It’s no longer enough to get people to attend your event. Your goal now as a planner is to get attendees fully engaged and participating in your event. In order to do so, you must create an event that is not only meaningful but attracts attendees with the event experience that extends beyond the event itself. What better way to do so than by luring them with leisure?
Start by recognizing that your attendees are investing valuable time and money to attend your event and they are much more perceptive than in years past. Designing an experience to cater to what your attendees care about and deliver it in a way with which they’re comfortable. For example, a target audience of millennials who are more tech savvy are going to expect a different type of engagement than baby boomers who may not be up on cutting edge social media or technology. The goal here is to get your attendees involved in the experience, the presenters, the vendors, and one another. Doing so will carry over well past the event itself.
The fact that nearly everyone is in constant possession of their smart phone has changed the entire event planning industry. Apps can be used to register guests, teach, gather, and track data, communicate with and update attendees in real time, and improve follow up after the event has ended. It’s amazing how technology has improved attendee engagement.
It all comes down to knowing your prospective audience. Really consider demographics and how these people prefer to interact. Plus, there are many ways to make an event experience memorable. One that’s often overlooked is incorporating the sense of smell. Smell is one of the most evocative of the senses and is proven to trigger memory and cultivate an atmosphere. That’s why many realtors will infuse a space with the scent of baking bread, brownies, or apple pie prior to an open house. These aromas conjure up a sense of hominess for many people and help them envision a house as their own.
First, encourage exhibitors to build a buzz about the event prior to the event. Social media, email blasts, appearances on local TV or radio all work well to achieve this. Next, inspire your exhibitors to offer a game that encourages attendees to attend with prizes to those that participate. Lastly, solicit them to leverage exhibitor social media channels to draw in attendees. Exhibitors can simply ask attendees to “check in” at the event, tag their booth or business, and share the post to their social media page. In doing so, the exhibitor enters the attendee into a drawing for a valuable prize while also gaining exposure to any of the visitor’s social media friends and followers.
While there’s no shortage of ideas for getting your attendees involved in your event experience, it’s critical to remember your first goal…to create an event that your attendees will never forget. Need some venue inspiration, start with our start with our meetingpages Activity Venue Directory today!
Creator of digital platform meetingpages complete event planning directory and resource delivering leads and national, regional and local exposure for event venues, suppliers and destinations in MN, WI, IA & CO markets. In her free time, this 19 year industry veteran enjoys dance, group fitness, and training her young golden retriever dog in competition obedience and confirmation.
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