is there] the potential return on investment? These are the questions I ask when reviewing a proposal,” said Galloway.
After an event is completed a report is submitted to evaluate the success of the event and evaluate the return based on the investment used in for the event, said Galloway. By conducting thorough after action reports, the division can assess the success of each event and identify best practices.
“Events Marketing support adds a great deal to the recruiting mission in our district and generating interest and leads,” said Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Larry S. Carlson, public affairs officer for NRD Philadelphia. “[Events Marketing] assets…attract people’s interest and bring them over to the [recruiting] booth.”
National leads are created to assist the recruiters with meeting goals and finding qualified applicants. It helps streamline the process because the initial contact has already been made and some degree of interest is established, said Galloway.
The division aims to provide not only a valuable tool to recruiters, but provide it in such a way that the recruiter and the division feel like a team, said Galloway.
“We really want them to feel like this [Events Marketing] office resides in their district,” said Galloway.
Each NRD has a budget for local events and outreach, but if they have exhausted their budget and an opportunity presents itself, they are encouraged to reach out and request financial assistance from Events Marketing, said Galloway.
“When in doubt, submit the request,” said Galloway.
Every division within NRC supports and is involved with what Events Marketing is working to accomplish, said Galloway.
“It’s a total team effort,” said Galloway. “You can’t do it alone from here.”
For more information about Navy Recruiting Events Marketing reference NAVCRUIT 1150.1B, navyevents.com, or contact your chain of command.
| Date Taken: | 10.28.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 11.19.2013 10:04 |
| Story ID: | 116998 |
| Location: | MILLINGTON, TENNESSEE, US |
| Web Views: | 72 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Events Marketing Division: Helping recruit America’s finest, by LCDR Mark Langford, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
