Source: Eventtia

How much thought do you put into making your attendees feel comfortable at your event?

Usually, when planning an event, we obsess over the logistics, trying to put together a flawless attendee journey. We might also spice the experience up with some extraordinary moments, such as an unexpected performance.

However, we might unintentionally disregard the feeling of comfort our event must provide.

Why is comfort so important for an uplifting attendee experience?

Although attending an event is certainly exciting, it can also be stressful.

First of all, there’s logistic stress (yes, attendees have it too):

• “Will I find the venue?”
• “Did I register correctly?”
• “Will I have to wait a long time to check in?”
• “Will I be able to print the badge?”
• “Will I have a good seat?”

These are just some of the thoughts your attendees might have.

Minor problems, you’d say, but those thoughts will definitely increase your guests’ stress level, making them a bit more edgy and tense.

Second, there’s the fear of the unknown, which usually kicks in when attendees are required to work in groups, participate in ice-breaking games, or interact with strangers.

These activities can spike up anxiety levels and diminish any positive vibes.

Finally, attending events require lots of mental energy.

Actively listening to speakers, trying to memorize the most important data, taking notes, networking, asking questions …

All these activities are super demanding on the brain and leave your attendees exhausted at the end of the day.

So what should you do?

How can you make your attendees feel more relaxed at your event and reduce their stress levels?

Here are some tips that will help you answer this question:

Tip 1. Serve familiar food

Whether it’s a national or international event, whenever it comes to catering, we all want to impress.

From unique finger food to extravagant molecular cuisine, there’s no shortage of ways in which you can surprise your attendees with tasty treats.

But weird or unfamiliar food is not always the right call.

Sometimes, your guests might not be in the mood to experiment and prefer to grab something quick and familiar.

Obviously, if you have the possibility, you shouldn’t restrict yourself from delighting people with exquisite catering.

However, to reduce the uncertainty level and make your attendees feel more comfortable, make sure there are always familiar options for them.

Tip 2. Prepare a lounge area

Navigating the event environment and venue itself can be extremely tiring. People need an area where they can escape to recharge.

To give them what they need and make them feel more at ease, arrange a place for them to relax, such as a lounge with warm lights and comfortable furniture.

Tip 3. Create a friendly event program

One thing that will definitely exhaust your attendees is an intense event schedule. The more activities you include, the more likely they are to end up exhausted.

Having to run from one session to another without any breaks will prevent your guests from feeling comfortable at your event, and they won’t enjoy the overall experience.

To keep this from happening, make it simple and engage your audience in fewer activities, focusing on each activity’s quality and value.

Tip 4. Avoid forcing attendee participation

One of the biggest stressors for attendee is being forced to interact or take part in different dynamics.

For example, the moderator or the speaker can ask the attendees to answer some questions or to take the microphone and comment on the discussed topic. These guests might be randomly picked by simply passing a throwable microphone or another soft object.

This might increase the stress level of those guests who don’t want to engage this way and make them feel embarrassed.

To keep this from happening, don’t force attendee participation and find different, non-intrusive ways engage your guests (such as live polls, for example).

Tip 5. Don’t mix people for group activities

This one might sound a bit controversial.

Usually, it’s recommended to mix up the attendees when running group activities.

This tends to increase the chances of them having a better interaction experience, since they’ll be communicating with new people and getting out of their comfort zone.

However, if you care about your attendees’ comfort (especially the ones who are attending with friends or colleagues or are in the company of new acquaintances), make the mingling for group activities optional.

Those who want to get to know new people get up and interact with others, while those who are shy will stay where they are.

To wrap it up

Apart from getting the logistics up and running, you also need to make your guests feel completely at ease at your event.

Keeping their stress levels at a minimum will make them be more open to event activities and have a memorable experience.

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By Eventtia

The mastery of event planning comes with experience, making tons of mistakes along the way, and having a trustworthy set of tools.

But not all people or marketing teams have the luxury of being able to take their time and deepen their logistic skills. As a matter of fact, they usually have to learn how to plan high-quality events on the go to achieve their business goals.

If you are one of those people, this article is for you.

Although there’s no formula on how to set up and manage exceptional events, there are plenty of steps you can successfully follow without having a planning background.

But before going in depth and analyzing these tips, let’s spend a few minutes defining a high-quality event.

Is it the one that attracts most guests?

Or is it the one that delivers the WOW factor?

The three dimensions of a high-quality event

A high-quality event is the combination of three aspects: flawless logistics, an impactful experience, and massive value (whether in terms of content or networking opportunities).

Flawless logistics refers to the attendee journey and how easy it is for your guests to interact with the event environment and elements. This part starts long before the event itself, with the website and the registration and payment procedures.

From there, the attendee journey continues with traveling to the event destination or venue, the check-in procedure, attending the knowledge sessions, networking, navigating through the venue, etc.

The less friction you generate between the attendee and the initial interaction with the event, the higher their impression is, conditioning a stronger level of trust.

An impactful experience, on the other hand, involves the emotional component of your event.

If you want to run a high-quality event, just handling the logistics is not enough.

On the contrary, you should pay special attention to your attendees’ feelings, which means you must design a gratifying experience that will create the desired impact.

Last but not least is the massive value your event can provide.

This part answers the question: Why should people attend?

Who cares if you want to get more leads or strengthen customer loyalty? People will only come to your event if there’s something in it for them.

From the caliber of the speakers to the type of prospects they’ll be able to meet at your event, there’s several attendance reasons you could explore, making sure your guests will get what they expect.

Having all this settled, let’s find out what can you do to pull off a high-quality event without any special training:

Tip #1. Focus on providing meaning

Every attendee has a hidden agenda or a series of expectations they want to meet. When planning your event, set aside some time to analyze people’s motivations and identify ways in which you could bring value.

For example, you could deploy two plans: one involving the networking experience, the other focusing on the content quality.

For the first plan, to make the networking as valuable and meaningful as possible, you may want to opt for a B2B matchmaking format, allowing your guests to schedule one-on-one meetings with those of interest.

As for the second plan, you could invite the best industry experts, set up workshops that can generate interesting insights, and provide your attendees a really powerful platform for knowledge transfer.

Tip #2. Pay careful attention to details

Be ready to be oblivious about the details.

It’s not your fault—it’s just the way the normal brain works (most event professionals have been trained to have the minds of superheroes), and you don’t know any better.

When managing an event, you’re expected to juggle multiple balls in the air at once: the catering, venue, surveys, attendee experience, engagement … and that’s only a few.

When you don’t have a planning background, it’s super easy to get lost in all these details, forget what’s important, or overlook something crucial.

This happens a lot, so be prepared to miss things.

That’s why you should never underestimate the power of sticky notes. Write down everything, even the smallest, most obvious details. This way, chances are you won’t forget as much as expected.

Tip #3. Standardize the event management procedures

Your company or institution probably won’t limit itself to one two events per year. Chances are the number of events will grow, and so will your responsibilities.

Luckily, most planning logistics are the same.

Starting with the event website and finishing with the networking interactions, you’ll be setting up the same dynamics and walking through the same processes.

To keep it simple, it’s good to come up with a planning protocol that will enlist all the required steps, possible challenges, and best ways to achieve your desired results.

This will help you “clone” the planning process and replicate it during the entire year when you’re planning different gatherings.

Tip #4. Digitize and automate the event logistics

Event logistics can become a nightmare in a matter of minutes, and if you don’t have the proper tools to handle it, you may end up canceling the whole event.

Apart from a lot of stress, tasks such as setting up a website, coordinating the online registration, and sending email campaigns can take a lot of time.

If you want to avoid doing heavy and repetitive work when planning an event, you must equip yourself with powerful tools, such as an event management software program that integrates all the featuresyou need.

From setting up an event website and designing the registration procedure to generating badges and creating meaningful networking experiences, a powerful platform will help you automate different tasks, which will save you tons of time and reduce the number of errors planners tend to make when they plan an event without any support.

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By Kristin Veach

Source: Event Tech Brief

Rachel Stephan, senior event marketing strategist at sensov/ event marketing, has spent the last 17 years helping event professionals and associations promote their conferences and congresses. One of the most effective event promotion strategies she’s found has been using influencers to spread the word within their networks.

Now with snöball, Stephan is on a mission to amplify the word-of-mouth effect and put the power of influencer marketing into the organizer’s hands. But rather than limit the number of influencers to a select few people with large social followings, snöball lets many individuals associated with the event distribute influence.

Boosting returns with influencers

Social media has shifted the balance of power between customers and brands. A study by Nielsen found 92 percent of consumers trust peer recommendation – while only 33 percent trust advertising.

Using Influencers – those who have the ability to influence the behavior or opinion of others – makes sense in today’s selfie, sharing, social society. Besides increasing reach and buzz, influencer marketing boosts returns too.

According to an infographic by St. Joseph Communications, influencer marketing results in an ROI 11 times higher on average than that of traditional marketing methods, such as TV, print, and desktop ads.

And, the infographic points out, for every dollar spent on influencer marketing, brands are earning $6.50 in return.

But unfortunately in the past, event organizers wanting to utilize an influencer marketing strategy have had to rely on manual processes like sending out one-off emails from speakers, exhibitors and other influencers to prospective attendees. And there’s been no way to track the results of those initiatives.

Stephan says that’s why snöball was born, “Designed just for organizers and planners, it makes it easy for everyone to spread the word in their networks.”

Creating a snowball effect

Recognizing our society is incredibly socially-oriented opens up a wealth of influencer opportunities at events. Unlike brands who typically just rely on celebrities, organizers and planners can tap into a much larger crowd of attendees, speakers and exhibitors to help share information about an event.

And since our society has become more accustomed to sharing, all of these event influencers also feel compelled to share with their networks – whether it’s to experience gratification, build credibility across their peer group, or just leverage the power of FOMO (fear of missing out).

If an event organizer can give all of these event influencers a tool that helps them to be more valuable to their peers and colleagues, these influencers can help grow the community around the event.

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19By Maria Waida

Source: Bizzarro

How do you optimize for online event registration? What are some tips you can use to improve your event registration numbers this year? Find out how to supercharge all areas of your online marketing plan and boost registrations in this practical event registration guide.

According to these 2019 event marketing statistics, 36% of marketers said their biggest challenge is increasing event ticket sales and registration. From event websites to advertising, there are lots of new tactics available for you to try out this year. Here are 18 marketing tips for you to experiment with in 2019.

Event Website Tips

1. Have a standalone brand.

Your event should have its own identity separate from your overall brand. Visitors who visit your event registration page online should leave with a strong impression of what they can expect, the overall vibe of the experience, and a sense of excitement for the upcoming event. Making your event registration page memorable is a great way to do that.

Use colors, fonts, and a great CTA form that is both unique and cohesive with your existing marketing. Make important information like locations and event dates easy to see and remember. Tailor your page content to the interests of your target audience and use videos or images that they will like.

2. Prioritize user experience.

A fancy event registration page means nothing if your users can’t figure out how to navigate it. Streamline your copy and design so that important information is made immediately available. Have a banner with your event name, dates, location, and other important information clearly visible. Use bold colors for buttons so guests know where to click when they’re ready to check out.

If you plan to showcase last year’s event videos or share your latest social media posts, separate your content into sections. Use a drop down menu or navigation bar that’s easy to read. No matter what design elements you choose, your event registration page should align with your overall vision for the event.

3. Show off your personality.

What makes your event brand stand out? Your event registration page is the place to flaunt it! Whether it’s bright and fun colors or minimalist and specific copy, making your brand stand out is as simple as showing people what you’re made of.

That doesn’t mean you need to come up with an entirely new concept from scratch. Think of your event personality as if it exists under the umbrella of your company brand. What aspects of its image would work well on your event registration website? Use those ideas in fresh ways to boost interest and increase ticket sales or registrations.

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Source: Eventtia

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Source: Eventtia

Like it or not, people often measure your value by assessing the way you communicate it.

If you try to praise your product, they’ll simply ignore you. If you try to make it “fun” and “entertaining,” they won’t get the main idea and forget you. If you try to sell it to them, they’ll probably back off and blacklist your brand.

Whether you’re in e-commerce or trying to advertise your event, the same rule will undertake your efforts: Marketing has become more about connecting than selling.

Along with that, relevant and meaningful narrative has taken the place of worthless advertising, banners, and flamboyant copy.

As the marketing guru Seth Godin highlights in one of his recent books,

“Marketing involves very little in the way of shouting, hustling, or coercion. It’s a chance to serve, instead.”

He also adds,

“Marketing is the generous act of helping others become who they seek to become. It involves creating honest stories—stories that resonate and spread. Marketers offer solutions, opportunities for humans to solve their problems and move forward.”

“That’s all well and good, but I’m not a marketer. I just want to promote my event,” I hear you saying.

No problem: We can help you play by the rules successful marketers follow, those of generating more value, connecting with your potential attendees, and having a positive impact on your community.

These tips will equip you with the necessary information to overcome the “ad-noise” and reach out to the right people (aka future event attendees).

Ready to do some work?

Let’s see how you can promote your event in 2019.

#1. Start long before announcing the event

Whether your intention is to increase brand awareness or attract new leads, promoting an event should be part of your long-term marketing strategy. You won’t be able to gain a mass of attendees if your company or business has no visibility or interacts poorly with its prospects.

Think about it: When you have a blog but no readers, don’t expect comments (except spam) or a big amount of organic traffic.

The same thing happens when you’re trying to promote an event without being active on social media or having an already existing audience that follows you and is aware of your brand or company.

First, you need to make sure that your marketing efforts are giving you results in terms of generating demand and gathering a strong audience. Then, worry about promoting your upcoming event(s).

#2. Display human emotions

Long gone are the days when brands have the same impact as real humans, so stop hiding behind social media posts or blog articles.

Regardless of the type of marketing campaigning, you need to make sure your message is personal and emotional. Sometimes it’s more effective to promote your event through company employees or a directive than just using the business avatar on social media.

Take a look, for example, at Gary Vaynerchuk, who’s using his identity to create online content and, apart from strengthening a powerful community, also attract new clients to his media business or promote different events and products.

People want to connect with other people, not with faceless, emotionless brands.

Use this to your benefit and make the effort to impersonate the identity of your brand and, subsequently, your event with the help of a community manager or someone from your team who’ll be in charge of communicating with the online audience.

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