Venture Industries, a privately-held company, was one of the largest producers of interior and exterior plastic trim to the automotive industry. But only customers and a few privileged prospects knew that. Research showed that additional prospects could be attracted to a downtown Detroit venue during the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), held every January.

Offering an opportunity to join the "in crowd", we called our event the "Venture Insiders Club" and sent an invitation to key prospects with a membership card enclosed. The card entitled the bearer to visit our venue, enjoy refreshments, tour the exhibits, and receive a free pass to the Supplier Days at NAIAS. We also provided transportation to and from the show.

With one event, Venture exposed its capabilities to a significant segment of its Detroit prospect audience. We required identification to ensure return of the Supplier pass, and everyone left their drivers' licenses with us, much to our surprise.

The Insiders Club received rave reviews, and the sales team reported five RFQs were offered to them during the event.