SCHWARTZ RENEWABLOG

Show Buzz: Solar Power International kicks off with Record Q2 Numbers From SEIA and GTM

Tomorrow kicks off the first day of Solar Power International (SPI). We’re looking forward to spending the week helping our clients navigate the many media and analyst meetings we’ve arranged. We are also glad to get an opportunity to meet with some of the start-ups and established players driving new, innovative solutions across the solar ecosystem.

Although this year’s SPI will most likely have less attendees than last year’s in Dallas, the industry is continuing to show positive and encouraging signs. Greentech Media Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) released Q2 growth numbers today, and the numbers are outstanding.

According to the U.S. Solar Market Insight® Report, the industry grew by 116 percent over Q2 2011, at 742 megawatts (MW). It was the second best quarter for the solar industry ever, and the all-time best quarter for utility-scale solar at 477 MW. This is important as the industry continues to get over the negative press that came with several high-profile flameouts and gets back to talking about successes.

SEIA and GTM Research’s news is cleverly-timed. Releasing the news today, the day before the show, is a great way to get both press and attendees buzzing about the news, and will likely mean significant syndication for the number of SPI round-ups being written this week.

We often employ this tactic when our clients have news to announce around a tradeshow. And even without news, Schwartz MSL’s Cleantech practice drove three proactive articles in Greentech Media alone, in the weeks leading up to SPI, to generate pre-show buzz.

This is a great way you can build excitement before the show. It helps your sales and new business team lock-up more high-quality meetings, and also ensures that your news isn’t lost in the massive amounts of announcements made during the week of the show.

One last note, if you haven’t seen our new e-book, which analyzes the results of our 2012 summer survey on cleantech, energy and sustainability reporters and analysts, please check it out, here: http://web.schwartzmsl.com/cleantech-survey-ebook