Examples of Marketing Costs and Risks

(January 2006) for Canadian Schools, Tutors and Homestay

The Christmas holidays are over and it is that marvelous time of the year when there are fewer students (=less revenue) and more bills to pay.

January is the time when most self-employed tutors re-evaluate their plans for marketing budgets, and the real costs of doing business.

If located in Canada there is the choice between foreign language newspapers and magazines, posting tutor available sheets at the libraries, regular newspaper classified ads, internet ads and profile pages in the education webportals.

Most of the web portals promote themselves as the biggest - the best - the most traffic - the most whatever. During a recent scan of the advertizers it is evident that none of the web portals do any due diligence. As a small self-employed tutor it might be nice to have your profile beside a famous university however there is an equal chance that you are stuck beside a previously jailed sex predator or convicted degree mill fraud.

There is a risk to advertizing in the wrong media. I suggest that you really look at what you get for the $1000 or $1500 a year most web portals are charging their "advertisers".

Many of the Foreign language schools go to semi-government education trade fairs to market their programs to foreign students. These fairs tend to be better operated but they are expensive. We are not endorsing them but will include some examples to provide an idea of the true cost of marketing to international students.

We hope to provide more information as we investigate and publish the cost/benefits of marketing programs for self employed tutors.

BRAZIL FAIR CIRCUIT
Sao Paulo Fair - September 17-18, 2005
Brazilia Fair - September 21, 2005
Recife Fair - September 24, 2005
Circuit Price: C$4200* (Price includes participation at fairs in all 3 cities. Price does not include cost of accommodation nor transportation between cities.) Sao Paulo Only: C$2900* (Space for this option is limited due to venue restrictions.)

INDIA FAIR CIRCUIT
Chandigarh Mini Fair - September 25, 2005 - C$1750*
New Delhi School Visits - September 27, 2005 - C$100* per participant
New Delhi Fair - September 28, 2005 - C$2700*
Bangalore Mini Fair - October 1, 2005 - C$1750*
Mumbai Fair - October 3, 2005 - C$2700

MEXICO MINI FAIR CIRCUIT
Toluca Mini Fair - September 27, 2005
Puebla Mini Fair - September 29, 2005
Veracruz Mini Fair - October 1, 2005
Circuit Price: C$3500* (Price includes participation at fairs in all 3 cities and transportation between cities. Price does not include cost of accommodation.)

FALL ASIA FAIR CIRCUIT
Kaohsiung Fair - October 7, 2005 - C$2100*
Taipei Fair - October 8-9, 2005 - C$3300*
Singapore Secondary School Forum - October 11, 2005 - C$2000*
Malaysia Secondary School Forum - October 13, 2005 - C$1800*
Seoul Fair - October 15, 2005 - C$2500*
Indonesia College Forum - October 20, 2005 - C$2000*
Hong Kong Fair - October 22-23, 2005 - C$3300*
Ho Chi Minh City Fair - October 26, 2005 - C$2400*
Hanoi Fair - October 29, 2005 - C$2300*
Chiangmai - November 3, 2005 - C$1800*
Bangkok Fair - November 5-6, 2005 - C$2700*

UAE FAIR CIRCUIT
Dubai Fair - November 12, 2005 - C$2200*
Dubai School Visits - November 14, 2005 - C$300* per participant
Abu Dhabi School Visits - November 15, 2005 - C$300* per participant
Abu Dhabi Fair - November 16-18, 2005 - US$2970

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE
Vancouver - November 20-22, 2005
$799 + GST - Early Bird until June 30th
$849 + GST - Regular Fee after June 30th

AGENT FAIR
Vancouver - November 23-24, 2005
$3299 + GST - 1st participant
$1550 + GST - 2nd participant with separate agent appointments & e- Schedule

NORWAY EVENT CIRCUIT
Sandefjord - January 16-17, 2006 - C$2500
Oslo - January 18-21, 2006 - C$3500
Oslo - January 23-24, 2006 - C$900* per individual participant

SOUTH EAST ASIA FAIR CIRCUIT
Surabaya Fair - February 3, 2006 - C$1500*
Jakarta Fair - February 4-5, 2006 - C$2600*
Bandung Fair - February 7, 2006 - C$1500*
Singapore Fair - February 10-11, 2006 - C$3000*
Kuala Lumpur Fair - February 12-13, 2006 - C$2900*
Penang Fair - February 15, 2006 - C$1800*

EUROPEAN EVENT CIRCUIT
Moscow Fair - February 17-18, 2006 - C$3000*
St. Petersburg Fair - February 19-20, 2006 - C$2400*
Ankara Fair - February 22, 2006 - C$2500*
Istanbul Fair - February 25-26, 2006 - C$3000*

MEXICO FAIR CIRCUIT
Mexico City Fair - February 18-19, 2006 - C$2600*
Monterrey Fair - February 21-22, 2006 - C$2600*
Guadalajara Fair - February 24-25, 2006 - C$2600*

KOREA FAIR & SECTOR-SPECIFIC FORUM CIRCUIT
Thailand Secondary School Forum - March 11, 2006 - C$2000*
Thailand Language-Sector Forum - March 12, 2006 - C$2000*
Vietnam Secondary School Forum - March 14, 2006 - C$2000*
Seoul Fair - March 18-19, 2006 - C$3300*
Taiwan Secondary School Forum - March 21, 2006 - C$2200*
Taiwan Language-Sector Forum - March 21, 2006 - C$2200*
Hong Kong Secondary School Forum - March 23, 2006 - C$2200*

Link to the Business Services registration form with list of services available