5 Tips to Streamline Web Communication for Healthcare Events

Event Management

March 5, 2024

It’s no secret that people are turning to online resources more and more frequently to answer their health questions. 77% of people use search engines during the patient journey, and about 7% of all daily searches are health-related.

That’s why your healthcare website can be an effective tool for raising awareness of your organization’s offerings, including your event opportunities. Healthcare audiences are already used to receiving healthcare information online, making your website a natural place to spread awareness of upcoming events.

This guide reviews our top tips for streamlining your healthcare web design to better communicate about your upcoming engagement opportunities.

1. Create event-related blog content

Content marketing is an effective way to spread awareness about your organization’s opportunities without being too overt. According to Kanopi, healthcare content marketing involves “developing relevant, useful, educational online content to generate interest in a brand’s products or services and acquire and retain new customers.”

82% of consumers feel more positively about a company after engaging with their custom content, making content marketing a useful strategy for promoting upcoming events. Consider developing the following types of blog content to generate excitement for your engagement opportunity:

A Q&A with your event chair or organization’s executive director
FAQs that cover what to expect from the event and explain the event’s purpose
Videos providing a behind-the-scenes look at the event and what goes into setting it up
A photo essay sharing images from last year’s event

Post on your blog regularly leading up to the event (at least two or three times a week) with reminders and updates to maintain enthusiasm and engagement. You can also easily share these blog posts via email or social media for even more engagement opportunities.

2. Ensure your event landing page has all the crucial information

When potential event attendees land on your website, they’ll want to know the logistics of your event. That means you should offer a user-friendly event landing page that covers the where, when, and why of the experience.

Along with information about the event’s date, time, and location, include additional details such as:

The event’s purpose. Make it clear why you’re hosting the event, whether to raise funds for your organization, spread awareness about a health issue, or show appreciation to donors, patients, or healthcare professionals.
Ticket information. List your event’s ticket price or pricing tiers. Describe the benefits attendees will receive at different levels, such as access to a VIP section or complimentary food and drinks.
Information about how to participate in the event’s virtual component. If you’re planning a hybrid or virtual event, include details about how to access the event’s livestream or troubleshoot any technical issues.
Details about becoming a corporate sponsor. 360MatchPro’s guide to corporate sponsorships recommends adding information about reasons to support your event, sponsorship levels, and the benefits of each sponsorship tier. Sponsorship benefits often include event naming rights, inclusion in marketing materials, and social media shoutouts before, during, and after the event.

If a single landing page isn’t enough to cover the full details of your event, consider creating a microsite instead. These are sub-websites linked to your organization’s main website that include a cluster of web pages covering just one topic. Microsites can be a great way to go more in-depth about what to expect from your event while still staying connected to your organization’s branding.

3. Make it easy for event audience members to register online

Your event registration form is the tool audience members will use to RSVP or buy tickets for your event. This form should be as straightforward as possible to create a positive experience for attendees and communicate the need-to-know information ahead of time.

Your registration form should be:

Mobile-responsive. Your event registration page should be simple to complete from a mobile device. Incorporate large fonts, easily touchable buttons, and clear calls to action (CTAs) to help users navigate the form.
Accessible. Disabilities affect billions of people worldwide, making it critical to design your registration page with accessibility considerations in mind. For example, about 300 million people across the globe are colorblind, meaning they have difficulties distinguishing the difference between certain colors and shades. That means strong color contrast and bold, readable fonts are an absolute must for your online registration form.
User-friendly. User-friendliness is an important quality of healthcare and hospital web development because it lends credibility to your website. Ensure your event registration form is as user-friendly as possible by making it easy to find on your website and only including necessary questions.

Make sure attendees are automatically sent an email after completing the form to confirm their registration. Provide a ticket and receipt as needed and include contact information that attendees can use to reach out with any questions before the event.

4. Cross-promote your event on multiple platforms

Using multiple platforms to communicate about your upcoming event increases the chances that more potential attendees will see your promotions and register for your event.

Plus, a robust online presence on multiple platforms can reflect positively on your healthcare organization as a whole. For example, 81% of consumers view a strong social media presence as an indication that a hospital offers cutting-edge technologies.

Promote your event blog posts and microsite using channels such as:

Social media
Email
Text marketing
Direct mail

You can also promote your website content to a wider audience by creating Google Ads. These are paid ads that appear at the top of search results pages for keywords relevant to your event. For example, if you’re holding a fundraising 5K event to support your hospital’s patients, you could create Google Ads targeting the keyword “local 5K races.”

If your healthcare organization is a nonprofit, you could be eligible to receive a free $10,000 in Google Ad spending via the Google Ad Grants program. This program can greatly reduce your marketing spend, helping you save money while still reaching a broader audience.

5. Give event attendees a way to provide feedback

Your post-event communications are just as important as pre-event messages. After your event concludes, foster ongoing engagement with attendees by expressing your appreciation for their involvement. One of the most effective ways to show your gratitude is by allowing attendees to submit feedback via your website.

Offer an online survey or poll as well as an email address they can use to send in their thoughts and comments. Ask attendees to provide input on:

What went well at the event
What could be improved
What would inspire them to attend again
Whether they would recommend your event to a family member or friend

Follow up with attendees via email to thank them for their input, address common concerns, and outline the strategies you’ll use to ensure next year’s event aligns with their feedback.

Your event communication and promotion strategy can make or break your event’s success. Streamlined event communications help drive qualified event leads by ensuring audience members have the information they need to determine whether your event is right for them. Following these tips ensures that your healthcare organization can provide a positive attendee experience from the very beginning of the event process.

Learn How To Manage Healthcare Events

Engaging Your Event Team: 5 Tips for Boosting Morale

Event Management

February 29, 2024

You’re a few months away from what you hope to be a show-stopping event for your association’s members. While you can hardly wait for the day to come, you know there’s still a lot to get done in the meantime—from locking down the perfect venue to developing attention-grabbing marketing materials that drive registrations. Effectively engaging your event team ensures they maintain the focus and motivation they need to excel in their roles.

In this guide, we’ll reveal some top tips for supporting your event team and paving the way for an unforgettable event. Here’s what we’ll cover:

Clearly outline roles and expectations.
Promote wellness among your event team.
Make sustainable decisions.
Check in with your event team often.
Practice gratitude.

By keeping your event team engaged to the finish line, you’ll set your next event (and future events to come) up for a resounding success.

1. Clearly outline roles and expectations.

Minimize confusion and maximize productivity by clarifying which people get assigned to which roles. Doing so empowers your staff and volunteers to confidently deliver on expectations without waiting for more specific guidance or conflicting with someone else’s responsibilities.

For instance, let’s say that you’re preparing to host a hybrid event, like a conference or networking session. Your event team will likely include the following roles:

Event Manager. This individual oversees your event planning as a whole, coordinating with various team members to ensure that everything proceeds smoothly. They’ll create a timeline for your planning and managing the event budget.
IT Specialist. This team member will leverage your event software to ensure that both in-person and virtual attendees have a pleasant experience at your event. They’ll help with setting up video and audio and, during the event itself, assist with any technical issues or questions.
Digital Engagement Coordinator. Virtual attendees may find it more challenging to make connections when they can’t engage in face-to-face interactions. Therefore, it’s crucial to have dedicated strategies to keep them engaged. The digital engagement coordinator will send live polls, conduct Q&As, and manage the chat room during your event.
Marketing and Communications Manager. Promoting your upcoming event is vital to securing as many event registrations as possible. The marketing and communications manager will craft eye-catching marketing materials like social media posts and video clips to drum up excitement leading up to your event. Additionally, they can cover follow-ups like thank-you messages and event recaps.
Sponsorship Coordinator. Sponsorships can provide essential funding to cover your event expenses and enhance your event’s overall quality. This team member will be responsible for securing event sponsors and cultivating long-term, productive relationships with them by maintaining communication throughout and following the event.

Always opt for more communication than less—not just with your team but with the individual volunteers who will be helping out on the day of the event as well. Ensure they have clear roles tailored to their strengths and interests, whether checking guests in at a conference or collecting donated running shoes for a good cause.

2. Promote wellness among your event team.

Wellness is emerging as an increasing priority among both companies and associations. You want your team members to put in their best effort when preparing for your upcoming event, but this shouldn’t come at the cost of their health and well-being.

There are several widespread wellness benefits that you can offer to your event team and all your association employees, including:

Flexible working arrangements
Mental health services and resources
Gym membership
Wellness workshops

Demonstrate to your event team that you’re invested in them as individuals, not just for performance in their roles. It can go a long way toward building loyalty, reducing burnout, and retaining their skills and talent for years to come. Additionally, by ensuring your team is taking care of themselves, you can be confident they’ll feel their best and deliver when the event date rolls around.

3. Make sustainable decisions.

According to Gallup, 71% of Americans worry “a fair amount” to “a great deal” about the environment. Chances are, many of your event team members and future attendees fall into this category. Engaging in sustainable practices at your association is not only an essential aspect of good corporate citizenship. It can attract more socially conscious employees, volunteers, and members.

Encourage your team to make sustainable decisions during event planning, such as:

Choosing a venue that uses renewable energy sources.
Offering a virtual attendance option to reduce the carbon footprint.
Providing event materials in a digital format.
Adding recycling bins throughout your venue.

At the same time, there are plenty of sustainable initiatives that you can organize for your association as a whole. For instance, you could hold educational workshops for staff and members to attend or plan regular recycling events. Sneakers4Good suggests creatively boosting your environmental impact by collecting and donating gently used running shoes.

4. Check in with your event team often.

While each event team member has their tasks and responsibilities, they must be able to work cohesively to achieve your overarching event goals. 89% of HR leaders agree that ongoing peer feedback and check-ins are critical for successful outcomes.

Ensure that your event team feels supported at all times by:

Opening up channels for daily communication, such as Slack.
Scheduling weekly or bi-weekly meetings to share important updates.
Sending out an annual or bi-annual survey to collect feedback.

Be on the lookout for ways that you can better support your event team moving forward. For instance, they may identify a need to update your event equipment or adjust your marketing strategy in a way that allows you to improve future results.

5. Practice gratitude.

Developing a culture of gratitude at your association is an excellent way to build a tight-knit community of employees, volunteers, and members around your mission. While you know it’s common practice to thank attendees after your event, don’t forget to recognize all the hard work done by your event team!

eCardWidget’s employee recognition guide recommends several engaging options for thanking your event team, including:

Recognition awards or certificates
Social media shoutouts
Animated eCards
A wall of fame

Provide your event team with opportunities to recognize their peers for exemplary performance. It can be as simple as an eCard that they can fill out or a bulletin board that they can post positive comments.

Even after a well-executed event, keep engaging your event team members to solidify their morale and strengthen their bonds. Host a post-event debrief and discuss relevant event metrics such as attendance or virtual versus in-person engagement.
Then, take the opportunity to brainstorm ways you can boost your results moving forward. Doing so allows your event team to celebrate successes and develop a mindset for improving from one event to the next.

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14 New Trends in the Event Planning Industry for 2024

Event Management

February 27, 2024

What does 2024 hold for the events industry?

Thanks to rapid innovation and the global sharing of ideas entrenched in technology, event managers and planners have started experimenting with new methods and ideas in order to create the perfect blueprint for their events.

At the same time, the core of what makes a successful event remains the same: Events are about the experience, from start to finish (and beyond). People want to feel connected, they want to be entertained, and they want valuable content to take away with them.

Let’s take a look at the top event trends that will shape 2024.

Trend #1: Cross-Cultural Dishes & Menus

Food and beverage selections at events are becoming more cross-cultural. Today’s event menus include more diversity instead of sticking to one culinary genre. Southern-Indian fusion, Japanese with an Italian twist, Korean-Mexican mash-ups—2024 events will include ingredients, flavors, and styles from multiple cultures and cuisines.

Trend #2: The Art of Food Plating

Attendees expect more than good food from event dining experiences in 2024—they are also looking for how dishes and beverages are presented to them. It’s all about curating their eating experience.

The art of food plating, from arranging ingredients creatively to presenting photographic dishes, makes a significant impact on the attendee experience. Event planners and managers will need to pay attention to how food is served and plated to keep up with event industry trends in the coming year.

Trend #3: Unique Drink Presentations

In 2024, we’ll see attendees looking for unique event experiences—even in how their beverages are served. Drink trees will rise in popularity, as will serving drinks in pineapples or other unique objects.

Think of it this way: Instead of attendees grabbing a margarita, it’s more memorable if they can choose from multiple margarita flavors that are served in a tree-like stand.

Trend #4: Elevated Menus

QR code menus aren’t going anywhere in the hospitality and restaurant industries, but the current trend in the event planning industry requires looking above and beyond the expected.

Design-forward and elevated menus are in style for 2024 events. Personalized menus for attendees with curated choices, interesting flavors, and sophisticated selections will take over events catering in the coming year.

Trend #5: CBD-Infused Foods & Beverages

As cannabidiol (CBD) oil becomes legal in more and more states, it has become a popular addition to many 2024 event menus. CBD-infused drinks, seltzers, and dishes will be a common sight, and we expect CBD’s relaxing, calming benefits to heighten attendees’ enjoyment of an event.

Trend #6: Activity-Based Events

Pickleball and axe-throwing are no longer just for breweries. In 2024, we’ll see more activity-based events.

Games, contests, live music, and shows are a great way to get attendees engaged in and excited about the event. Whether it’s intimate private concerts or corporate volleyball games, expect to see more activities on the itineraries of events this year.

Trend #7: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology

New advances in AI technology are streamlining the everyday work of event planners and managers, improving organizational efficiency, and enhancing the overall experience for attendees.

We’ll see more and more event professionals use AI in a number of ways. Event planning apps and platforms will use AI and its advanced data collection abilities to make events more engaging and secure, as well as improve post-event analysis.

From AI-based chatbot concierge services that provide support for attendees to automated ticketing processes and 24/7 customer support, this emerging trend isn’t going anywhere.

Trend #8: Different Themes for Different Rooms

Every event needs a theme, but in 2024, the event industry is taking themes to a whole new level.

For larger events or events of any size involving multiple rooms, a new trend in event management is creating a different theme for each room. Giving each room its own unique theme or vibe is an innovative way to curate a truly unforgettable experience for attendees. We expect to see a rise in choose-your-own-adventure style event themes in the coming year.

Trend #9: Personalization Across the Entire Event Experience

Personalization is key to event success—and in today’s world of data-driven insights, advanced technology, and artificial intelligence, event managers and planners can offer personalization across the entire event experience.

Customizing each attendee’s experience so that it feels like the event was tailored to their specific needs can increase satisfaction as well as the likelihood they will attend an event in the future. From branded floor decals to personalized post-event email messages, creating a unique, tailored experience for guests leads to maximized results.

Event personalization is likely to continue impacting meetings and events in 2024.

Trend #10: Advanced Event Technology

Event technology platforms continue to advance, and we’ll see these new platforms and upgraded data-based technology used in events across industries this year. With advances in data collection and analysis, event technology can accomplish anything from tailoring attendee experiences to automating routine event planning tasks.

By investing in event tech that collects and reports on more data, event managers can streamline the event planning experience as well as make the experience more enjoyable for attendees.

Trend #11: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives will be imperative for successful events in 2024. With a growing focus on events that welcome and cater to diverse voices, ideas, and audiences, event managers and planners will invest more resources in DE&I in 2024. By prioritizing DE&I in the coming year (and beyond), event industry professionals can ensure that attendees from various walks of life are welcomed, catered to, and engaged.

Trend #12: Accessibility for All

Accessibility is more than a trend—it’s a requirement. Fortunately, in the last year, we’ve seen more and more event managers, venues, and planners center accessibility, and we expect to see the trend continue in 2024.

Whether it’s providing automatic closed captioning on speaker stages, creating sensory areas for attendees to take a break, hiring sign language interpreters, or ensuring venues exceed accessibility expectations, we will continue to see improvements in this area that create better event experiences for everyone.

Trend #13: Sustainability As a Foundation

In 2024, sustainability remains a top priority for event planners, managers, and attendees. Across industries, people expect sustainable and eco-friendly practices, materials, and initiatives to be the foundation of events and meetings.

To meet the demand for sustainable events, the events industry has made huge leaps toward environmental consciousness. From making venues more sustainable and reducing waste to offering plant-based menus and using recyclable materials, the events industry will keep the spotlight on sustainability.

Trend #14: Immersive Technologies & Experiences

Immersive technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) make it possible to transform how attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and guests experience events. With AR technology, attendees can take 3D tours, view interactive layouts and maps, participate in scavenger hunts, and more. VR technology reveals an entirely new virtual world where guests can interact and engage with presentations, booths, and each other.

We expect to see new, exciting, and fun immersive technologies influence events in 2024 and beyond.

Incorporate New Event Planning Trends into Your 2024 Events with Help from EvenUp Planner

If you’re looking for an event planning partner, turn to EventUp Planner (formerly Attendease).

EventUp Planner is one of the leading names in the field of all-in-one event management software. Offering all the key features needed to stay relevant in 2024, EventUp Planner provides event managers and planners with an intuitive, seamless, and convenient digital experience that goes hand-in-hand with live, virtual, and hybrid events.

Contact us or book a free demo today to learn more about how EventUp Planner’s complete event management software and automation platform can help you plan your next event.

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Manage your entire event portfolio and drive down the cost per event with each additional event you execute. EventUp Planner has flat-fee pricing, with no surprises.

For all meeting and event types
For all event sizes
For all functional teams
For all use cases

Book a call with our team to learn how EventUp Planner fits your needs.

Handbook #2 – A Comprehensive Guide To Event Reporting

Event Management

February 22, 2024

For event planners, success is largely measured by the data gained before, during, and after an event. Event organizers are tasked with creating memorable experiences that resonate with attendees, but meeting business objectives and proving value through metrics is often how you win the budget for next year. Because of this, accurate event analytics and reporting are a must for most event organizers to prove event success beyond traditional attendee surveys and anecdotal feedback.

Welcome to “A Comprehensive Guide to Event Reporting.” In this handbook, we’ll explore the art of event reporting and its role in ensuring that your events are memorable for attendees and meeting company objectives. From understanding the key performance indicators (KPIs) to crafting a data-driven marketing strategy, we’ll walk you through data and reporting during initial event planning and post-event evaluation.

Attendease Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide To Event Reporting

Download the guide: A Comprehensive Guide To Event Reporting!

Learn more about:

7 KPIs That Will Help You Prove Event Success
Measuring Event Success from Pre- to Post-Event
What to Look For in Your Website Analytics
Registration Analytics That Shouldn’t Be Overlooked
Advanced Event Analytics To Take Your Event to the Next Level
Creating a Data-Driven Marketing Strategy with All That You’ve Learned

Get the handbook!

BlueJeans Video Conferencing Alternative: Attendease

Event Management
Event Management News

February 21, 2024

BlueJeans, a Verizon-owned software company, is sunsetting this year. Now, customers who have been using the video conferencing platform to host online events, conferences, meetings, or live streams, have to find a new way of connecting with virtual audiences.

Are you a BlueJeans customer looking for an alternative solution? Losing access to the software you love is no walk in the park, but fortunately, choosing and implementing a new platform is easier than ever with Attendease.

What Is BlueJeans?

Founded in 2009 and launched for commercial use in 2011, BlueJeans was started by Krish Ramakirshnan and Alagu Periyannan as a video conferencing solution that hoped to be “as comfortable and as casual as your pair of jeans.” Later, in May 2020, BlueJeans was acquired by Verizon for about $400 million.

The business-focused, cloud-based video conferencing platform offered users the ability to connect across multiple devices from anywhere in the world. Users could host interactive events and live streams as well as share screens, collaborate across video and audio, and integrate with other conferencing solutions.

BlueJeans Video Conferencing & Virtual Events Platform

With a wide variety of interactive options and high-quality, production-grade experiences, BlueJeans was a popular virtual events platform. Large companies, schools, and other organizations used BlueJeans to host and manage engaging events for people across the globe.

What Happened to BlueJeans Video Conferencing Software?

On August 8, 2023, Verizon announced that it would sunset BlueJeans in the first half of 2024.

Instead of an immediate shutdown, Verizon started the sunset process by terminating the BlueJeans Basic tier and free trial offers on August 31, 2023. According to their shutdown announcement, the rest of the video conferencing platform will be discontinued at some point in 2024.

Why Is Verizon Shutting Down BlueJeans?

The move by Verizon to sunset BlueJeans was shocking to many users of the platform. In a mass email to BlueJeans users, Verizon claimed the decision was made “due to the changing market landscape.”

Did Verizon fail to capitalize on BlueJeans’s massive subscriber list, vast reach, and premier products? Did the company change the direction of its core focus or simply struggle to sell end-user services like a virtual collaboration tool? We can only speculate why Verizon decided to shut down BlueJeans and leave users in the lurch.

Your Alternative to BlueJeans: Attendease

If you use BlueJeans and now have to search for a new video conferencing platform or virtual event solution for your team, try Attendease.

Attendease is a comprehensive event planning and management software platform that businesses can use to connect with audiences, automate processes, and save resources. We provide a seamless, branded experience for our users and make it easy to integrate with other video conferencing providers as needed.

Why is Attendease the best alternative to BlueJeans? Here’s what our all-in-one platform has to offer.

Use One Tool Across the Entire Event Lifecycle

Attendease is designed to help you plan and manage your event over its entire lifecycle. Rather than using a variety of tools to complete different tasks, you can use one tool for event promotion, pre-event planning, event management, and post-event analysis. You can also consolidate any of your existing enterprise tools—such as Marketo, Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Analytics, Slack, etc.—with Attendease as well as integrate your preferred video conferencing provider, such as Zoom, GoToMeeting, or Webex.

Our flexible platform is designed to manage even the most complex of conferences, meetings, webinars, or other events for your team, customers, or industry partners.

Manage In-Person, Online, Hybrid, & Live Events

No matter what event format your business relies on; you can plan and host events with Attendease. Our software supports in-person, online, hybrid, and live events from one platform and has the versatility to change formats as needed to throw a successful event. From virtual events to in-person meetings and everything in between, the Attendease platform simplifies and automates workflows to save resources and grow your audience.

Streamline the Event Planning & Management Process

With our easy-to-use and fully integrated platform, you can streamline the event planning and management process for every online meeting, hybrid conference, or live-streamed webinar. Our comprehensive event tools offer everything you could need to throw a business event, from a painless registration process and features that help increase your reach to a user-friendly interface and customized speaker workflows.

You can customize the Attendease platform to fit your needs—no web developer required, and if you have questions or need assistance, reach out to our excellent customer support for help and answers. With a quick turnaround, you’ll be on your way to event success.

See Attendease in Action: Schedule a Free Demo

Looking for an alternative to BlueJeans video conferencing software? Look no further. We’ve got you covered.

Attendease is a leading all-in-one professional event planning and managing software that provides an intuitive, seamless, and convenient digital experience. Whether you are hosting a virtual conference, scheduling an annual all-hands meeting, or presenting a live webinar, you can streamline the entire event planning and management process with Attendease.

Contact us or book a free demo today to see all the features Attendease has to offer and learn more about how we can help you throw your next conference, meeting, webinar, or event.

Learn More!

Building a Winning Corporate Events Program: 7 Critical Success Factors

Event Management

February 20, 2024

Corporate events serve an important purpose — they boost brand visibility, drive revenue, and strengthen relationships with customers and employees. However, executing successful events takes more than ordering catering and sending invites.

With so much on the line, there’s immense pressure on corporate event planners to get everything right. You have to wear multiple hats and juggle competing priorities: attendee preferences, corporate goals, vendors and suppliers, internal deadlines…the list goes on.

When building out a corporate events program, several critical factors must be considered to ensure the organization’s long-term success and sustainability. Here’s an in-depth checklist that covers the most critical areas to focus on so that you can run your next corporate event with ease!

1. Define clear goals and objectives

To successfully execute an event, you first need to know what you’re aiming at. That’s why the first step to running a winning event is clearly defining its purpose and objectives.

This is best done by scheduling a planning meeting with company leadership and other key stakeholders for the event. Consider asking questions like:

What is the primary purpose of this event? Is it for lead generation, brand awareness, employee engagement, or something else?
How does this event align with our overall corporate strategy and goals for the year?
What are the 2-3 key messages we want to communicate through this event?
What type of experience do we want to create for attendees? Educational? Entertaining? Inspiring?
How will we measure the success of this event both quantitatively and qualitatively?

Make sure to balance the overarching goals of the event with the company’s overall corporate strategy while also considering attendee preferences and perspectives (more on that shortly).

Next, establish measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) like leads generated, conversion rate, revenue created, employee engagement, and event satisfaction rating to track performance. KPIs provide concrete proof of what’s working and can be used to measure success event-over-event and year-over-year.

Moreover, having crystal clear goals and objectives means you have a definitive blueprint to revisit if disagreements or hurdles pop up during planning. It also enables you to say no to ideas that don’t align with the established vision.

2. Prioritize strategic planning and execution

Once you’ve defined clear objectives, the next step is developing an in-depth event strategy and plan that aligns with organizational goals. This includes considering your internal resources (budget, stakeholders, event management software) and external resources (sponsors, vendors, partners).

Effective project management is crucial for seamless execution—AKA your sanity. Here are some tips for managing corporate event planning across multiple teams and stakeholders:

Create a master project plan with milestones, deliverables, and deadlines. Build in buffer time for inevitable delays.
Schedule regular status update meetings to discuss timelines, blockers, and wins.
Maintain a shared calendar all stakeholders can access with key dates and deadlines.
Use collaboration tools like shared drives, intranets, and project management software to keep all teams aligned.

Designate a point person from each department to streamline communication.

Communicate early and often with all stakeholders to resolve issues quickly.

It’s also important to plan for all possible scenarios. Identify potential challenges like vendors bailing or low registration and have contingency plans ready to go, just in case.

LEARN MORE: Shopping for new event management software? Here’s how to get internal buy-in.

3. Effectively manage the event budget

Based on your strategic plan, develop a realistic, line-item budget covering all aspects of the event — venue, vendors, security, food and beverage, staffing, swag, and the dozens of other expenses that pop up.

It’s crucial to monitor expenses closely and adhere to the budget to ensure financial stability. Be extra diligent when tracking these common big-ticket items:

Venue rental fees
Catering for meals, snacks, and receptions
A/V equipment rentals and labor
Speaker fees and travel expenses
Event marketing and promotional costs
Printed collateral like signage, programs, and banners

Here are some top tips for keeping costs in check:

Negotiate discounts with venues and vendors as a repeat customer
Take advantage of off-season event dates for lower pricing
Order food and drink based on confirmed registration numbers
Minimize printed materials by shifting content online
Repurpose decor from past events when possible

In general, seek cost-effective solutions without compromising on quality or the attendee experience.

LEARN MORE: Run a memorable corporate event — even if your budget is smaller than last year’s.

4. Engage stakeholders

Identify and actively engage key stakeholders from day one, including sponsors, partners, vendors, and internal teams.

For external stakeholders:

Know exactly who your primary point of contact is and how to reach them.
Make sure you have signed contracts in place at least three months out.
Clearly outline expectations, deliverables, and deadlines in writing.

For internal stakeholders:

Create a core event committee with reps from legal, marketing, facilities, IT, etc.
Schedule planning meetings at least monthly leading up to the event.
Designate team leads for registration, catering, production, etc., based on expertise.
Outline each team’s responsibilities and ideal timelines.

Communicate early and consistently with all stakeholders to align expectations. Have clear escalation processes in place in case of disagreements or delays. Foster strong relationships to enhance support and collaboration.

5. Craft an exceptional attendee experience

One of the most important pieces of running a successful corporate event is thoroughly understanding your target audiences so you can tailor the program to meet their goals and preferences.

Conduct audience research through surveys and interviews early in the planning process to gain insights. Ask about their pain points, how they prefer to engage with content, what takeaways they expect, and what type of experience they want to have.

Then, keep that target attendee at the forefront as you make programming decisions. Whether you’re running a large-scale conference, an intimate retreat, or a virtual town hall, implement creative, engaging, and interactive elements to enhance the experience.

The same goes for virtual and hybrid events. It’s important to find ways for remote attendees to feel included and represented and that they’ve gained value from the event just like those there in person.

Finally, gather feedback during and after the event through quick polls or post-event surveys. Analyze results to continually evolve your programming and improve future events.

LEARN MORE: How software for hybrid events creates an engaging experience for your virtual attendees!

6. Market and promote the event

Next, develop a strategic, multifaceted marketing plan to effectively promote your event across channels. Tactics may include:

Digital campaigns (retargeting ads, social media, sponsored content)
Email nurture campaigns with value-driven content
Eye-catching print ads in industry publications
Radio spots for events open to the public
Social media contests leading up to the event
Promotion directly through sales reps or account managers

It’s also important to create a branded, mobile-friendly event website so prospective attendees have an information hub to visit. Include logistical details, session descriptions, speaker bios, FAQs, and personalized calls-to-action to drive conversions.

(Pssst, event marketing software can help with this.)

Effective event marketing & management means creating compelling content that highlights the tangible value of attending, like thought leadership keynotes, can’t-miss training sessions, pitch competitions, and top-notch networking opportunities.

LEARN MORE: Need fresh content ideas? Check out our top 10 strategies for promoting your event on social media.

7. Leverage corporate event management technology

Finally, make sure you lean on corporate event planning software

to enhance event logistics and attendee engagement.

Event management software like Attendease makes it easy to support in-person, online, and hybrid events seamlessly from one centralized hub.

Say goodbye to repetitive, time-consuming tasks—the right corporate event management technology helps you template and automate workflows for streamlined multi-event management.

It also makes it easier than ever to simplify planning and task management across all event team members, in addition to delivering incredibly branded, consistent experiences across multiple channels.

Registration can be a massive pain point for planners and attendees alike. Look for an event management solution with robust registration capabilities for a smooth process, like:

Easily managing complex pricing, promo codes, and group passes
Advanced form features and conditional logic to capture unique data
The ability to save forms to reuse for future events

It’s also important to have access to data and reporting to track performance, such as:

Real-time registration and attendance data
Easy-to-visualize key event metrics through dynamic dashboards
Exportable data to share across teams and inform future events
Member engagement across multiple corporate events

Bottom line: leveraging event technology is no longer optional if you want to plan corporate events like a pro — it’s an absolute must for optimizing logistics, enhancing engagement, and driving event success across the board.

Un-complicate even your most complicated events with Attendease

In summary, these seven factors are critical for building a winning corporate events program from the ground up. And leveraging innovative technologies like Attendease makes it easier to work smarter, not harder.

Attendease by Tripleseat is an end-to-end event management platform designed to make every meeting and event an awesome experience—for everyone.
Ready to elevate your corporate events? Book a demo today!

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Strategies to Increase Event Sponsorship: How to Get More Sponsors

Event Management

February 15, 2024

Event sponsorship can make or break the success of a corporate event.

The right sponsors provide critical financial resources, boost credibility, and expand reach and exposure. For corporate event planners, identifying and securing event sponsors is an essential yet challenging undertaking.

This article will explore proven techniques and strategies for how to get sponsors for an event. You’ll learn creative approaches to align sponsor and event goals, how to craft compelling proposals and target sponsors, as well as how to nurture ongoing partnerships.

With the strategies outlined here, you can elevate your events and build fruitful sponsor relationships that deliver value well beyond the event itself!

Understanding Sponsorship Objectives

The first step is understanding potential sponsors’ goals and expectations. Corporate sponsors invest in events for strategic reasons, not just as a favor.

Common objectives include:

Increased brand awareness and visibility
Making connections with target demographics
Lead generation opportunities
Thought leadership positioning
Driving product sales

Once you’ve identified a prospective event sponsor’s goals, you can align your event’s purpose and offerings accordingly. Demonstrate how their sponsorship will provide ROI and help them achieve their desired outcomes.

A mutually beneficial approach, where both parties’ needs are met, builds strong partnerships.

Creating A Compelling Event Proposal

An engaging sponsorship proposal is crucial for securing partners. Your proposal should clearly convey key details about the event, audience, and benefits to sponsors.

Follow these tips for creating a winning event sponsorship proposal:

Introduce your company and credentials. Briefly describe your business, experience level, and successes running events. This establishes credibility upfront.

Provide event details. Include the date, location, expected attendance, and event purpose/theme. Outline the agenda and program so sponsors can get a feel for the event.

Describe target demographics. Show how the audience for your event aligns with the sponsor’s target market. Provide details on job roles, industries, seniority levels, and other relevant attributes.

Highlight unique value. Convey why this event is a prime, one-of-a-kind sponsorship opportunity for maximum exposure.

Outline sponsorship benefits. List specific, tangible assets the sponsor will receive, like speaking sessions, booth space, logo placement, social media mentions, attendee access, and other brand visibility perks.

Building A Strong Brand For Your Event

A compelling brand is a vital part of how to get sponsors for an event—especially ones focused on branding and visibility. Your brand should communicate excellence, professionalism, and what makes your event unique.

To convey a consistent look and feel, you need to maintain the same color scheme, logo placement, design elements, and messaging across platforms.

Showcase past successes by displaying logos of satisfied sponsors and partners while quantifying achievements like revenue, leads generated, and brand awareness.

Make sure to develop polished assets like brochures, one-pagers, presentations, and other promotional materials aligned with your brand style.

By cultivating a strong and appealing event brand, sponsors will be eager to align with your offerings.

How To Target The Right Sponsors

With countless potential sponsors to contact, zeroing in on the right partners is critical.

Follow this three-step process to make sure you’re going after the right people:

1. Identify prospects aligned with your event

Research companies:

In your event’s industry/space
Whose products/services will interest your attendees
With target demographics matching your audience

Make a list of relevant companies that check all the boxes for your event. Plan your outreach schedule and follow-up activities.

2. Evaluate sponsors’ goals and needs

Review their current initiatives, challenges, and marketing objectives. Assess if your event matches their requirements for awareness, lead generation, etc. This will help you position your event as solving an important problem for their company.

3. Tailor your proposal

One size does not fit all, and every proposal should be tailored to individual sponsors. Make sure to emphasize the details that matter most to each prospect. Show how their needs will be met through sponsorship.

This process might sound tedious, but taking the time to identify and vet prospects strategically will lead to a better response from event sponsors. You’ve got this!

Offer Diverse Sponsorship Packages

Providing varied sponsorship levels allows you to appeal to more companies. Each level should have varied benefits and costs to fit any budget.

Standard packages to consider include:

Title sponsorship

The most prominent level is aligned with the event name and brand. Perks may include:

Logo integrated into event name and promotions
Speaking opportunity at opening or closing
Prime exhibit booth space
Full-page ad in the program
Lead generation access
Social media co-branding

Presenting sponsor

This is a second-tier opportunity with strong brand visibility. Benefits can include:

Logo on all event signage and materials
Booth in a preferred location
Verbal recognition from the stage
Half-page ad in the program
Limited social media co-branding

Supporting sponsor

This is an entry-level package ideal for vendors. This level typically includes:

Logo on the event website
Standard exhibit booth
Quarter-page ad in the program
Social media mentions

You can meet an event sponsor’s needs by offering bundles to suit different budgets and goals. Be open to further customizing these packages as well.

Leveraging social media and digital marketing

Social media and digital marketing are invaluable tools for promoting your sponsors.

First, event sponsors should be spotlighted in event hashtag campaigns on X and other platforms.

Another tactic is to create Facebook or LinkedIn groups where sponsors can engage with attendees. Work with sponsors to develop co-branded ads and organic social content.

Send email blasts highlighting sponsors with links to their websites and social profiles. You can also consider running Google/Facebook ads with sponsor information targeted to your attendee demographics.

Event sponsor logos, descriptions, and calls to action (CTAs) should be prominently featured on your event website.

Make sure to track impressions, clicks, and other metrics to showcase the results sponsors will achieve by partnering with you.

Networking And Relationship-Building

Strong relationships are integral to fruitful event sponsorships.

You can cultivate rapport with sponsors in engaging ways. Consider hosting pre-event meetups where sponsors, organizers, and key attendees can connect face-to-face.

During the event, spotlight sponsors from the podium and personally recognize their contributions so they feel truly appreciated. Arrange for sponsors to interact with attendees through booths, lounge areas and by participating in session Q&As.

After the event, send out surveys to solicit sponsor feedback on how to improve their experience. Schedule one-on-one meetings to learn how sponsors prefer to engage with attendees. And don’t forget to send personal thank you notes to sponsors after the event to show your gratitude!

By continually nurturing these relationships before, during, and after your events, you’ll establish trust and loyalty with sponsors that pay dividends through mutually beneficial partnerships.

Providing Value Beyond The Event

The event itself is just one small part of keeping sponsors happy. You need to get creative in providing value to sponsors even after the event concludes.

Send event photos and videos to sponsors for use in their own marketing efforts. Make sure you provide attendee demographics, contact details, and survey data to sponsors as agreed upon.

You could also feature sponsor content and thought leadership in post-event email newsletters to keep them top of mind. Another idea is to co-create blog posts with sponsors on topics relevant to your audience to position them as industry experts.

Next, start planning future events with the sponsor early on and collaborate to outline shared goals for growing the partnership.

This additional exposure and connection after the event drives ROI for sponsors over the long term—and they’ll have you to thank.

Measuring And Demonstrating ROI

Proving a sponsorship’s tangible impact through data is tremendously powerful. Be sure to:

Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) aligned to sponsor goals like leads, sales, and brand awareness.

Track real-time analytics on booth traffic, branded ad clicks, and other metrics at the event.

Conduct surveys to quantify changes in brand perception, purchasing intent, and other impacts.

Calculate total impressions across platforms like social, email, and the event app.

Pull attendance demographics, sales figures, and other statistics demonstrating results.

Fact-based proof of sponsorship ROI will make securing their partnership next year a breeze.

Sustaining Long-Term Partnerships

The best event sponsorships are mutually beneficial and span multiple events and years. To maintain longevity, you need to check in with sponsors to ensure they remain satisfied regularly.

Have open discussions about what’s working well and what could be improved so you can adapt the partnership to meet their evolving needs. Offer first rights for sponsorships of your upcoming events to show commitment. Develop tiered loyalty programs with special perks and discounts for repeat sponsors to keep them engaged. Send appreciation gifts or donations to causes important to the event sponsor to show you truly care.

By continuously evaluating and enhancing the sponsorship through open communication, you demonstrate your dedication to shared, long-term success with your sponsors.

Create Case Studies And Highlight Success Stories

Concrete examples of successful past sponsorships provide tremendous influence for securing new partners. You should compile compelling case studies and testimonials that bring the partnerships to life.

Showcase the positive outcomes and ROI delivered for sponsors. Include specific metrics like website traffic, leads collected, sales won, and brand recall that quantify the impact. Use glowing reviews from sponsor leadership and team members that highlight their excitement. Demonstrate how the event furthered the sponsor’s objectives and vision.

Prospects want social proof, so by spotlighting real-world results and anecdotes from satisfied sponsors, you provide the trust and validation needed to show you can deliver value.

Build Win-Win Sponsor Relationships With Attendease

Event sponsorship is clearly complex but immensely rewarding when done right. With a strategic approach, you can align sponsor goals with event offerings for mutually beneficial partnerships.

Event sponsorship is all about strategy and relationship-building. With the techniques outlined in this guide, you now have the insights to attract and retain high-impact sponsors. As a result, you can elevate your events and unlock partnership opportunities that help your organization thrive!
Attendease by Tripleseat provides an all-in-one event management platform to seamlessly coordinate events, engage attendees, and nurture sponsor relationships over the long term. Book a demo today!

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Why A Sustained Events Program Outweighs One Big Event

Event Management

February 15, 2024

Moving away from “one event to rule them all”

Hosting “one big event” is often seen as the pinnacle of corporate event planning. Splashy annual events generate immense excitement and engagement, often bringing a short-term economic and publicity boost to the city they’re hosting in.

However, there are downsides to putting all of your event eggs into one basket. Infrastructure and operations are costly, not to mention that attendee engagement tends to fall drastically once the event is over. That’s why more event planners are shifting their strategy to sustained events programs.

A sustained events program refers to hosting multiple smaller events throughout the

year rather than putting all your resources into one major event.

This blog will explore the advantages of taking a sustained approach to corporate events, including greater audience retention, improved brand visibility, and more effective resource management. If this sounds like a lot of work, fret not—modern event organizing software has your back.

Read on to learn why consistent smaller events deliver better long-term results compared to infrequent blockbusters!

Why The Shift Towards Sustained Events In Modern Event Planning Strategies?

The excitement and prestige of hosting “one big event” is often considered a major draw for cities and organizations. Events like the Olympics or the Super Bowl are still seen as pinnacles of success that bring global attention—and rightfully so.

The positive publicity and tourism revenue that these events attract makes them hard to resist. Cities and countries still compete fiercely to host these infrequent yet high-profile events.

However, external factors are challenging the idea that hosting one large event per year is the ideal strategy…As the costs of infrastructure, operations, and security continue to rise, managing the huge risks and debts associated with major one-time events is becoming less feasible.

Further, the rise of social media and digital platforms has made large audiences more fragmented. This necessitates more targeted outreach. Relying solely on a mass event model has become less effective for reaching specific audiences.

That’s why offering more consistent, smaller events targeted to niche audiences has become increasingly popular in the events world. The costs and risks are lower, while more regular touchpoints with audiences throughout the year make relationship-building that much easier.

Plus, sustained event programs allow for brand visibility to grow incrementally over time rather than to dramatically spike and fall.

Modern events programs recognize that delivering value regularly to engaged subgroups drives better long-term results compared to chasing infrequent large events. This shift in strategy has been accelerated by modern event coordination software, which makes it easier to manage ongoing events at scale.

Advantages Of A Sustained Events Program

Maintaining an ongoing events program provides several advantages compared to relying on large, infrequent events. Let’s explore the benefits!

Easier to maintain momentum post-event

With a sustained events model, you stay connected with your audience through regular touchpoints over the course of a year. This makes it easier to nurture relationships and continue engagement beyond any individual event.

In contrast, with infrequent major events, you must rebuild momentum almost from scratch every single time. Attracting people to commit their time and money to the next big event happening in a year or two is challenging. There are fewer opportunities to keep people engaged in between.

A sustained program allows flexibility in event formats and content. Interspersing large conferences with intimate seminars, workshops, and happy hours accommodates diverse interests and learning styles. Not to mention that it’s easier to satisfy the growing desire for a mix of virtual and in-person (AKA hybrid) events. This variety keeps people energized and likely to keep returning!

Improved brand visibility over time

Companies like South by Southwest and Adobe have successfully utilized sustained events programs for years. Adobe runs hundreds of targeted events annually, allowing them to engage diverse stakeholders—from employees to brand partners, customers, and beyond. The boost in visibility and goodwill generated by delivering value consistently over time is immense.

With consistent events, it’s easier to analyze performance and fine-tune your strategy. Detecting patterns and trends across multiple happenings provides insights that isolated events simply cannot. This enables continuous improvement, further empowering you and your events team over the long haul.

Best Practices For Running Sustained Events

Let’s explore proven tactics to help make an ongoing events program successful. Taking advantage of modern event management solutions with personalization capabilities and helpful metrics can help overcome potential hurdles.

Embrace modern event management solutions

Modern organizing software makes it easy to seamlessly run sustained events at scale. All-in-one platforms like Attendease by Tripleseat provide powerful tools for registration, marketing, logistics, reporting, and more.

Integrated solutions reduce manual processes, provide deeper insights through in-depth reporting, and enable faster execution and replication. Automation features like website templates and email marketing also save you and your team valuable time and effort.

Event organizing software also enhances audience engagement before, during, and after events through custom event apps, instant replay features, and interactive virtual components. Features like webinars and live stream capabilities further nurture relationships between in-person happenings.

Look for personalization and data-driven insights

Personalization capabilities combat attendee fatigue over time by delivering tailored experiences. For example, Attendease helped geographic information systems company Esri develop a custom event app to serve up a personalized agenda and content recommendations to thousands of its attendees. This keeps each event feeling fresh and relevant.

Robust data and insights gathered across all events further support personalization efforts. Identifying popular speakers, topics, and networking activities allows your events team to modify future programming based directly on audience analytics.

Surveys also provide crucial attendee feedback to incorporate into your next event. This diversity in content and format sustains engagement by consistently adapting to audience needs.

Learn to manage resources effectively

A deliberate strategy focused on key performance indicators (KPIs) allows sustained event programs to maximize their ROI. Tracking registration and attendance, attendee satisfaction and engagement, lead generation, and marketing reach provide quantifiable metrics for optimization.

Powerful reporting functionality also enables insightful comparison across your entire catalog of events. This helps identify successful venues, sponsors, and program formats to replicate. In turn, you’re better able to manage resources wisely, which saves money and enables continuous improvement over time!

Scale Up Your Events With Winning Event Coordination Software

Running a sustained events program means easier relationship building, greater brand visibility over time, and better resource management compared to one-off large-scale events. As the landscape of event marketing continues to evolve, integrating hybrid elements and diverse event formats can provide additional value to attendees.

Don’t worry; modern event management solutions have your back. Tools that offer robust reporting and seamless personalization make it easier to successfully run regular events at scale.

Simplify the complexity of managing your multiple events throughout the year with a powerful platform like Attendease by Tripleseat. Our suite of registration, marketing, reporting, and personalization tools empowers you to run a sustained events program without a hitch. Book a demo today!

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The Role of Technology in Event Management for Associations

Event Management

February 8, 2024

Using event technology to its full potential allows associations to provide enriching, personalized experiences to members. The right tools can track and consolidate event data, adapt to members’ needs and preferences, and use automation to eliminate administrative tasks.

CRMs, association management software, and event planning platforms go beyond managing member data and event planning. These tools empower your association to fulfill the commitments and value promised in its membership offerings without increasing staff workloads.

In this guide, we’ll explore how your association can leverage technology when planning and promoting events.

What technology do associations need for events?

Associations rely on software for effective membership management, data collection and tracking, financial record-keeping, and much more. These tools also assist in the event planning process to optimize promotion and facilitate smooth interactions with attendees.

The following systems and tools work together to support successful events:

Customer relationship management (CRM) system: This tool stores information about your members, identifies prospects, records interactions, and nurtures relationships with current and potential members. Track event metrics such as total attendance and attendee feedback using your CRM. Integrate your event management and marketing tools with your CRM to ensure this data is visible across every system your association uses.
Association management software (AMS): Your AMS platform may be used to facilitate attendee registrations, process payments for tickets, manage event promotions and other communications, and leverage data from your CRM to personalize the event to each member.
Event planning and management tools: Event planning software is designed with specialized tools to simplify event management. Streamline event schedules, set up various ticketing options, and quickly access reports to track your association’s progress.

Because each system has different capabilities, integrating your technology framework allows you to maximize the impact of each tool. You may need to contact your technology consultant to set up integrations and explore ways to optimize event management processes.

How does technology improve event data management?

To host successful events, associations must understand their members. Carefully tracking event data enables associations to adapt future events to fit members’ preferences and interests, making each event better than the last.

Over time, analyzing the following metrics will enable your association to organize events that draw qualified prospects to its events:

These are four kinds of event metrics associations can track using technology, listed in the text below.

Attendance rate: This is the percentage of registrants who attend the event. Measuring attendance rate can reveal gaps in event communications and pinpoint disengaged members. Using attendance rates from multiple events, your association can track how many attendees who attended your previous event also attended the next one (i.e., retention rate).
Engagement data: Understand the number of attendees per session or workshop, the average time attendees spend at the event, interactions during Q&A sessions, and more. These specific data points provide more granular insights into members’ interests. Leverage these insights in future campaigns to create personalized marketing messages.
Content metrics: See how many times certain pieces of content, like videos or presentations, were downloaded or viewed. Those downloaded many times or viewed after the event are likely the most valuable to members—keep this in mind when planning future events or creating training courses and workshops.
Revenue: Track total income from a variety of sources, including ticket and merchandise sales, sponsorships, and exhibitors. Easily reference data about each payment, including time of sale, payment method, and more, to learn and adapt to members’ preferences. For example, if many attendees waited until the last minute to purchase tickets, offer an early bird discount for your next event.

Measure and analyze metrics that align with your goals for the event. If your association holds a webinar to introduce more members to an exclusive course, track how many attendees sign up for the course to measure event success.

What are the benefits of integrating event systems?

When your association can easily access and analyze event data, it can recognize opportunities to effectively engage members, personalize sessions and benefits to their preferences, and identify new event ideas.

Some key advantages of integrating the tools and systems your association uses include:

Eliminating data silos. Data silos occur when information is isolated in two or more separate systems, reducing your data’s timeliness and accuracy. Fíonta’s website integration guide echoes this point, explaining that a key benefit of integrating your website with your CRM is that it makes data analysis more manageable by removing the need to duplicate data manually between systems.
Identifying trends sooner. Data that is up-to-date reflects current trends in member behaviors, enabling associations to take advantage of opportunities quickly. Recognizing and adapting to trends early gives associations a competitive advantage and opens the door to innovative events and other offerings that attract new members.
Expediting decision-making. With real-time access to data, associations can make research-driven decisions about their events on a faster timeline. Over time, this can optimize resource allocation, improve member engagement and retention, and foster continuous improvement.
Improving scalability. Integrated systems can accommodate association growth and adapt to evolving needs. In event management, this flexibility makes it possible to process larger volumes of ticket sales, offer events in different formats, and customize forms and workflows accordingly.

These integrations significantly reduce your staff members’ workloads by automating administrative tasks like enrollment and post-event follow-up. This maximizes staff members’ impact by giving them more time to innovate and interact with members.

Before planning your association’s next event, evaluate technology’s role and whether there are any gaps. Are you unable to quickly assess event analytics due to data silos? Or do you need a specialized tool to manage specific needs? Integrate your tools and prioritize scalable solutions so your association can seamlessly track event metrics, cultivate personalized experiences, and optimize future events.

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How to Create Highly Effective Sales Conversations at Events

Event Management

January 30, 2024

Events offer tremendous opportunities to generate leads and move prospects along the sales funnel. Yet it’s surprising how many people struggle to start meaningful conversations that result in an adequate number of potential leads and sales to pay off the costs and overcome the challenges of event marketing.

When it comes to any event-based lead generation, speaking and listening are far more important than simply turning up. Attending and expecting leads and sales to blossom out of thin air is a pipe dream, at best. While holding an exhibition, leading a seminar, conducting a session, or giving a presentation accomplishes more of what you need to generate initial interest, you need to maximize every interaction, whether active or passive.

Stuck for inspiration on how to start meaningful, powerful sales conversations at your next event? Look no further than this article. The tips and strategies outlined below will help you captivate audiences, build rapport, qualify leads, and nurture relationships during and after events, whatever your function is.

Make Yourself Visible

Of course, certain slots may be available to deliver keynote sessions or presentations at an expo, trade show, or networking event. But if there is one available to you, consider taking the opportunity to deliver a short and impactful session, as you never know what leads could be waiting in the wings.

Dynamic presentations will make your audience instantly recognize you and leave a positive impression, and they will be more inclined to speak to you after the session concludes. Captivating and engaging speakers who have mastered the art of executive presence and leadership will likely find more prospects reaching out post-event, opening a variety of potential sales avenues.

Even if you’re not speaking, take advantage of the opportunities you have to attend sessions and ask questions. Doing so will improve your visibility and, bilaterally, make more people recognize you.

Craft Thoughtful Messaging

Captivating your audience, however big, is crucial to opening sales doors. Every conversation should boil down to a carefully crafted message, value proposition, and solution. Ensure you demonstrate the types of people or businesses you help, the problems you solve, and what makes you unique and stand out from the rest.

Refine this into an evocative, meaningful, outcome-focused elevator pitch that you can memorize and convey with enthusiasm and passion. The foundations will make dialogue between potential leads and yourself more compelling and purposeful.

Adopt an Active Mindset

Many attendees will instinctively adopt a passive mindset; in other words, they will politely listen, move on, and do little else. Being proactive and fully leaning into and embracing conversations will help you stand out and, in many ways, help them overcome initial barriers of uncertainty.

Initiate small talk, ask thoughtful questions, and demonstrate that you’re actively listening by referencing details they may have mentioned in passing. Depending on the event, attendees will likely seek providers, products, and services from vendors to help them with specific problems. You can show a sincere interest if you can uncover these through active networking and conversation. Even if they may not be your ideal customer, they may be able to refer you to someone who is.

Leverage the Power of Body Language

It’s widely debated that most communication comes from non-verbal cues, but there’s reason to believe it’s a significant conversation driver. Conscious body language is crucial for connecting with prospects meaningfully and making a positive impression.

Maintain friendly eye contact, face people directly, avoid looking over shoulders, and subtly mirror their posture and mannerisms. If they seem closed off or reserved, it may indicate that they wish to end the conversation. If they are exhibiting welcoming signs that encourage open conversation, approach them with some friendly small talk to begin with.

Keep Conversations Flowing

Once a conversation begins, work intuitively to transition an off-topic discussion to business matters. A typical innocuous example would be asking the subject why they’re attending the expo or conference or whether they’ve had any worthwhile conversations. From this, you can ask pertinent and non-invasive questions to drill down on their specific pain points or day-to-day problems that require solutions.

You can naturally weave in expertise and authority through retellings of client success stories without overwhelming them with forceful tactics and sales jargon. If you manage to engage with prospects in a 15-minute conversation where you can convey experience and credibility, and there seems to be a genuine interest to carry things on further, give them a business card or some printed sales material and invite them for a chat down the line. Consider printing case studies and testimonials for added effect, as these are known to drive leads.

Overcome Objections Positively

Throughout your interactions with attendees, some conversations will whittle down to one or several sales objections, which are straightforward to overcome. Prospects may mention that they have tight budgets, a lack of authority to make critical business decisions, or incumbent suppliers tied to long contracts, to name just a few.

Rather than view these as a dead end, welcome them as an opportunity to stay connected and informed. Emphasize that you are happy to find the best solution for their needs, even if that cannot materialize straight away. Provide reassurance through convincing and compelling client testimonials and stats on deliverables, with no emphasis on costs or bottom lines. Aim to end each chat on a positive note.

Collect and Nurture Leads Strategically

When a discussion reaches its natural conclusion, if you deem the person a suitable lead for you, politely request their contact details in a way that offers them further value. Suggest forwarding details on additional client case studies or examples of projects completed for them to review at their own pace or an email recapping recommendations you’ve discussed in person for their reference. This gives you and them a meaningful reason to connect post-event.

Load leads into your CRM system and trigger personalized, bespoke follow-up conversations to progress your discussions and topics of interest. Events are just the starting point to garner potential attendees in your database, but after the event, you can uncover their intentions.

When they return to their routines after the event, their mindsets and attitudes may drastically differ from how you engage with them. Tailor your lead generation and follow-up messaging accordingly, based on the conversation(s) you have with each prospect after the event. If there is genuine recall and interest, adapt your strategy to give them everything they need to make an informed decision.

With careful preparation and a firm strategy, corporate events can become a huge driver of quality leads for brands across industries. Prioritize meaningful conversations and intentionally guide prospects through your funnel in the ways outlined above to see improved quantity and quality of leads right off the bat.

Plan. Launch. Amaze – with Attendease

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

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