Practical tips for event organizers

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Attendee Engagement at Events

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EventMarketing

Attendee Engagement between Events

We recently attended the Heavent Conference here in Paris and gained some key insight into a number of fascinating topics being bandied around by event organizers.

In particular, we’re interested in attendee engagement. 

There are three essential actors when it comes to pulling off a successful event: there are the organizers, the exhibitors, and the attendees.  And, there’s a relationship that forms between each of these actors.

Creating lasting attendee engagement, especially between two sessions, is about taking maximum advantage of as many touch points at your event as possible.  Touch points can come in a variety of forms, but they all have the opportunity to:

  1. Create connections
  2. Learn
  3. Build trust

Both event organizers and exhibitors need to be thinking of ways to create as many touch points as possible.  These are the points that are subsequently used to enhance engagement between two events.  Because attendees have met you, you’ve learned more about them, and have established some degree of trust, they are more likely to respond to your communications efforts to maintain their interest following your event.

It’d be lovely if there was one formula for communicating with attendees that promises maximum engagement.  But, unfortunately, that’s simply not true.  And that’s part of the reason that many of the world’s biggest brands now have full-time employees working on community managment.

What can be said though is that you need to use the same communications channels your attendees do.  Since you’ve met them and learned about them, you should have a decent understanding of what these channels are.  You should also be thinking about what message your communications efforts are carrying: what’s going ot be relevant to your attendees and what’s going to be relevant to your ensuing strategic goals between your events.  These efforts might be to learn even more about your attendees to improve subsequent events.  Social media offers you the opportunity not just to eavesdrop on your attendees conversations, but to also be a part of the conversation.

So, here are some action items to be thinking about:

  1. How can we create more touch points with our attendees?
  2. How can we learn more about them?
  3. Why are attendees coming to my event?
  4. Where do my attendees prefer to receive information?
  5. What kind of conversations do I want to have with attendees?