Top 10 Tips for Hosting a Successful Event
by Lindsey Weinig
1. Plan ahead
Let your contacts know in advance. Send out ‘Save the Date’ emails to make sure they are aware of what’s to come and mark it on their calendars.
2. Collaborate
Consider offerings that compliment your products or services and reach out to companies to see if they would like to sponsor a booth or be a speaker. This will help grow your reach and increase your attendance.
3. Create Buzz
Make your event exciting! Entice your contacts to attend with surprise guest speakers or prizes and gift baskets. Don’t forget to send out a press release and use social media outlets to get the word out as well.
4. Why should they attend?
Be convincing yet accurate with your invitations. Be sure to include the delicious menu, entertainment, networking opportunities, prizes and more to entice them to attend. Keep in mind not to over exaggerate or it will hurt your attendance at the next event if you can’t deliver on your promises.
5. Make it convenient
Provide a map and make it a convenient time of year, week, day and location for your target attendance group. Also make sure to have easy parking and that your venue can comfortably hold your expected attendees.
6. Remind them
Use Survey Drip Marketing Autoloader campaigns to automatically load survey RSVPs into a drip marketing campaign that reminds them when, where, and why they will be attending.
7. Plan for walk-ins
Assume more than your RSVPs will attend so you won’t be under-stocked. Nothing makes guests more annoyed than not enough food, drinks or seats for everyone.
8. Request attendee feedback
Email your attendees after the event with a link to a Survey. Ask what they liked most, and what they would prefer for next year’s event. If this is a reoccurring event, let them know when to expect the next one.
9. Follow up with absentees
Recap what they missed and let them know how they can obtain brochures, recorded speeches and other collateral from the event. Also let them know when the next event will be so they don’t miss it as well.
10. Sales Follow up
The best thing about your event is the leads generated! Make sure to follow up with them right away to make the most of the new contacts your event brought you.
