RAI × Michiu — Full Funnel Strategy

Covers every type of RAI event guest who could eat at Michiu's level: from the VP Sales planning client dinners 3 weeks out, to the delegate pulling up Google Maps as they walk out of the building.

Companion to _linkedin-rai-strategy.md (LinkedIn layer) and _spend-tier-framework.md (CB tiers).

The Competitive Opening

Research confirms: no competitor is doing active outbound marketing to RAI event attendees.

Every competitor is passive — they depend on foot traffic past Scheldestraat, word of mouth, and TripAdvisor aggregators. No one is intercepting the audience upstream.

Michiu's location disadvantage (Maasstraat vs. Scheldestraat) is real for foot traffic. It is irrelevant for every other channel. And foot traffic is the weakest channel — it only reaches guests who haven't decided yet and happen to walk that way.

The Five Guest Types — and When They Decide

Every RAI event guest who could eat at Michiu's level falls into one of five types. The decision happens at a different moment for each. The strategy is built around capturing each moment.

Type 1 — The Pre-Planner (Corporate)

Who: VP Sales, CRO, GM EMEA at an exhibiting company. Has 10–20 people at IBC and needs to book team and client dinners before the week starts.
When they decide: 1–3 weeks before the event. At their desk.
How they search: LinkedIn (peer recommendations, event content), Google ("private dinner IBC Amsterdam"), email from their PA.
Michiu's capture point: LinkedIn ads + Penn InMail. The decision is made before they land.
Walk-by risk: Zero — they've already committed. They walk past Sapporo to get to Michiu.

Type 2 — The Individual Pre-Planner

Who: A senior delegate — professor, director, VP — who wants a good dinner while in Amsterdam. Not managing a group, planning for themselves or 2–4 people.
When they decide: Days before the event. On the plane. Sunday evening in the hotel.
How they search: Google ("best Japanese restaurant Amsterdam-Zuid"), Instagram, hotel concierge, TripAdvisor.
Michiu's capture point: Google Search visibility, Instagram content, Google Business Profile, i amsterdam listing.
Walk-by risk: Low — if they've researched, they've committed.

Type 3 — The In-Event Researcher

Who: A delegate who's in the building, it's 16:00, sessions are winding down, and they're thinking about tonight.
When they decide: Day-of, while still at the event.
How they search: Google Maps ("restaurant near me"), Instagram Stories (while scrolling during a break), asking colleagues.
Michiu's capture point: Google Maps proximity result, Instagram Stories geotargeted to RAI area, during-event LinkedIn carousel.
Walk-by risk: Medium — they might just follow the crowd toward Scheldestraat. But a Google Maps result or Instagram Story seen at 16:30 redirects them.

Type 4 — The Walk-Out (Calls 5 Minutes Before)

Who: Anyone leaving RAI at 18:00 who hasn't planned anything. Hungry, tired, wants to sit down immediately.
When they decide: At the RAI exit.
How they search: Google Maps open in hand. "Japanese near me." First result with good reviews and available tables wins.
Michiu's capture point: Google Maps ranking, Google Business Profile (photos, reviews, hours clearly showing open), phone number immediately visible, WhatsApp booking option.
Walk-by risk: High — Scheldestraat restaurants are on the natural route. Counter: if Michiu appears first on Google Maps with strong photos and reviews, they redirect.

Type 5 — The Pre-Arrival Traveller

Who: Delegate flying in from the US, UK, or Asia. On the plane or at the airport, planning the week. Has LinkedIn open, has Instagram open.
When they decide: In transit.
How they search: LinkedIn (IBC content in their feed), Instagram (Amsterdam food content), Google ("where to eat Amsterdam IBC week").
Michiu's capture point: LinkedIn ad in their feed during transit, Instagram content tagged to Amsterdam/IBC, article or recommendation that surfaces on Google.
Walk-by risk: Zero — they've already decided. They know where they're going before they land.

The Scheldestraat Problem — and Why It's Solvable

Scheldestraat restaurants (Sapporo, Oceania, VINNIES) have one structural advantage: they are on the natural walking route from RAI to public transport and the hotel cluster.

This advantage is real, but it is the weakest possible moat:

• It only captures undecided guests who happen to walk that way
• It has zero reach before arrival
• It provides no targeting — a passing delegate sees a restaurant sign, not a message tailored to their industry and role
• It can be completely neutralised by a pre-made decision

The strategy is to move the decision point upstream — before they're anywhere near Scheldestraat.

Accept the walk-by loss. Some guests will just walk into Sapporo because it's there. That's fine. The goal is to win every other moment — and the every-other-moment audience is larger and higher-value.

Channel Strategy — What Each Channel Covers

1. LinkedIn (Pre-arrival + In-transit)

Covers: Type 1 (Pre-Planner Corporate), Type 5 (Pre-Arrival Traveller)
Mechanism: Ads by job title × industry × location. Penn InMail to exhibitors and speakers.
Competitive situation: First-mover — no competitor uses this channel at all.
Full detail: See _linkedin-rai-strategy.md and _spend-tier-framework.md.
Key execution: LinkedIn campaign starts T-14 to T-21 depending on spend tier. Penn outreach T-10 for CB-1 events.

2. Google Business Profile (In-event + Walk-out)

Covers: Type 3 (In-Event Researcher), Type 4 (Walk-Out), Type 2 (Individual Pre-Planner)
Mechanism: When anyone searches "Japanese restaurant near me" or "restaurant near RAI Amsterdam" while in the area, Michiu's GBP is the result they see.
Current state: GBP exists but does not rank on page one for "corporate dinner near RAI Amsterdam." VINNIES does.
Fix required:

• Update GBP description to include: "5 minutes from RAI Amsterdam — group bookings welcome for corporate dinners during IBC, Money20/20, Provada and other RAI events"
• Add event-week posts during each primary-tier event (GBP posts have high local visibility)
• Respond to all reviews (signals active business)
• Add interior photos optimised for "dinner" and "group" searches
• Ensure hours are accurate and show as open during event evenings

3. Instagram (In-transit + In-event)

Covers: Type 3 (In-Event Researcher), Type 5 (Pre-Arrival Traveller)
Mechanism: Geotargeted Stories and Reels during event weeks. Content that appears in "Amsterdam" and "Amsterdam-Zuid" location feeds.
Key execution:

• During-event Stories: strong dish content with location tag "RAI Amsterdam" or "Amsterdam-Zuid"
• Reels during IBC/Money20/20/ISPO weeks: kitchen content that lands in "Amsterdam" Explore
• Behind-the-scenes during group dinner evenings (no faces, just the setup) = social proof
• These do not need to mention the event explicitly — they just need to appear during the week to the audience in the area

4. RAI Platform Presence (All types — passive but high-intent)

Covers: All guest types, especially Type 2 and Type 4
Mechanism: RAI Amsterdam has a dining page for event visitors (rai.nl/en/visitor). Organiser portals recommend local restaurants. i amsterdam has a group dining listing.
Current state: Michiu is not listed on the RAI dining page. Not listed on i amsterdam group dining.
Fix required:

• Submit to RAI Amsterdam's restaurant recommendation list (direct contact with RAI events/hospitality team)
• Submit to i amsterdam group dining directory
• These listings are free and represent the highest-intent possible referral: someone who is literally looking for a restaurant near RAI, right now

5. Google Ads — Search (Walk-out + Individual Pre-Planner)

Covers: Type 2, Type 4
Mechanism: Paid search for "restaurant near RAI Amsterdam," "Japanese restaurant Amsterdam-Zuid," "corporate dinner Amsterdam RAI" during event weeks.
Competitive situation: No competitor is running Google Ads on these terms.
Execution: Event-week-only campaigns. Run only during T-7 to last day of each CB-1 and CB-2 event. Budget: €20–40/day during event. Pause outside event windows. Target geo: 5km radius of RAI.
Note: Google Ads is a complementary channel, not the primary one. LinkedIn is the primary for corporate; Google is the primary for individual pre-planners and walk-outs.

6. WhatsApp / Phone Availability (Walk-out)

Covers: Type 4 specifically
Mechanism: A delegate walking out of RAI who wants to eat NOW will call. They need an instant answer: "Yes, we have a table for 4, come now."
Execution: During primary-tier event weeks, ensure phone is answered during service hours. Consider a WhatsApp number visible on GBP for instant response. The conversion rate on a live call to a walk-in during IBC week is extremely high — the guest is motivated and 5 minutes away.

The Walk-by Counter: Google Maps as the Scheldestraat Override

When a guest walks out of RAI and opens Google Maps, the restaurant that appears first with:

• ★★★★+ rating
• Clear photos showing a full dining room
• "Open now" status
• 5-minute walk indicated

...wins that guest, regardless of what's on Scheldestraat.

The sequence: guest exits RAI → opens Google Maps → searches "Japanese restaurant" or "restaurant near me" → Michiu appears at or near top → clicks → sees photos of the dining room, 4.5 stars, 5 min walk → calls or walks over.

This is the walk-out counter-strategy. It costs nothing to execute beyond GBP optimisation and review cultivation. It is entirely passive once set up.

Review velocity matters here. A restaurant with 200 reviews at 4.6★ ranks above one with 50 reviews at 4.8★ in proximity searches. Michiu's review cultivation strategy (Circle, post-visit follow-up) should explicitly treat RAI event week as review-acquisition windows — guests who book during IBC week should receive a WhatsApp follow-up after their visit.

Execution Priority — 90-Day Plan

Phase 1 — Foundation (Weeks 1–4, before next event)

These are the fixes that make every other channel work. Free or near-free.

1. GBP update — Add RAI proximity and congress-dinner language to description. Add event-week GBP posts template ready for each event. Ensure hours are correct. Upload 5–10 new interior/group photos.
2. RAI dining list submission — Email RAI events/hospitality team requesting inclusion on their dining recommendations page. One email, permanent presence.
3. i amsterdam group dining listing — Submit Michiu to i amsterdam's private/group dining directory. Free listing.
4. Phone/WhatsApp readiness — During any CB-1 or CB-2 event week, phone is staffed for walk-in calls during service. WhatsApp number added to GBP if not already present.

Phase 2 — Active Channels (Weeks 4–8, tied to next event)

These require budget and execution per event.

5. LinkedIn campaign — Per _linkedin-rai-strategy.md and _spend-tier-framework.md. Start with the next CB-1 or CB-2 event on the calendar.
6. Penn InMail outreach — Target exhibitor/speaker leads at the next CB-1 event. Build the first outreach template and test it.
7. Instagram during-event content — Kitchen prep and dining room content during event week. Geotag consistently.
8. GBP event-week posts — One post at T-7 and one during the event for each primary-tier event.

Phase 3 — Scale (Weeks 8+, ongoing)

9. Google Ads (Search) — Add event-week paid search for CB-1 events. Small budget, high intent.
10. Review cultivation program — Post-IBC, post-Money20/20 follow-up with group booking guests. WhatsApp message 2 days after visit.
11. VINNIES SEO gap — Michiu.nl needs a /groups or /events page (EN + NL) that explicitly names RAI proximity, the exclusive hire option, and a contact form. This is the single biggest SEO gap. VINNIES has this page; Michiu does not.

The Unfair Advantage Sequence

The ideal outcome for a CB-1 event like IBC: a VP Sales at an exhibiting US company sees Michiu on LinkedIn 2 weeks before IBC → notes it → Penn sends an InMail at T-10 → they book the Monday team dinner → they come, they enjoy it → they call back Wednesday to bring a client group → they leave a Google review → during the Friday dealer day their colleague pulls up Google Maps and Michiu appears first → two more covers.

This is the flywheel: LinkedIn pre-arrival capture → group booking → review → Google Maps walk-in → repeat next IBC.

No competitor is playing this game. Michiu has the opportunity to own the "restaurant for the RAI C-suite" position by default — simply by being the only one doing it.

What Not to Do

• Do not rely on TripAdvisor aggregator strategies. TripAdvisor reaches the tourist segment, not the RAI corporate delegate. The audience is on LinkedIn and Google Maps, not TripAdvisor.
• Do not try to out-location Scheldestraat. Accept the walk-by loss and win every upstream moment instead.
• Do not spray Instagram broadly. During-event Instagram content should be geotargeted and event-timed. Untargeted Instagram reaches the wrong audience.
• Do not run LinkedIn campaigns year-round. Concentrate budget on the 10–12 event windows per year when the CB audience is physically in Amsterdam.