If you get it right, events are a hugely impactful way of increasing your brand profile, growing your business and developing long-lasting relationships. At The Secret Event Service, we want all of our event attendees to leave with incredible memories, a feeling of purpose and achievement and a positive outlook on our client. Part of the way in which we do this is to plan the event journey effectively. Events should not be just a one day affair! The best events take months in the planning and think about the attendees journey every step of the way.
Before your event:
So, before the event, the most crucial thing you need to do is make clear WHY someone should want to attend your event. What can they gain? What could they miss out on if they’re not there? Who will they meet? Why is it important to them? I can’t express that last point enough. Why is it important to THEM? This bit is really not about you.
Make sure your comms are really clear. Talk about the benefits – the potential gains for that person. Is this event a learning opportunity? A networking opportunity? An experience like no other? It’s really crucial to make this clear. If you can articulate this properly, you’ll have an already engaged audience before they walk through the door meaning that you are less likely to get last minute drop outs and more likely to get increased registrations.
At your event:
Okay, so you’ve got their buy in enough to attend your event – to give you their most valuable asset, their time! Now what are you going to deliver on the day that’s really going to wow them? We want our attendees to be buzzing about the success of our event, about the potential opportunities that have come from the conversations held on the day, about how the host is making waves in their industry.
This is your opportunity to shine and to build your value. 75% of content marketers say that the most effective content marketing tool is in-person events, according to the Content Marketing Institute (2016). So how are you going to make your message clear? Make sure you’ve got a well thought out plan before the day to ensure that this is successful.
After your event:
This sounds simple, and yet, it’s often not done: PERSONALLY REACH OUT TO YOUR ATTENDEES ASAP. Thank them for their time, thank them for their thoughts, offer introductions based on the valuable conversations that have been had. Ask them if there’s any feedback they’d like to give, make sure they know that their opinion is valued. Seek out opportunities for business development at this point. This is the time at which your leads are at their hottest. Utilise it effectively!
If you make sure to follow each of the above steps before, during and after your event, the chance of your event being a success increases beyond measure. Each event should be driven by a core business purpose – making sure that the event has a journey that increases buy in from your attendees every single step of the way increases your brand awareness, credibility and scope for opportunity.
If you’d like to discuss anything to do with your event, email kate@secreteventservice.com