Category: Event Management

Continuing the Conversation: Keeping Attendees Engaged After a Virtual Event

  • Event Management
  • April 11, 2024
Continuing the Conversation: Keeping Attendees Engaged After a Virtual Event

The virtual event has come to an end; the last of the breakout rooms have closed, and attendees are logging off. But while the virtual conference may be over, the conversations and post-event reporting shouldn’t have to stop there. Luckily, there are many opportunities to continue building relationships with other attendees and expand your professional network long after the virtual event has concluded.

Why is Retention Important Post-Event?

Whether it’s clients, customers, or potential candidates for vacancies, retaining audiences from your virtual events is a critical component of success. It sustains your event’s impact and helps you build a loyal community of interested participants. It also saves time for future events since you already have a list of interested attendees who are likely to join you again.

Fostering long-term relationships with your attendees provides endless networking opportunities and future collaboration opportunities. Retained attendees are likely to act as brand advocates for your company and your events, which can help increase attendees and boost revenue through registrations and sponsorships.

Provide a Post-Event Landing Page

It’s common for individuals to juggle a multitude of tasks simultaneously—whether it’s managing a dozen tabs on a web browser, navigating through a plethora of smartphone apps, or sifting through a backlog of emails and messages.

To captivate the attention of modern audiences, it’s vital you offer them a virtual destination to go to. By establishing a digital hub where attendees can autonomously explore content tailored to their interests, you can maintain their engagement throughout and beyond the event. Utilizing virtual assistants to manage these hubs gives attendees a chance to ask questions or communicate with your brand, sustaining their involvement throughout and following the event without compromising your productivity.

Leverage Social Media Hashtags

One effective way to continue conversations after a virtual event is to leverage social media and networking platforms to stay in touch with connections made. During the event, be sure to share your social media handles and profiles, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook, to allow fellow attendees to connect with you on those channels afterward. Creating event-specific hashtags will also help attendees find others from the event and keep in touch within one digital space.

Many virtual event spaces also have networking features built into the platform itself. Be sure to use tools like direct messaging, chat functions, and the ability to schedule meetings to reach out to and set up future conversations with your new contacts.

Maintaining an active presence on social media channels gives you an easy way to stay top of mind for fellow attendees and nurture those relationships after the virtual environment dissolves. Utilizing a variety of social networking tools and communities gives you accessible avenues to continue conversations with connections as you build your professional relationships.

Build a Content Strategy Around Virtual Event Content

You’re likely well-acquainted with the concept of repurposing content, a strategy that involves recycling existing event content to generate additional value for your audience. But it can be a powerful way to re-engage your attendees after a virtual event, reminding them of the value provided on the day and encouraging them to return to your site and brand again and again.

One approach is to transcribe the event audio, transforming it into a compelling blog post. Craft an enticing introduction and conclusion, complemented by eye-catching graphics. Don’t overlook the importance of embedding the original video within the post to enrich the reader’s experience.

Another strategy that can be part of your overall marketing campaign involves compiling the event’s content into an eBook once a substantial amount of information on a particular topic has been accumulated. Gathering resources from various webinars allows you to design resources that offer significant value to your audience.

Conduct Virtual Meet-Ups

Conducting small virtual meetups after the event will help nurture relationships and mimic the virtual event itself, albeit on a smaller scale. Consider scheduling short 30-minute video calls as an easy way to continue the conversation with your new contacts one-on-one or gather in a small group setting to chat industry news or discuss topics from the event in more detail.

This virtual version of the classic “coffee chat” provides a low-pressure opportunity to learn more about each other’s businesses, interests, and goals. You can also organize informal virtual meetups like a “happy hour” for fellow attendees to mingle in a more relaxed, conversational setting. Setting up video calls around shared industries or professional roles is another way to network with small groups who have common ground.

These bite-sized, casual virtual interactions allow you to nurture budding relationships in a comfortable environment where connections can develop organically. They require little time commitment but go a long way in cementing new relationships established at the virtual event.

Send Personalized Outreach

One of the most effective ways to continue conversations from a virtual event is through personalized outreach and follow-up with attendees you connected with. Be proactive in emailing, messaging through social media, or tagging attendees with whom you want to stay in touch post-event. Share relevant articles, resources, or information you referenced in your previous conversations, which will serve as a natural reminder of your discussion. Email marketing tailored to the event and the attendees can also be a highly effective way to keep the conversation going.

Personalized outreach shows you were genuinely interested in the conversation and relationship, not just networking for networking’s sake. Follow-up also provides low-pressure avenues to schedule future calls, ask questions, or exchange ideas. A thoughtful email or message goes a long way compared to more passive methods of connection. So be proactive in reaching out with targeted, meaningful follow-up to show fellow attendees the value you found in meeting them.

Virtual events have opened up new opportunities to connect and network with fellow attendees from anywhere. But just because the event has ended doesn’t mean the conversations and relationships have to. With intentional effort, you can leverage digital tools, strategic outreach, and shared event experience to foster meaningful professional relationships beyond the virtual conference.

Simplify the complexity of managing your webinars and virtual events with a powerful suite of tools

Make your virtual attendees gather with ease. From small to large and complex events – plan and manage all of your events in one flexible platform – Attendease.

Learn More!

7 Stress-Free Ways to Scale Your Event Program

  • Event Management
  • April 4, 2024
7 Stress-Free Ways to Scale Your Event Program

Whether you’re planning your first large-scale event or looking to grow an already successful program, scaling up can seem…daunting. More events mean more moving parts, more staff, and more potential for stress. But with some strategic planning and the right tools, growth doesn’t have to equal headaches!

In this post, we’ll explore how to thoughtfully and sustainably expand your events. We can’t promise zero stress, but implementing even a few of these strategies will set you up for growth that’s as smooth and painless as possible. 

So whether you’re planning corporate events, conferences, fundraisers, or beyond, you’ll find practical takeaways to level up your program. 

Read on for 7 stress-free ways to scale up your events, step by step.

7 Ways to Scale Your Events Without Stress

Scaling your events program doesn’t have to be painful. These tried-and-true strategies will help you maximize time, energy, and resources so you can scale without creating more work for yourself.  

  1. Establish clear goals and objectives

The first step to stress-free scaling is defining clear goals and objectives. What specifically do you want to accomplish by growing your events? More attendees? Higher revenue? Greater brand awareness? 

Whatever your goals, quantify them with actionable metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress. Relevant KPIs may include the number of registrants, revenue and profit margins, social media impressions and engagement, email open/click rates, and surveys of attendee satisfaction.

With measurable goals and KPIs in place, you can methodically scale up your events framework to hit these targets. Think through the resources, staff, budget, venue size, marketing channels, etc., you’ll need at each stage of growth. 

Having this scalable blueprint based on your established objectives lets you grow intentionally and strategically instead of blindly getting bigger for bigger’s sake. It keeps stress manageable even as your events ramp up.

  1. Leverage event management software

One of the best tools for scaling events without extra stress is a feature-rich event management software like EventUp Planner by Tripleseat — the event planner’s Swiss army knife! From easy automation to life-saving templates and cloning capabilities, event management tools allow you to handle more events and attendees without creating more work. 

Larger events mean more registration and ticketing headaches, right? Not necessarily! Event management solutions like Attendease can help you seamlessly register 2,000 people as easily as 200. 

The best event management software also provides powerful promotion features so you can grow your reach and registrations without manually sending every email. 

Also, look for software with hybrid event capabilities built-in, so you can alternate virtual and in-person without starting from scratch each time. With a robust event management platform that grows with you, it’s easy to scale up or alternate event formats as needed.

  1. Build a strong events team

Scaling up successfully requires a skilled events team you can count on. 

Take time to thoughtfully build your team and establish clear roles and responsibilities. Identify areas like registration, marketing, logistics, on-site staffing, and breakout sessions that need dedicated support. Consider blending in-house event planners who can handle big-picture strategy with on-site staff like volunteers who’ll manage tactical execution.

When working across departments, set expectations for who owns what early on. Resist trying to control everything yourself—learn to delegate. If your team needs extra support or training, consider investing in team development, like project management training or customer service workshops. Set up regular check-ins to keep everyone aligned. 

With the right team structure and training in place, you can confidently hand off responsibilities, freeing yourself up to focus on big-picture growth and strategy. The stronger your team, the more your event program can scale without compromising quality or adding stress!

  1. Streamline event logistics and operations

When your events program is growing, it’s crucial to streamline processes so more volume doesn’t mean more headaches. 

Look for ways to develop efficient workflows, like using event planning templates to keep timelines, checklists, and document formats consistent across events. Centralize communication channels, like an email listserv to send announcements to your full staff and a dedicated Slack or WhatsApp channel for event managers to coordinate logistics in real-time.

Automate repetitive tasks that don’t require a personal touch, like using your event management software to automatically send confirmation emails, reminders about unpaid invoices, and notification updates leading up to the event. For example, you can set up automation to send event reminders, prompt feedback requests, and personalized thank-you notes to attendees. 

The less manual work per registration, email, invoice, etc., the more you can scale without more effort. With operations optimized, you’ll be equipped to take on more events and attendees seamlessly.

  1. Embrace scalable venues and formats

The right venues and formats will make running larger or concurrent events much smoother. 

For scalable spaces, look for convention centers, hotels, and multi-room venues that can accommodate your event at different growth stages. Or consider more adaptable options like outdoor spaces, warehouses, and creative office spaces. You can even embrace a “hub and spoke” model with smaller satellite venues feeding into a main event hub.

When it comes to formats, take advantage of hybrid options to extend your reach, like livestreaming keynotes or offering select sessions virtually. 

Other modular setups add flexibility, like ballrooms with movable walls or sets with interchangeable staging. With the ability to reshape sessions, spaces, and seating as needed, you can adapt seamlessly as each event scales up. 

Whether planning simultaneous gatherings or a single growing conference, smart venues and formats prevent you from being locked into one rigid model.

  1. Engage in continuous feedback and improvement

To scale successfully, continually gather and act on attendee feedback. Collect input regularly via post-event surveys, roundtable discussions, and moderated Q&As. 

Look for patterns in what participants enjoyed most and areas for improvement. Without this real-time feedback loop, you risk magnifying the same problems as your events expand.

Analyze comments to identify opportunities to fine-tune and evolve. For example, you may hear that breakout sessions are too basic for your now expanded audience. Or that a popular speaker doesn’t resonate the same way virtually vs. in person. Use these insights to modify programming, activities, and logistics to better meet your attendees’ shifting needs. 

The more events you run, the more feedback you can gather to implement meaningful improvements across the board. Keeping a finger on the pulse of what engages participants will ensure quality keeps pace with quantity.

  1. Budget strategically

Scaling successfully means budgeting smartly. When allocating funds across a growing events program, you’ll want to prioritize based on need. Your largest conferences warrant bigger budgets than smaller meetups. Identify your primary revenue-driving events and invest accordingly to elevate the experience.

Leverage solutions that maximize dollars. Negotiate ongoing partnerships with venues and vendors to secure bulk discounts. Or consider seeking out sponsorship opportunities. Take advantage of early bird pricing on consumables purchased far in advance. Find creative ways like volunteer staffing to control labor costs.

Looking ahead, factor scalability into your company’s long-term financial projections. Outline different budget scenarios for conservative, moderate, or aggressive event growth. This allows leadership to see the monetary impact of scaling and helps secure buy-in for your strategy. 

With strategic budgeting, you can fund your vision for growth while keeping costs sustainable. The more prepared you are, the easier it is to scale smoothly when investment is needed.

Event Management Software Helps You Scale With Ease

Implementing even a few of these strategies will set you on the path to smooth, stress-free event growth. 

With EventUp Planner by Tripleseat as your end-to-end event management software, you’ll have the right technology and support to scale your program efficiently. Think more attendees, more buzz, and more revenue — without necessarily more work. 
Ready to elevate your corporate events program? Book a demo today!

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Does Your Appearance Matter When Hosting a Webinar?

  • Event Management
  • April 2, 2024
Does Your Appearance Matter When Hosting a Webinar?

In recent years, professional communication has undergone a significant transformation. According to industry reports, virtual events have increased almost 1000% since the beginning of 2020, and webinars have become a powerful platform for knowledge sharing and networking. Previously, we’ve discussed tips on how to host your first webinar, covering steps such as developing content and spreading the word about your event. Today, we’ll be taking a look at whether your appearance matters as a host, sharing tips on dressing to establish credibility and shaping brand perception. After all, webinars are a highly visual medium, and how hosts present themselves can make all the difference in capturing and retaining audience attention.

Why your appearance matters when hosting a webinar

A Forbes article written by sociologist Tracy Brower highlights a study from the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, which found that when you dress in a more professional way, you tend to perceive yourself as having more power. It also helps you identify more with the people around you and enhances your ability to think more effectively. Meanwhile, other studies have shown that formally dressed individuals are rated as more competent because professional attire communicates maturity, capability, and success.

For virtual events that rely almost entirely on appearance rather than small talk and warm handshakes, presenting a polished look establishes your professionalism and credibility right from the outset. Every aspect of your image – from your clothing and grooming to your posture and facial expressions – sends subtle messages to your audience, shaping their perception of you and your message. So, here are some tips for dressing professionally for hosting a webinar. 

Dress for your industry

Your choice of clothing sets the tone for the webinar and communicates professionalism to your audience. Consider the nature of the webinar and your role as the host. If it’s a formal business event, opt for similarly formal attire such as a tailored suit for men or a polished pantsuit for women. Casual or semi-formal webinars call for business casual attire. For this, select a collared shirt like the Men’s Performance Button Polo by Kenneth Cole or the Gloria Vanderbilt Women’s Amanda Button-Front Shirt paired with dress pants or a skirt. No matter what, avoid loud, distracting prints and overly casual clothing such as t-shirts or jeans, as they may give the impression of unprofessionalism.

Wear minimal accessories

Making a fashion statement with accessories can be great in any non-professional scenarioIn any non-professional scenario, making a fashion statement with accessories can be great. However, when presenting a webinar, some accessories like chunky jewelry can serve as a distraction, especially if they’re shiny or make it’s shiny or makes a lot of noise with movement. Be smart and keep it simple when accessorizing. If you’re a glasses-wearer, pick glasses frames that look professional and stick to neutral colors like black, brown, or tortoiseshell. Consider frames that are classic and timeless instead of pairs that are trendy or flashy, such as the Caracas from Michael Kors or Frogface frames by Arnette. If you’re prone to glare or reflections from screens, invest in anti-glare lenses to improve visibility and reduce distractions during the webinar. 

Consider your webinar background

Think of your webinar’s background as an extension of your professional appearance. A survey of professionals supports this notion as video background evaluations parallel dress attire, with background sometimes judged to be more important than clothing choice. As such, choose a neutral and uncluttered background for your presentation that complements your attire. Avoid backgrounds that are too busy or messy, which can distract viewers. For this, it’s best to set up a dedicated space for hosting webinars with a professional backdrop.

As the host, your appearance plays a pivotal role in setting the tone for your webinar and influencing how your audience perceives you and your message. By presenting yourself professionally, you establish credibility, create a positive brand image, and facilitate effective communication with your audience, ultimately contributing to the success of your webinar.

Simplify the complexity of managing your webinars and virtual events with a powerful suite of tools

Make your virtual attendees gather with ease. From small to large and complex events – plan and manage all of your events in one flexible platform – Attendease.

Learn More!

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5 Best Practices for Hosting a Virtual Fundraising Event

  • Event Management
  • March 28, 2024
Three young professionals sitting at a table and looking at a laptop.

If your organization is looking for a savvy way to engage more supporters and grow your audience, look no further than virtual events, which have become a staple in the nonprofit sector. In fact, event organizers rank virtual events as having increased registrations, greater ROI, and greater attendee engagement when compared to in-person events.

We recommend hosting a few virtual events annually to leverage these benefits for your organization. And what better purpose do those events serve than helping your organization raise more funds?

Whether you need help with your virtual fundraising event’s marketing strategy or selecting the right technology, this guide is here to help. In it, we’ll help you carefully plan your virtual event by going over five best practices. Through proper preparation, you’ll be able to push forward your event with confidence and meet your goals.

1. Select the type of virtual event

Just as there are many different types of in-person fundraising events, there are various virtual event ideas that you can use to maximize participation and secure donations for your mission. A few of them include:

  • Gala
  • A-thon style events, like a virtual walk-a-thon
  • Charity auction
  • Panels and webinars
  • Online workshops
  • Fundraising challenges

When choosing which virtual fundraising event to host, consider what your audience of supporters and potential donors would be interested in. For example, if you are on the team of an animal shelter nonprofit, your supporters might be excited about a virtual walk-a-thon, as it’ll allow them to exercise with their pets. On the other hand, if you run a medical association, your audience might be more interested in a formal affair, such as a virtual gala.

If you’re unfamiliar with virtual events and don’t feel confident about removing the in-person element entirely, don’t worry—consider hosting a hybrid fundraising event instead! When done correctly, these events give you the best of both event formats.

2. Choose your event technology wisely

After you’ve decided on what type of virtual fundraising event you’re hosting, you’ll need to purchase technology that facilitates a smooth planning and hosting process.

At the very least, you’ll need a live-streaming tool, as most virtual events require some form of software that allows attendees to watch event proceedings. Additionally, depending on your organization’s needs, you may also need an application that allows attendees to stream themselves as well, such as for an online workshop event.

Other popular types of software you may find helpful for a virtual event include:

Be sure to properly vet any new technology before you invest in it. Do this by checking reviews, reading testimonials, viewing case studies, and scheduling demos with the provider. Prepare a list of questions about the software ahead of time, and be sure to get them answered during your meeting.

3. Strategically market your virtual event

One of the core advantages of virtual events is that attendees are not limited by their geographic location. Another benefit is that your attendee limit is not limited by your venue. That means that you can host a much larger number of attendees than if you were hosting an in-person event. As a result, you must make the most of your marketing efforts to get as many people to attend as possible.

As you determine how you’ll promote your virtual fundraising event to potential attendees, be sure to use marketing channels that allow for maximized visibility, such as:

  • Your website. Your nonprofit’s website is the first stop for any individual who wants to learn more about your organization and what you do. Take the opportunity to add links and call-to-action (CTA) buttons to your event information and registration pages to encourage supporters to attend.
  • Email. If you send email newsletters to subscribers, be sure to include details about your upcoming virtual fundraising event. Your email subscribers have already demonstrated their interest in your organization’s success and are therefore more likely to attend a fundraising event.
  • Social media. Promote your event through social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to maximize your outreach. Add the links to your event registration page within your post or directly on your social media profile so visitors can easily register to attend.

Don’t be afraid to reach out to your established supporters through their preferred methods of communication as well! Direct mail and text messaging are also popular and valuable marketing channels that you can leverage to increase registrations for your virtual fundraising event.

4. Keep supporters engaged throughout the event

Although virtual fundraising events have great potential for keeping attendees engaged, you’ll need to work a little harder than with in-person events. There’s a level of separation between you and your attendees, and you’ll have to creatively overcome this barrier to keep your attendees’ attention.

During the event, use the following strategies to keep attendee engagement high:

  • Gamification, such as leadership scoreboards or fundraising thermometers
  • Audience participation, such as creating breakout rooms
  • Interactive content, like polls and surveys
  • Live attendee chat systems

If you’re struggling to keep attendees engaged, do your research to find additional tried-and-true methods employed by experts. Elevate recommends you do this by reading fundraising books, which impart a wealth of knowledge and can inspire your nonprofit with fundraising and engagement ideas.

5. Follow up with attendees after the event

To maximize the value of your event, don’t forget to follow up with attendees afterward. Thank your long-time supporters for their continued support, and steward any first-time supporters. Plus, show your gratitude to those who made a gift during the event.

This is also a great time to solicit feedback on your fundraiser. MemberClicks recommends including the following questions in your post-event survey:

  • Overall, how would you rate the event?
  • What did you like most about the event?
  • What did you like the least about the event?
  • How could this event have been improved?
  • How likely are you to recommend our event to your peers?

The answers to these questions are especially valuable if this is your first time hosting a virtual fundraising event. They’ll provide a springboard for you to make valuable changes that improve future events.

Although virtual fundraising events may seem intimidating, they are similar to in-person events on a basic level. You need to plan thoroughly, attract attendees, delight them during the event, and strengthen your relationships after your event. Be sure to evaluate your virtual fundraising success through key performance indicators and your feedback survey so you can continue to grow and fulfill your mission.

Simplify the complexity of managing your meetings and events with a powerful suite of tools

Make your virtual attendees gather with ease. From small to large and complex events – plan and manage all of your events in one flexible platform – Attendease.

Learn More!

6 Impactful CSR Event Ideas That Will Make A Difference

  • Event Management
  • March 27, 2024
A corporate employee holds a paper heart, representing CSR.

Corporate social responsibility, or CSR, is all about companies doing good things for society and the environment. Engaging in charitable activities associates your brand with beloved nonprofits, so you can help change the world while getting your name out in the community!

If your company isn’t sure what kind of good deeds to do, don’t worry. CSR events (like 5Ks that benefit charities) are some of the best ways to make a difference, and they can diversify your company’s event calendar. We’re excited to share impactful CSR event ideas to help you make a difference, but first, let’s start with the basics of CSR.

Corporate Social Responsibility FAQs

Before planning a CSR event, understand the fundamentals of these initiatives by reviewing common questions business owners commonly have.

What Are CSR Events?

A CSR event is a sponsored activity a company organizes to have a positive impact on social, environmental, or community issues. These events are part of a broader CSR strategy, where businesses seek to contribute to society beyond their direct business interests.

Double the Donation’s CSR guide explains that these programs structure a company’s efforts to give back. For instance, many companies implement programs like employee matching gifts, volunteerism, and charitable events.

As one part of these strategies, CSR events can vary widely. For example, you might host a fundraising auction, organize a community cleanup day, or host educational workshops. Some require more robust event programs than others, but all can contribute to your efforts to give back.

Why Is CSR Important For Companies?

No matter your business’s size, CSR presents incredible benefits. You don’t need complex programs to make a difference. Simply holding a fundraising event or offering to match employees’ charitable contributions can strengthen relationships with employees, customers, and community members.

Here’s a rundown of why companies engage in CSR:

  • Increased Brand Reputation: Supporting nonprofit causes demonstrates a commitment to social responsibility, showcasing your company as one that strives to make a positive impact.
  • Profit Growth: While CSR initiatives might require upfront investments, they can lead to substantial returns through increased consumer interest. Studies show that 77% of consumers prefer buying from companies committed to making the world a better place.
  • Higher Employee Engagement: When employees see their company contributing to society and the environment, they feel proud. Engaged employees are more productive and committed to the company’s success, enhancing workplace culture and attracting top talent.
  • Tax Deductions: Donating to nonprofits provides financial benefits via tax deductions. Check your local, state, and national tax regulations to learn how to leverage this perk.

It’s not hard to see why companies create these programs and host CSR events. It’s up to you to figure out which initiatives inspire your audience, so pay attention to the impact of your events and programs. 

How can your business participate in CSR?

You can build CSR practices into your budget in a variety of ways. Here are some of the best ways to get involved with charity:

  • Donate funds. Give a portion of your profits to organizations with similar values. For example, if you run a pet care business, donate to an animal shelter.
  • Offer matching gifts. Pledge to match a gift to any nonprofit your employees choose to donate to, doubling the donation’s initial impact. Workplace giving initiatives can maximize your CSR potential while increasing employee satisfaction. 
  • Sponsor or host a nonprofit fundraising event. Purchase a sponsorship package, provide volunteers, or donate in-kind gifts like venue space for local nonprofit events. Better yet, plan an event, and donate the proceeds to a nonprofit.
  • Donate in-kind gifts. In-kind donations are non-monetary gifts, such as goods and services. This includes employee volunteer time or a gift certificate for a service or merchandise.
  • Market a nonprofit’s cause. Spread awareness about your nonprofit partner’s fundraising efforts among your loyal customer base. You might share their campaigns on marketing channels like social media, email, or your website’s blog.

These are only a few of the ways you can participate in philanthropy. Adopt strategies that complement your business’s size, industry, and community.

What are helpful platforms to get us started?

Perhaps the most important part of CSR planning is ensuring your budget is in order. Consider investing in budgeting software to keep the process as painless as possible. 

In addition, a large portion of CSR involves project management and event planning, so invest in event management software to streamline the planning process. The right software can optimize everything from the registration process to post-event reporting.

Event management software offers reporting features, so you can assess the impact of your CSR events.
  • Alt text: Event management software offers reporting features, so you can assess the impact of your CSR events.

Lastly, if you’re new to CSR, a corporate giving platform will help you vet nonprofit partners and facilitate charitable giving. eCardWidget explains that corporate giving software eliminates the guesswork of CSR planning, so you can boost employee participation and maximize philanthropic impact. Facilitate donations, fulfill matching gift requests, feature volunteer opportunities, and more.

These solutions provide peace of mind when solidifying and executing CSR programs. Let technology take the stress off your plate so that your big events and initiatives can be successful!

6 Impactful CSR Event Ideas

If you’re excited about hosting a CSR event, we’ve got plenty of ideas to inspire your next event. Here are six events your business can try out.

1. Fundraising Auction

An auction is a classic fundraising event, whether in person or online. Get the best of both worlds by making it a hybrid event! 

For an in-person event, you can auction off items that your business has acquired or sponsor a local nonprofit’s fundraising auction by providing auction items, a venue, catering, or entertainment. To host an online event, you’ll need to use an online auction platform. At a hybrid auction, some people will attend in person while others will bid online. Everyone will use your auction platform or a mobile bidding app to place bids.

To decide what to auction off or donate to a nonprofit’s auction, think about what your business specializes in, what’s in your possession to give, and how it can be crafted into a unique package. For example, if you run a pet store, donate a private training session or gift certificates redeemable for pet care products. 

2. Gala

For a taste of luxury, host a high-end gala and encourage your customers and partners to buy tickets to attend. When setting ticket prices, account for overhead costs, and emphasize that the proceeds will go to charity.

At your gala, treat guests like VIPs with delicious food, drinks, and live music. If you’re sponsoring an existing nonprofit gala, contribute by supplying volunteers and in-kind donations like venue space and catering.

3. A-Thon Event

Partner with a nonprofit to host an a-thon-style event related to your business. In these activities, you’ll challenge participants to raise funds from their networks while completing a task. Here are some common a-thon themes for your CSR event:

  • Read-a-thon: Participants engage in a marathon reading session, sponsored per book or page, to raise funds for literacy programs or libraries.
  • Walk-a-thon: Participants walk around a track or other course. The more miles or laps they walk, the more they raise.
  • Run-a-thon: Participants are sponsored per mile they run to support health-related initiatives or other charitable causes.
  • Dance-a-thon: Contestants dance for as long as possible to generate funds for arts programs or other nonprofits.
  • Push-Ups for a Cause: Participants do as many push-ups as they can, often receiving donations per push-up, to support causes such as veterans’ affairs or physical fitness initiatives.

The versatility of this CSR event type means your business can create a-thons aligned with your focus. For example, if you’re a bookstore owner, support an education nonprofit or school with a read-a-thon.

4. Social Webinar or Panel

To demonstrate you understand the importance of CSR beyond supporting nonprofits, you must develop a deeper knowledge of your community’s social issues, do what you can to help, and spread the word. 

Accomplish this by hosting an educational webinar or panel. For example, a law firm partnering with a student legal aid branch might host a webinar about the justice system. If you sell plants, an environmental organization could teach about water conservation and gardening. 

Your corporate giving platform may be able to help you make connections for these conversations. For instance, many platforms have matchmaking capabilities, allowing companies to find nonprofits that align with their CSR goals, values, and interests in specific causes.

5. Team Volunteering

Another valuable resource you can donate is time. As a form of workplace giving, you can organize volunteer outings with a nonprofit partner to build employee camaraderie. This could include:

  • A community clean-up
  • Helping out at an animal shelter
  • Distributing food at a community food bank
  • Visiting a senior home 

Some companies even offer volunteer grants, which are donations to charities that their employees volunteer for. This helps drive participation and maximize your positive impact.

6. Matching Gift Drive

Corporate matching gifts are the easiest way to support nonprofits and employees’ charitable interests. Consider hosting a matching gift challenge and commit to donating a certain amount of money to a cause. Offer it to employees’ donations, your customers, or even a nonprofit’s entire donor base.

Here’s how it works:

  • Set the drive’s parameters. Announce the matching gift drive, specifying the organization that will receive the donations, the match ratio (e.g., 1:1, 2:1), the maximum amount your company will match, and the drive’s duration.
  • Encourage participation. Employees, customers, and other community members donate to the specified cause during the designated period and submit proof to the company. Alternatively, have the nonprofit set up a campaign page for the donation drive.
  • Your company submits a matching donation. After verifying the donations, your company will match the total amount raised according to the predetermined ratio up to the maximum match amount. For example, if the ratio is 1:1 and an employee donates $100, your company will also contribute $100.
By matching donors’ contributions, your company will multiply the amount given to charity.
  • Alt text: By matching donors’ contributions, your company will multiply the amount given to charity.

For an example of this CSR event in action, the Demopolis City Schools Foundation partnered with Robertson Banking Company for a matching gift drive. During the foundation’s Giving Tuesday campaign, donors gave $6,940, and the company’s match brought that total up to $6,940.

Overall, a matching gift drive fosters community involvement and significantly increases the financial support provided to the chosen cause.

The Bottom Line

CSR is not only good for your brand, but it’s the right thing to do. No matter what your industry is, you can find a nonprofit partner that matches your focus. Your next step is to research and reach out to nonprofits you think would be a good fit. Then, brainstorm ideas for your next CSR event, so you can change the world together!

Handbook #3: Master The Art Of Choosing The Right Event Management Platform

  • Event Management
  • March 26, 2024
https://info.eventupplanner.com/master-the-art-of-choosing-the-right-event-management-platform

A guide to shopping, evaluating, and onboarding the right software for your events and meetings business.

There are four key factors to consider when looking for and implementing a new event management and meeting management tool to your software stack. This handbook will guide you through the four steps on how to find the right solution for your event needs, properly onboarding once you select the right tool, and finally, how to take full advantage of the platform so you get your money’s worth.

Attendease Handbook: Master The Art Of Choosing The Right Event Management Platform

Download the handbook: Master The Art Of Choosing The Right Event Management Platform

Get the handbook

Deep dive into four key factors when picking an event management software:

  1. 9 Critical Customer Success Factors to Consider When Shopping for an Event Management Tool
  2. Vetting Event Management Technology for Ease of Use Before You Buy
  3. How to Evaluate the Onboarding Process of Event Management Software Companies
  4. Get The Most From Your New Event Management Software Platform

How to Manage Multiple Events at Once

  • Event Management
  • March 19, 2024
How to Manage Multiple Events at Once

Handling multiple events at the same time is a unique challenge for corporate event planners. 

When done well, running multiple events at once can help your organization scale its reach, increase engagement, and optimize resources. However, without proper planning and coordination, juggling multiple events can quickly become chaotic and overwhelming.

This post covers key strategies to help you manage multiple events at once—without pulling your hair out. With the right frameworks in place, it’s possible to deliver seamless, high-quality experiences for everyone involved, event after event. 

We’ll also dive into how event management tools make your life easier through automation, cloning, and cross-team collaboration. 

Read on to learn how to scale your corporate events program successfully!

Multi-Event Planning and Organization

Thorough planning and organization are crucial when running multiple events at once. Otherwise, it’s easy for things to slip through the cracks. Here are some proven strategies to set you in the right direction. 

Establish clear objectives for each event

Every event you run should support a specific purpose tied to organizational goals. It’s crucial to outline the desired objectives for each event you’re managing at the outset to ensure strategic alignment. 

For example, the goal of an annual conference might be to educate employees on new company initiatives for the upcoming fiscal year. A networking happy hour, on the other hand, may seek to strengthen relationships between sales team members. 

Defining objectives will inform the decisions you make around content, activities, and resources for each event.

Create a master event calendar

When running multiple events, a centralized calendar listing all dates and deadlines will be your new best friend. 

Follow these steps to create your master calendar:

  • List all events with their dates and locations.
  • Add key milestones like vendor booking deadlines and payment deadlines.
  • Include standing meetings and appointments with key stakeholders.
  • Identify conflicts or scheduling issues.
  • Assign team members to be accountable for milestones.
  • Build in buffer time for unexpected delays.
  • Regularly update the calendar with any date changes, new events, or task completions.
NEED HELP? Download our Event Marketing Calendar Template to manage all the moving pieces of your event from one unified place!

Prioritize Events

Not all events demand equal levels of your time and attention. 

To make your life easier, identify priority events such as the annual all-hands-on-deck conference, executive summits, or important training seminars. Dedicate more planning resources to these high-priority events to ensure they go off without a hitch.

By prioritizing your events, lower-stakes events won’t monopolize the bandwidth or resources needed for your company’s more strategic initiatives.

Efficient Resource Allocation

Running multiple events simultaneously requires that you carefully allocate resources—financial, human, and technological. Setting budgets, delegating tasks, and utilizing event management tools optimize how you distribute resources across your entire portfolio of events. 

Budgeting and financial planning

Creating a master budget and then separating finances for each individual event prevents the co-mingling of funds—not to mention overspending on individual events! 

Here are some best practices for managing budgets for multiple events: 

  • Assign a specific budget to each event based on its scope, audience size, and organizational priority. Larger budgets go to high-priority events.
  • Consider opening individual bank accounts for each event, which can help you manage costs in real time. 
  • Build approval protocols for expenses over a set threshold, especially for discretionary spending categories. 
  • Regularly reconcile your projected versus actual costs and adjust budgets as needed.
  • Look for opportunities to save on bulk orders or multi-event vendor contracts.

Keeping event finances separate and organized from the beginning will save you time and headaches down the line. 

Human resources management

Your team’s bandwidth is a precious resource when juggling multiple events. 

Avoid burnout by delegating responsibilities among capable team members. Identify opportunities to cross-train employees for different event roles, such as registration support or speaker management. This flexibility prevents bottlenecks when someone is out. 

It’s essential to treat your team members well to maintain morale and productivity across your demanding portfolio schedule.

Technology and tools

You know you don’t have to do everything manually, right? 

Event management tools centralize planning and provide automation for repetitive tasks. This streamlines cross-event workflows such as:

  • Registration and ticketing
  • Email campaigns and reminders
  • Vendor and speaker management
  • Task assignment and tracking

Tools like EventUp Planner by Tripleseat optimize data sharing across large teams and multiple events. With all information and workflows in one secure, cloud-based platform, you can maintain focus on strategic priorities rather than time-consuming manual tasks!

But with so many options, how do you choose? Download our step-by-step guide: Finding The Right Event Management Platform!

Communication and Coordination

Frequent, open communication keeps all parts moving across multiple events. Establish centralized channels to facilitate the quick, transparent exchange of information within and across your planning team.

Establish clear communication channels

Clear communication sets your team up for success by avoiding bottlenecks and information silos. 

Consider implementing the following: 

  • Set up shared mailboxes, Slack channels, or other platforms to house conversations, documents, and knowledge for each event planning team.
  • Determine meeting cadences and use agendas to stay on track.
  • Record decisions and action items in shared drives. 
  • Share calendars widely to distribute real-time awareness of deadlines and dependencies.

With these structured channels, your team can exchange information quickly and transparently so that no details get lost.

Regular team meetings

Schedule standing team meetings to get status updates on all events. Use these meetings to foster open dialogue and quickly resolve any conflicts that arise. 

Recurring touchpoints could include:

  • Daily standups to cover new action items, blockers, and quick wins.
  • Weekly check-ins to assess progress toward goals and address any roadblocks.
  • Monthly reviews of master calendars and budgets.

No matter the size of your team, regular check-ins will help you identify hurdles early and move forward as a unit.

Client and stakeholder communication

Keep clients and organizational stakeholders (like event sponsors) happy by looping them in on progress through regular touchpoints. This could include weekly or monthly email updates on timelines, budgets, and key metrics. 

Gather their feedback early and often through surveys or calls. Immediately communicate any issues or risks that arise along with proposed solutions. 

Post-event, share relevant highlights and testimonials to showcase value, getting them onboard for the next event. 

Streamlining Event Processes

Look for ways to streamline planning across your portfolio of events. Consistent workflows increase efficiency and reduce the risk of missteps.

Standardize your processes

Don’t waste time and resources reinventing the wheel. Regularly review your event management workflows to identify opportunities for standardization. 

Consider reviewing your processes for the following: 

  • Vendor sourcing and contracting
  • Venue relationships and booking
  • Catering Policies
  • A/V equipment requests
  • Security procedures
  • Sponsorship and exhibitor requirements
  • Staffing and volunteer coordination

Checklists, timelines, and templates solidify best practices so that you can reliably execute your events each and every time.

FREE CHECKLIST: Is Your Event Management Software Empowering Your Team? Because empowered team members equals happy, engaged team members who take pride in putting on epic events!

Templates, templates, templates

If it isn’t broken, why fix it? Reuse successful agendas, floor plans, show schedules, and other program elements from past events. 

For example, compile a master design folder with pre-approved branding assets and graphics to pull from. Or create a shared library of training materials if you host a recurring session across multiple events.

Templates accelerate the planning process so you can scale your events without wasting precious time and energy. 

Contingency Planning

Despite the best-laid plans, you can expect surprises when managing multiple events. Identify potential risks ahead of time and develop contingency protocols to minimize disruption.

Identify potential risks

No one wants to plan for something to go wrong. But failing to do so can be disastrous for your event—not to mention your company’s reputation. 

For each event, conduct a risk assessment to spot potential vulnerabilities across factors like venue (power outages, WiFi issues), vendors (delivery issues, staffing shortages), and attendance (lower than expected registration).

Depending on where you’re located, climate and local weather conditions can be a factor. Make sure you have a well-defined Plan B (or Plan C) in case things take a turn for the worse.

Crisis management

Similar to contingency planning, having emergency protocols in place is crucial for taking quick action in the case of a major issue. 

Consider your protocols for evacuation procedures, crisis communications to attendees, clients, and leadership, and triggers for event cancellation or postponement. 

  • Tip: These procedures are great candidates for standardization and templates, but they need to be reviewed regularly.

Having protocols in place ensures all team members understand how to respond in an emergency, especially if you’re not able to be present at every single event. 

Event Technology and Automation

Technology and automation help you smoothly execute multiple events at scale. The right systems provide the data and workflow optimization needed across multiple events to deliver outstanding experiences every single time. 

Event management solutions

Event management platforms like EventUp Planner by Tripleseat centralize planning by providing:

  • Role-based permissions to control team access
  • Cloning capabilities to easily replicate events
  • Customizable forms to capture event data
  • Vendor and speaker management tools
  • Robust reporting and analytics

Software automation ultimately frees you from tedious manual data entry to focus on strategic priorities.

Registration and ticketing systems

Registration and ticketing are major pain points when running multiple events, but event management tools can alleviate common headaches with the following:

  • Branded registration pages and confirmation emails to provide a consistent experience
  • Flexible pricing and promotions that are tailored to your target audience(s)
  • Secure payment processing that reduces checkout frustration
  • Automated confirmation and reminder emails that improve communication with minimal effort
  • At-a-glance tracking and registration analytics that enable data-driven decision-making

When registration and ticketing are optimized, you stand out by providing smooth experiences that make attendees eager to RSVP. This enhances turnout across all your events!

Post-Event Evaluation and Feedback

Just because your events wrap up doesn’t mean the work is done! Gathering insights through post-event analysis and attendee feedback is crucial for continuously improving future events.

Post-event evaluation

After each event, ask your team reflective questions to identify areas of success and improvement, such as: Did we accomplish the intended goals and objectives? How can we enhance the agenda or program based on feedback? What did attendee surveys reveal about the experience? Were there any vendor or partner issues? Did we stay within budget?

Make sure to document your findings and takeaways in a shared drive so that they’re easy to reference when planning the next event. 

Gather attendee feedback

Collecting feedback from attendees provides valuable insights into their experience of your events. This allows you to continuously enhance your events over time. 

Here are a few ways to gather attendee feedback:

  • Exit surveys immediately after events
  • Follow-up email surveys a few days later
  • Focus groups, usually with an incentive
  • Social listening 
  • Directly asking for testimonials

With feedback from multiple events, you can identify patterns and systematically improve recurring issues over your events portfolio.

Deliver Exceptional Events While Staying Sane Along The Way

Handling multiple events at once requires strategic planning, efficient execution, and continuous improvement. By following the best practices set out in this guide, you’ll be able to build the infrastructure to maintain a growing events portfolio successfully!

Standardizing and automating repetitive processes is key to executing multiple events well at scale. EventUp Planner (formerly Attendease) is an all-in-one platform that provides robust tools to scale your events efficiently through automation, cloning capabilities, and cross-team collaboration. 
Now is the time to level up your corporate events program—schedule a demo of EventUp Planner’s event management solution today!

Schedule a Demo

Engaging Through Gratitude: How to Thank Event Volunteers

  • Event Management
  • March 14, 2024
Event volunteers at a desk helping registrants check in at a professional event.

Volunteers are crucial to event success. With so many moving parts, you can’t be everywhere at once.

Volunteers make events a positive, engaging experience for attendees from the moment they approach the check-in desk to when they find their seats. Not to mention, your tech volunteers work behind the scenes of hybrid and virtual events to troubleshoot and keep the event running smoothly. In other words, your generous volunteers help pull your event off.

So, what can your organization do to show how much your volunteers’ efforts mean to you and keep them coming back? In this guide, we’ll cover the following strategies for showing gratitude:

  • Reach volunteers where they are.
  • Personalize your messages.
  • Share the impact of your event.

Before you craft a genuine, personalized thank-you message to your volunteers, you need to make sure that you’ll be able to reach them. Let’s get started!

Reach Volunteers Where They Are

Think about your current volunteer recruitment strategy. You could leverage your website, post a call to action on social media, and send a message to your email subscribers. No matter which method you choose, the goal is to ensure your message gets in front of prospective volunteers’ eyes. 

Thanking your volunteers is no different. To find out which channels they engage with most, reference data from past marketing campaigns and your recruitment efforts. Most simply, you can also use any contact information volunteers provided on application forms. If you haven’t already, consider adding a question to your sign-up form asking volunteers to identify their preferred communication method.

Once you’ve identified the communication channels your volunteers are most familiar with, you’ll need to choose a messaging strategy for each channel. Here are a few ideas:

  • Email: Emails are a personal, one-on-one communication method. Write a detailed, personalized thank-you letter and send it to those who prefer this channel. Or, choose a more engaging option like a branded digital eCard. As eCardWidget’s volunteer retention guide explains, these eCards are a bit more flexible, allowing for endless design and messaging options while being easy to use.
  • Phone: Call any volunteers who served in leadership roles or went above and beyond in their roles. Have a friendly conversation about the event, express your gratitude, and ask them how they thought it went. You might also ask them about any personal details you’re aware of (e.g., maybe they recently got married or had a birthday) to deepen the relationship.
  • Direct mail: For some volunteers, direct mail feels more genuine than digital communications. After all, this channel shows that your organization took the time to handwrite and send a letter to them. To ensure recipients know the mail is coming from you (and avoid your letters getting tossed out as junk mail), consider using branded envelopes and stationery. 

If you aren’t sure how best to contact your volunteers, you can reach out through your volunteer management software or mobile app. Since your volunteers have already used these tools to access schedules or log hours, you know they have access to them and are familiar with the interface.

Personalize Your Messages

Fundraising Letters’ guide to thanking volunteers explains your messages should make volunteers feel a personal connection to your organization and strengthen your relationships. Acknowledge the specific ways that they helped shows that you appreciate their individual contributions.

When writing thank-you letters or notes, add a personal touch by:

  • Greeting volunteers by name. Avoid boilerplate greetings and opt for a more personal approach. This is the first thing volunteers will read when they open your message, and it will set the tone for the rest of the card or letter. 
  • Mentioning what the volunteer did. Be specific when thanking volunteers. Rather than saying, “Thank you for your hard work at our event,” try saying,“We appreciate the 8 hours you dedicated to checking in registrants, distributing lanyards, and helping attendees find their way.”
  • Sharing upcoming opportunities. Show that you couldn’t organize events without your volunteers and encourage them to help out again in the future. Invite them to future events they might be interested in, ask them for assistance promoting upcoming events, or request that they help you recruit more volunteers.
  • Adding a tailored closing. Finish the letter with genuine well-wishes and something personal. For example, you could wish them happy holidays, acknowledge an upcoming birthday or other milestone, or say you hope to see them at your next event. Make sure the letter is signed by someone the volunteer interacted with, such as their team leader or the volunteer coordinator.

If your organization is classified as a 501(c)(3) organization, you might also urge volunteers to take advantage of CSR initiatives through their employers. For example, they may be able to secure a volunteer grant for your organization, depending on how many hours they’ve spent volunteering. Consider leveraging employer data about volunteers to identify those with CSR programs or simply ask them to inquire about these initiatives at their workplace. 

Share the Impact of Your Event

Along with mentioning the specific ways volunteers helped you, it can be helpful to share the impact that they made. This shows volunteers that their hard work had tangible results, inspiring them to continue driving results at future events.

Make sure to note which team or responsibility the volunteer served on and include metrics relevant to their position. For example, volunteers who worked at your check-in desk might be interested in knowing how many attendees they helped. 

Some of the impact metrics you could share with volunteers include:

  • The number of attendees 
  • Growth in attendance compared to previous events
  • New connections made, either between attendees or with prospective new members
  • Total volunteer hours contributed to the event
  • Positive feedback from attendees
  • Social media reach (e.g., the number of posts using your event hashtag)

You can also use these impact metrics to identify top performers. These are your hardest-working volunteers who are likely to be loyal and dedicated in the future. For instance, you might identify the IT volunteer who solved the most tech issues during the event. Encourage them to keep up the good work and consider rewarding them with public recognition or awards, such as making them your volunteer of the month, quarter, or year.

These strategies will motivate more volunteers to return to future events, helping your organization build a strong base of reliable volunteers. Remember that you can apply these strategies to other areas of your operations, such as welcoming members or engaging current ones, to boost metrics like member retention and satisfaction. Focus on communicating your gratitude personally and genuinely, and you’ll earn the ongoing support of volunteers, members, and attendees alike.

Learn More!

Best Practices for Hosting a Webinar Event

  • Event Management
  • March 12, 2024
Best Practices for Hosting a Webinar Event

Webinars have become an increasingly popular event format for organizations of all sizes. 

Compared to in-person events, webinars provide a flexible, convenient, and cost-effective way to reach a broader audience. However, hosting a successful webinar that engages your target audience takes thoughtful planning and preparation.

Whether you’re hosting your first ever webinar or looking to improve your existing webinar strategy, following these best practices is key to running an event that delivers results! 

In this comprehensive post, we’ll walk through everything you need to know—from initial planning to event execution and follow-up. We’ll also share tips to avoid common webinar mistakes that sabotage your efforts.

Why Follow Webinar Best Practices?

Taking the time to host your webinar thoughtfully isn’t just about checking boxes; it directly impacts your ability to meet your goals. Consider what’s at stake if you don’t follow webinar best practices:

  • Low attendance and engagement
  • Minimal lead generation
  • Negative brand reputation
  • Wasted time and resources

By optimizing your webinar strategy, you can avoid these pitfalls and create an event that:

  • Captivates your target audience
  • Drives product interest and conversions
  • Strengthens your brand authority
  • Provides lasting value for attendees

Following best practices gives you the framework to accomplish these goals consistently, webinar after webinar. Plus, choosing the right webinar software makes it easy to scale up and customize your webinars in one place—whether you host a few webinars per year or a few hundred.

What is a webinar?

Before we dive into planning, let’s define what a webinar actually is.

A webinar is a presentation, lecture, workshop, or seminar that takes place virtually over the Internet instead of in-person. Webinars enable real-time interaction between a host and an audience. They incorporate features like video, audio, slides, polls, and Q&A to encourage engagement.

Organizations use webinars for a variety of purposes, including:

  • Product launches and demonstrations
  • Lead generation
  • Marketing presentations
  • Employee training and development
  • Thought leadership and brand building
  • Customer education

Now that you know what a webinar is, let’s look at how to plan and host one effectively!

Planning Your Webinar

Thorough planning is key to running a successful webinar. You need to make important decisions upfront to create an event tailored to your goals and audience.

Define your objectives

Before anything else, you need to clearly define what you want to achieve. Ask yourself:

  • What is the purpose and focus of this webinar?
  • What do I want attendees to learn or take away?
  • What actions or next steps do I want them to take after attending?
  • How will I define and measure success?

Setting S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals will give your webinar clear direction.

For example, if the purpose of your webinar is to generate new leads for your company, you may set a goal to acquire 250 new qualified leads from the event. Defining a specific volume of new leads makes this goal measurable while setting a lead count you can reasonably achieve with your available resources, and audience size keeps it achievable. 

  • Furthermore, focusing specifically on generating leads directly ties to the webinar’s purpose, making your goal highly relevant. Finally, setting a timeframe, like generating 250 leads over the next 60 days, keeps the goal time-bound.

By outlining crystal clear objectives, you have defined criteria to design your webinar content around and evaluate its success afterward.

Know Your Target Audience

Understanding your target audience is key to creating content that resonates with them. 

First, define audience demographics like location, age range, industry, seniority level, etc.

Then, ask yourself the following questions:

  • What are their pain points and challenges?
  • What topics and issues do they care about?
  • What level of knowledge do they have?
  • What content format or style will appeal to them?

Gaining insight into your audience’s goals, motivations, and preferences will allow you to build and promote your webinar strategically. 

For example, if your webinar targets entry-level engineering students, you can focus the content on teaching basic concepts and skills for new engineers using straightforward language. 

  • Include topics that provide value to students preparing to enter the workforce. Additionally, you can leverage campus clubs and professors to promote the webinar through channels this demographic actively engages with.

On the other hand, if your webinar is geared toward C-suite manufacturing executives, the content should focus on high-level insights around industry trends, emerging technologies, and strategic initiatives. You could promote your webinar using channels like industry publications, social media influencers/thought leaders, and paid search ads targeted by job title and industry.

Customizing your webinar topic, content style, promotions, and visual design to align with your target audience is key to attracting engaged registrants.

Choose the Right Webinar Platform

The hosting platform you use to host your webinar can help streamline planning, promotion, engagement, and follow-up. 

Look for key functionality like:

  • Automated email workflows to simplify promotion and keep attendees informed
  • Custom registration forms to capture relevant information about registrants
  • Interactive presentation options like polls, surveys, and Q&A to encourage participation
  • Robust reporting and analytics to evaluate engagement and conversion metrics
  • Integrations with marketing automation, CRM, and other tools already in your stack

Vetting webinar software options is essential to find a platform that aligns with your business needs, audience size, budget, and existing tech ecosystem. Prioritizing an intuitive, flexible platform will maximize productivity for you and provide a seamless experience for your attendees.

9 Key Factors for Choosing Event Management Software Checklist

Designing Compelling Webinar Content

With your goals and audience defined, it’s time to craft persuasive content to captivate attendees from start to finish.

Crafting a captivating title and description

Your webinar title and event description provide the first impression that will either attract or deter registrants. 

Here are some tips to make yours stand out:

  1. Focus your title and description on the pains, challenges, and interests of your target audience. This draws in people who relate to what you’re addressing and want to learn more.
  2. Use descriptive adjectives and powerful action-oriented verbs that create intrigue and urgency, like “introducing,” “revolutionizing,” or “accelerating.”
  3. Limit the title length to ideally 60 characters or less so it is concise and scannable.

Incorporate questions or emotions into the messaging to make it relatable, e.g., “Tired of Wasting Time on Manual Data Entry?”

Here’s another example: If your target audience is investors and financial advisors, a title like “Introducing Cutting-Edge Ways to Reduce Risk and Maximize Returns” speaks directly to their pain points and goals. In contrast, a title like “Introduction to Financial Management Strategies” is vague and fails to connect with your audience’s specific motivations.

Structuring engaging webinar content

Outlining your webinar content in advance is essential to developing a logical flow that makes your message easy to digest. 

First, clearly state your central theme or message upfront so attendees understand the core purpose of the webinar. Then, provide a roadmap that breaks down the content into digestible sections and subsections so attendees can follow along with the flow.

During the presentation itself, use transitions like “Moving onto our next topic…” or “Now that we’ve covered X, let’s discuss Y” to guide your audience between topics and speakers.

Make sure to incorporate highly engaging segments every 8-12 minutes, such as polls, Q&A, or activities. This resets attention spans and prevents monotony.

Finally, leave ample time at the end for interactive live Q&A—this is often where attendees get the most value!

Remember: thoroughly planning and practicing your content outline will go a long way in delivering an accessible presentation that keeps participants engaged from start to finish.

The Importance of Visual Aids and Multimedia During a Webinar

While your speaking content needs to be compelling, complementary visual aids are invaluable for reinforcing points and enhancing your message. 

Follow these best practices when preparing visuals:

  • Limit the amount of text on each slide and maximize empty space and visual appeal. Paragraphs of dense text make it hard to convey—and read—key points quickly.
  • Use only high-quality, relevant photos and graphics. Custom images related to your brand and topic are ideal whenever possible.
  • Incorporate charts, graphs, and infographics to illustrate trends, data comparisons, and key takeaways in a digestible visual format.
  • Insert short video clips when helpful to demonstrate a concept, tell a story, or show a process in action.
  • Maintain cohesive and on-brand slide designs, colors, fonts, and logos for a polished, professional look.

Compelling visuals make your webinar more dynamic, memorable, and impactful.

Promoting Your Webinar

Strategic promotion is essential for driving registrations and attendance for your webinar. You need to get the word out early and consistently to maximize reach.

Early promotion

Start promoting your webinar 4-6 weeks in advance of the event date. This extended runway gives you time to execute a multi-channel promotional strategy for maximum impact.

Some key tactics include:

  • Post on social media platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn. Create short teaser videos or graphics about your event topic and link to the registration page. Consider sponsoring posts to expand their reach.
  • Send a series of 3-4 dedicated email campaigns through your event management platform. Send a “Save the Date” email first before following up with reminder emails. Offer exclusives like early bird pricing or free workbooks to incentivize sign-ups.
  • Publish 2-3 blog posts and guest posts that provide value around your webinar topic. Include a strong call-to-action with a link to register at the end.
  • Purchase digital ads through platforms like Google or Meta. Target your ads tightly to your ideal buyer persona and industry.
  • Leverage 2-3 influencers or industry partners to help promote your webinar through their own networks. Offer special perks for their audience.

The key is layering multiple promotional channels over an extended window to maximize reach and get your event on the top of your audience’s minds.

Reminder emails and notifications

In addition to early promotion, use reminders to keep your webinar top of mind leading up to the event. 

We recommend sending reminder emails 1 week before, 2 days before, 1 day before, and 1 hour before the start of the webinar. You can also set up automated browser notifications through your webinar platform that notify registrants the webinar is starting soon.

Sending a “Webinar Starting Now!” email 15 minutes before the start is an effective way to nudge last-minute registrants. Text message reminders can also be very effective in getting late registrants to show up live.

Getting in front of registrants multiple times through various channels ensures your event stays top of mind, resulting in higher live attendance.

Engaging Your Audience During the Webinar

Simply presenting information often results in lower engagement. Use these techniques to captivate your audience during the live event!

Interactive elements

Get your audience involved by incorporating interactive elements throughout your webinar. 

For example, live polls and surveys let you collect feedback, opinions, and data from attendees in real time. Poll your audience at the start to grasp their knowledge levels.

Then, schedule dedicated Q&A sessions during your webinar to satisfy attendees’ desire to have their questions answered live by a presenter.

You can also use chat features to enable discussions between attendees and hosts during the webinar’s presentation portions.

Introducing features like quizzes and gaming elements encourages a fun, competitive environment that energizes people and boosts engagement.

Engaging speakers

Your presenters and speakers set the tone for the entire webinar experience. 

To maximize engagement, make sure to select passionate, personable speakers who connect with audiences. Look for great storytellers.

You also need to set expectations ahead of time that the webinar will be highly interactive and conversational versus a one-way presentation.

When it comes to the webinar itself, share presenter backgrounds upfront through short introductions to establish credibility and trust right away.

Find the right balance between natural, organic dialogue and high-level talking points or presentation scripts. Then, have a host or moderator ready to facilitate smooth Q&A portions and transitions between speakers or segments.

Well-prepared and engaging speakers are key to captivating your webinar audience and keeping them tuned into the discussion. Leverage speaker prep and training if needed.

Technical Considerations

A webinar’s success hinges on seamless technical execution. Glitches or issues during the live event can ruin the experience for attendees. Be sure to take the following steps to minimize technical difficulties.

Pre-event tech checks

Conducting thorough technical checks before your webinar is crucial. Treat it as seriously as a dress rehearsal for a stage performance. Walk through and test all equipment, links, slides, and presentations. 

Confirm that:

  • Presenter webcams, microphones, and screen sharing work properly with no echo or distortion.
  • Slide deck and multimedia display correctly through your webinar software.
  • Registration links, logins, polls, and other interactive elements function as expected.
  • Internet speeds and bandwidth can support your expected live attendees without lag or freezing.
  • Transitions between presenters happen smoothly if given control access.
  • Speakers are comfortable with the platform interface and know how to share slides, polls, etc.

Running through the event start-to-finish will identify any technical issues to resolve before going live. Don’t skip this step!

Reliable internet connection

Choppy audio or video ruins the viewer experience. 

To prevent lag and freezing, request that attendees keep their video off and close other bandwidth-heavy apps. Presenters should use wired ethernet connections over WiFi when possible for maximum stability. Limit the number of devices connected to WiFi during the webinar to minimize strain.

Tip: Have a dial-in number or hotspot ready as a backup audio solution in case of internet drops.

Post-webinar Follow-up

The work isn’t done just because the webinar is over! Strategic follow-up keeps your brand top of mind for the next event. 

Thank you emails

Send a thank you email within 24 hours recapping webinar highlights and key takeaways. Include links to access the full webinar recording, slides, worksheets, or other assets. 

Most importantly, include a feedback survey or poll link to gather insights while everything is fresh. Offer an incentive like a gift card to encourage participation.

Repurpose content

Get more mileage from your webinar content through repurposing! Here are 4 suggestions to get started: 

  • Upload the full-length webinar recording to your website or YouTube for on-demand viewing later.
  • Turn key talking points into standalone blog posts, social media updates, or newsletter content.
  • Create a 10-minute “Webinar Highlights” video recapping the biggest wins. Use it in your marketing and promotions. 
  • Record excerpts for sales teams to easily reference and share with prospects.

With a great webinar in the can, finding creative ways to reuse it beyond the live event will help you get closer to your long-term goals. 

Post-Webinar Analytics and Evaluation

Analyzing performance data and feedback is crucial for optimizing your next webinar. Let’s break down how to leverage analytics for a successful webinar program. 

Analyzing metrics

Carefully analyze key performance metrics to evaluate how your webinar did and identify areas to optimize for future events. Important metrics to review include:

  • Registration rates. This shows how much interest your topic and promotions generated. Compare to past webinars about a similar topic to see if your marketing reached more or less of your audience.
  • Live attendance. The percentage of registrants that showed up live indicates your ability to drive commitment. A low turnout may signal poor promotions or value messaging.
  • Engagement levels. Engagement metrics like poll responses, Q&A participation, and chat comments measure how interactive the webinar was. High engagement keeps attendees tuned in versus passively listening.
  • Satisfaction scores. Feedback via post-event surveys indicates whether the webinar resonated with attendees and met their expectations. This ties to content relevance.
  • Sales inquiries. For webinars intended to generate leads, track web form completions, downloads, and follow-ups to gauge interest.
  • Viewership of recording. If you have post-webinar recording access, view counts can track ongoing content consumption.

Again, carefully reviewing metrics against your benchmarks identifies successes to repeat and opportunities to improve for future webinars.

Gathering feedback

Gathering feedback is crucial to understanding how your webinar went from the attendees’ perspective. 

Actively collect feedback through:

  • Post-event surveys immediately after the webinar to capture top-of-mind reactions.
  • Follow-up feedback emails 1-2 days later to gain more detailed, thoughtful suggestions.

Again, consider offering incentives for completing surveys to boost response rates. Plus, you can categorize feedback by theme to clearly see areas for improvement.

Participant perspectives point the way forward for enhancing your future webinars.

Top 5 Webinar Mistakes to Avoid

As an event planner, avoiding common webinar mistakes is crucial for delivering a smooth and effective webinar aligned with your goals. Failure to sidestep these pitfalls can sabotage your efforts and reflect poorly on your abilities as a planner. 

We recommend steering clear of these common webinar pitfalls:

  1. Not defining clear goals and objectives

Without having a clear sense of your desired outcomes, your decision-making lacks focus. Not to mention that you won’t have measurable criteria for evaluating the success of your webinar. Always start by defining the purpose and targets for your event.

  1. Failing to tailor content for your audience

Generic content often fails to resonate. Take time to understand your audience, including their interests, pain points, and level of knowledge. This allows you to craft messaging and content that speaks directly to what they care about and need to hear. Otherwise, you risk losing their attention.

  1. Not testing technology beforehand

Nothing derails a webinar faster than audio cut-outs, confusing interfaces, or platform glitches. Invest time upfront to methodically test all equipment, run through presentations, confirm platform features, and validate stable internet. This dress rehearsal sets you up for smooth technical delivery!

  1. Not engaging with the audience

Webinars shouldn’t just be online lectures. Build in Q&A sessions, live polls, chat features, and other tools to make it a two-way dialogue. Interactivity is key to attendee engagement and an overall positive experience with your brand. 

  1. Not choosing the right webinar software

Cobbling together standalone tools for webcasting, engagement, registration, etc., makes executing webinars labor-intensive. Streamline efforts with a unified webinar platform integrating everything needed to seamlessly manage, promote, and host your webinars.

Make Your Next Webinar Less Stressful

Hosting compelling webinars takes strategic planning and execution. By following these tips and best practices, you’ll be on your way to successfully engaging your audience, delivering value, and driving consistent results in no time!

Plus, choosing a flexible all-in-one webinar platform like Attendease by Tripleseat makes it easy to manage and customize every aspect of your webinars in one place.

  • Host up to three concurrent webinars at the same time
  • Share your pre-recorded webinars as a lead-gen tool in the future
  • Stream your webinars to YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook and more
  • Keep your audience captive using interactive engagement tools to mimic in-person events

Ready to uncomplicate your webinar and events program? Book a demo today!

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SEO For Large Association Events: What Beginners Should Know

  • Event Management
  • March 7, 2024
Person typing on a computer

When you think about promoting your association’s biggest events, what comes to mind? 

You might think of designing a visually stunning event web page or microsite, creating an engaging email stream that teases exciting event details, partnering with an influencer to give away a pair of event tickets, or sharing videos and photos from your last event on social media. 

All of these are excellent techniques for spreading the word about your upcoming event. But why not add search engine optimization (SEO) to the mix? 

With SEO supporting your digital marketing strategy, your event and your organization’s website can get more visibility online. 

In this beginner’s guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about SEO for large association events and how you can get started. Let’s begin! 

SEO Basics: How It Works & Why It’s Effective 

Search engines like Google use bots to crawl the web and determine which pages should rank the highest on their results pages using a variety of factors. 

SEO is the process of optimizing your website’s content so that your web pages have a higher chance of ranking well for relevant keywords on these results pages, thus providing your content (and your organization and its activities) with better visibility online. 

There’s a lot that goes into SEO. As explained by NXUnite by Nexus Marketing’s primer on SEO, some of the factors that are used to determine ranking are withheld from the public, but we do know that the following matter: 

  • Content quality
  • Keyword usage 
  • Page structure 
  • Usefulness to visitors 

Things like your geographic location, competitor websites, and the technical aspects of your website can also affect your SEO performance. However, you can get great results by focusing on creating high-quality, comprehensive content that is both useful for internet users and incorporates relevant keywords. 

Here’s an example of what this might look like: Say your organization is an association for dental hygienists and is planning a hybrid-style conference. Part of your promotion strategy includes optimizing your event web page for SEO. 

You create the event page, making sure that it includes all the necessary information about the conference, offers an intuitive and engaging user experience, and encourages visitors to register for the event. You also include keywords related to the event in the page copy, like “dental hygiene conferences” and “dental hygiene continuing education,” so that when users Google similar terms, your page has a higher chance of popping up at the top of the search results. This will encourage more people to click through and register for the conference. 

It’s worth noting that SEO takes time to produce results. According to Semrush, it will typically take four months to a year to see positive changes in your website’s rankings when you launch an SEO strategy. This is because of the numerous factors search engines take into account when ranking websites and the fact that sometimes many websites are competing for the same search engine real estate that you are. 

Consequently, when it comes to using SEO for your association’s events, it will be best to do so well ahead of your largest and recurring events, like an annual gala or regularly scheduled conference, since you’re already playing the long game in planning and promoting them.

4 Signs Your Association Event Would Benefit from SEO Marketing 

Now that you know how SEO works, it’s time to determine if it would be a worthwhile addition to your marketing strategy for your next event. Here are a few questions to ask yourself: 

  • Is our event recurring, and do we have enough time to see SEO results ahead of the event?
  • Do we have a goal to expand our event audience and reach more potential attendees, members, sponsors, and volunteers? 
  • Are we looking for ways to expand our online strategy and center our website as the star of our online presence? 
  • Do we notice that competing organizations or events have a strong presence on search engine results pages? 

If you answered yes to most of these questions, SEO would likely be a boon to your event planning and promotion work. 

How to Get Started With SEO 

Now that you know you’re interested in using SEO to help your association’s event stand out online, it’s time to get started. Follow these tips and best practices to ensure that you’re creating quality content that search engines will have a high chance of ranking: 

List of tips for getting started with SEO for large association events

Get set up with the right tools. 

In your SEO toolbox, you’ll need: 

  • Analytics tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console for monitoring website traffic and keyword performance
  • An SEO-specific tool like Moz or Semrush to identify which keywords to target, monitor your rankings, and track your SEO progress over time
  • A content optimization tool (like Yoast SEO for WordPress websites) that will help you follow best practices for on-page SEO  

Ensure you have a functional, user-friendly website

Remember, SEO isn’t just about keywords and solid content. You also need to offer a great user experience for everyone who lands on your website. Ensure your website is easy to navigate, appears correctly on mobile devices, and is optimized for accessibility. Check any relevant registration pages and donation forms to ensure you’re offering simple, quick, and convenient forms. 

Identify keywords you want to target for your event 

Begin by brainstorming terms related to your event, like “annual gala” or “fundraising dinner.” Then, make your keywords stronger by making them more specific to your field, organization, or location. This will set you up to use keywords that have less competition. Plus, you’ll be more likely to rank and attract website visitors who are specifically interested in your expertise or organization. 

For example, you might adjust “annual gala” to “fundraising dinner for computer science professionals” or “Computer Science United annual gala.” (You can use a tool like Moz, Google Keyword Planner, or Semrush to get data-backed ideas.) 

Optimize your event landing page and related web content for your chosen keywords

Once you’ve chosen a primary keyword and a few variations of it, optimize your event’s landing page and related content (such as blog posts about the event) for that keyword. 

There are different rules of thumb for how many times a keyword should be used on a web page, like once for every 100 hundred words. However, focusing on using your keywords in natural and useful ways will be most important. 

You should also include your chosen keywords in your web page’s metadata. Metadata is back-end information you provide on a web page that helps search engines better understand your content. This includes elements such as title tags, meta descriptions, and alternative text for images. 

By including your keywords in your metadata, you can further help search engines understand what terms you’re trying to rank for. Just remember to use your keywords in your metadata only when natural opportunities to do so arise—you don’t want anything to feel shoehorned in. 

Build links to your optimized content 

Links built back to your SEO-optimized content (known as backlinks) from other authoritative websites can boost your rankings by signaling to search engines that a high-quality website is “vouching” for your content and thought leadership. 

To secure backlinks, use your relationships within your industry or field. For instance, you might ask a partner organization to share about your event on their website and link to your page. Or, you might ask an influencer in your space to let you publish a guest post on their blog where you include a link to your optimized page. 

Strive to secure natural backlinks in ethical ways. Linking schemes like buying or spamming links will only backfire.  

Two Keys to Great SEO Results 

As you begin weaving SEO into your promotion strategy for your association’s big events, remember that there are two keys to achieving great SEO results: 

  1. Working with an expert. SEO can be time intensive and does involve a bit of a learning curve, which is why many organizations like to hand over the heavy lifting to web design and SEO experts. This will save your team time and help you see results a bit faster as your strategy gets pushed ahead quickly by people who know SEO inside and out. 
  1. Giving it time. Regardless of how robust your SEO strategy is, you won’t get results from this kind of marketing overnight. Have patience and apply SEO in situations where you have the time to assess your current rankings, make improvements, and see changes on the search results pages. 

After your event takes place, use your SEO tools to note your search engine rankings alongside other event metrics. By regularly monitoring your content’s rankings in this way, you can continue to improve your SEO strategy for large, recurring events year after year!  

SEO can take the marketing efforts for your association’s big events to the next level. Use this guide as a resource for getting started, and remember that you’ll need expert assistance and some patience to get the best results possible for your event. You’ve got this!

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