Geofence Event Targeting Case Study: ISTE Live 2024 (Education)
Driving High-Intent Engagement with Geofence Event Targeting During and Post-Event
Campaign Overview
Client:
Education Industry
Event:
ISTE Live 2024 – International Society for Technology in Education
Venue:
Colorado Convention Center – 700 14th St. Denver, CO, 80202
Flight Dates:
Geofence: Jun 23 – 26
Geofence Retargeting: Jun 27 – Jul 10
Ad Format:
Display (Mobile, Laptop, Tablet, Desktop)
Creative Sizes:
320×50, 300×50, 728×90, 300×600, 300×250, 160×600, 120×600
Objective
A leading K-12 software provider wanted to drive targeted awareness and booth traffic at ISTE Live 2024, the leading conference for education technology in the U.S. Their goals were to:
- ▸Capture on-site attention from K-12 technology leaders walking the ISTE expo floor.
- ▸Drive booth foot-traffic and live product demos for their new platform.
- ▸Retarget high-intent devices post-show to push free-trial sign-ups.
- ▸Out-perform education-industry CTR benchmarks (0.06 – 0.08 %).
The Shared Audiences Solution
Shared Audiences implemented a precision Geofence Event Targeting campaign that activated a virtual perimeter around the Colorado Convention Center during the conference dates. Devices seen inside the venue were targeted with display ads in real time — and then retargeted with ongoing messaging across mobile, tablet, and desktop for two weeks after the event.
The GPS and Wi-Fi driven targeting campaign, we enabled the client to:
- ▸Reach attendees while they were physically present at the event
- ▸Deliver relevant, mobile-first creative designed for on-the-go conference attendees
- ▸Retarget these same users post-show with conversion-focused creative
Results
Highlights
Benchmark-Beating Engagement:
Live CTR of 0.17% doubled typical EDU display averages, proving strong message-market fit.
Creative Matters:
The long-form 300 × 600 unit generated 1.6% CTR, validating larger story-telling formats for educator audiences.
Message Testing Wins:
Action-oriented copy ("Click to Try") consistently drew more clicks than location-based prompts ("Visit Booth").
Quality Retargeting:
Two-week follow-up maintained a healthy 0.12% CTR and continued funnel activity after attendees left Denver.
Takeaways
Shared Audiences' geofence strategy gave the EdTech software company a real-time voice inside ISTE 2024 and a persistent echo afterward. By pairing precise location capture with disciplined creative testing, they not only exceeded industry engagement standards but also learned which messages and formats truly motivate educators to explore new classroom technology.