Today we’ve decided to shake things up a little bit. If you’re familiar with our blog, then you know we typically gear our content toward event planning or staffing elements. Well, today we want to talk about all things event marketing. And we are in the mood to give you some juicy insights, and critical considerations for planning your next event. That’s right, we’re talking event marketing elements that affect the attendee experience.

Why is this so important? Well, let’s first ask ourselves, “Why do people attend an event?”. It could be that there is an exciting keynote speaker or perhaps a product launch. Whatever the event centers around, there will always be key deciding factors that attendees base their decision to attend (or not) around. For instance, timing, content, location/proximity, cost, and/or convenience. So, how are you taking these crucial event marketing elements into consideration when you’re making your marketing plan?

The reality is, the task of providing an exceptional attendee experience is greater than ever. So, when building out your marketing plan, there are three critical event marketing elements that affect the attendee experience that we urge you to consider.

Target Audiences

The first step in the process is determining your target audience. To do this, answer the following two questions. Number one: “Why are you holding this event?” and, number two: “Who are you holding this event for?”. If you know your why and who, you’ll be able to tailor experiences accordingly. To do this, you’ll want to gather specific data. Look at industry insights and trends and any available market research data. You will want to consider your key demographics’ wants and needs. For instance, what’s important to “c suite” executives may be less important to programmers or instructors. In addition, what’s critical for 18-25 year olds, may be less so for 30-40 year olds. There are a lot of crucial demographic elements to consider.

Promoting Your Events

Now that your target audiences are defined, we need to spread the word! Promoting your event can sometimes seem like a daunting task in and of itself. But fear not, if you break down the process, it’s easier than you might think. First, ensure you have all the necessary information and make it shareable! Theme, date/time, location, etc. In addition, any teaser content you want to share. For instance, headlining performers, keynote speakers, exclusive activation zones, sponsors, etc. Whatever you think will get your demographic excited and eager to attend. In addition to making it shareable, make sure you’re utilizing multiple platforms to increase your reach. For instance, most of us use multiple platforms a day, such as Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, etc. So, make sure you’re using each platform to the best of its ability. This brings us to connectivity. Make sure you’re actively taking time to interact and connect with potential attendees. Get the word out and if you’ve done enough pre-work, the number of registered guests should speak for itself.

Event Registration

Last but certainly not least, in our list of event marketing elements that affect the attendee experience is the event registration process. Now, the best thing you can do is to keep it simple! Please do not overcomplicate this process. If it’s too hard to register or purchase a ticket, you will lose valuable attendees, we can promise you that. Instead, think effective and efficient. For example, create an app, event website or landing page. Make registration as simple as clicking on a link or scanning a QR code. And if most communication can be done by email or SMS – even better!  No one wants to have to scroll through multiple pages or emails just to attend.

Final Thoughts

Now, if you take anything from today’s blog, we hope it’s that event marketing elements are just as critical to the success of an event as the executional elements. Remember, it all goes back to the decision-making process we discussed in the beginning of this blog.  Make sure content is relevant, location is convenient, food and beverage are consistent and activities are intriguing, and you’ve set yourself up for success. So, go start planning your next event! Send us an invite, we’d love to see it. And if you need a little help along the way, we’d love to be your partner. Click below for a free quote or contact us today!