Tag: Tips for Event Planners

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!

Event Ticket Pricing Strategies [2024 Guide]

  • Event Management News
  • March 27, 2024
product-school

How much you decide to charge for tickets can make or break your event. In this guide, we will cover proven ticket pricing strategies to help you determine your ticket prices and ensure the financial success of your event.

1. Determine Your Event’s Value

Before exploring ticket pricing strategies to drive event revenue, you’ll need to revisit your event design. In a talk with Anthony Vade, Director of North America at Event Design Collective, we learned just how crucial this step is.

Revisiting your event design means closely examining your stakeholders (attendees, sponsors, exhibitors, leadership, etc.), what they want to get out of the event, and what value the event will bring them. Once you know your event’s value, you’ll be able to apply a price tag to it confidently.

Here are a few key things Anthony Vade made note of around value:

Information Delivery Is No Longer Enough

While you might think that sharing information through presentations and workshops is what your audience wants to pay for, remember that information is now widely accessible and free thanks to the internet. For your event to have value to your stakeholders, it will need to provide connections and experiences, along with the information.

Experiences Carry More Weight

Some virtual events may be free, while others charge premium amounts if attendees want access to a deeper in-person or online experience. Intimacy, networking, and the chance to form close connections are major reasons why people are willing to pay more to attend events.

Events Provide Value When They Change the Behaviors of Their Stakeholders

Consider the following:

  • Why do your stakeholders attend your event, and what do they leave with?
  • What pain do they enter with, and what gains do they exit with?
  • How does your event create transformations for your audience?
  • What actionable takeaways is your audience walking away with?

All the above translates into your event’s unique value that, when articulated correctly, is worth investing in.

ANTHONY VADE QUOTE

2. Uncover Your Event’s Value

How do you know that what you perceive your event’s value to be is correct? Will your stakeholders see it the same way? Following the methodology by the Event Design Collective, the way to uncover this is first to map the stakes for all your high-impact stakeholders:

  • What is at stake?
  • Who is involved?
  • What is their contribution?
  • What are their expectations?

Collaborate with your team and ask them to share their perspectives on what they think those stakeholders want so you can validate your hypotheses. You can do this by asking major stakeholders like attendees, event owners, and sponsors directly if your ideas are accurate and if they’re willing to pay what you’re planning to charge for the event. If you’re right, you’ve validated that what you’re about to offer is indeed what they want and are willing to pay for. If you’re wrong, then you can take that feedback until you get it right. Once you validate your stakeholder’s goals, you can then:

  • Analyze how your event will help them achieve what they’re looking for.
  • Justify the investment or expense of your event (e.g., buying a ticket or sponsoring a tradeshow booth).

3. Calculate Your Event Ticket Price

How Do You Determine Ticket Price?

Setting the right ticket price for your event involves a careful balance to attract attendees without compromising your financial goals. Here are key steps to help you determine the optimal ticket price:

Step 1: Establish Your Break-Even Point

Before setting your ticket price, calculate the total cost of organizing the event, including venue, refreshments, staffing, etc. Determine the minimum number of attendees required to cover these expenses and break even. This foundational step ensures that your pricing strategy aligns with your financial objectives.

Step 2: Analyze the Competitive Landscape

Conduct a competitive pricing analysis to understand the rates for similar events in your industry. Align your ticket prices with or slightly below the average to remain attractive to potential attendees.

Step 3: Explore Different Pricing Models

Consider innovative pricing models to enhance attendee engagement and increase revenue. Options such as early bird pricing, member discounts, or bundle pricing can create value for attendees while maximizing profitability for your event.

Step 4: Get Attendee Feedback

Engage with your audience by getting their input on ticket pricing. Conduct surveys through email or social media to understand their willingness to pay and the value they associate with your event.

Step 5: Assess & Adapt

Your initial ticket prices are not set in stone. Monitor attendee response and adjust prices based on the observed demand. If events consistently sell out, consider increases. If events consistently have low attendance, you may need to make price adjustments to attract more participants.

How to Determine Your Break-Even Ticket Price Point

Before you start thinking about pricing, you should know your numbers. Use a budget template to calculate your projected expenses and revenues. You then have an educated perspective on how much your tickets should cost in order to cover the expenses.

How to Research Other Events

Research other events in the market that are relevant to you:

  • Regardless of location, similar events may give you a good idea regarding size, attendance, and pricing.
  • Similar events near you which might compete against your event. Why would people choose to go to your event instead of a competitor’s?

Understanding the competitive space will indicate the range of ticket prices you should consider and the expected attendance numbers from similar events.

How to Forecast Ticket Sales

Based on your previous events and your competitors, you should be able to develop a realistic sales forecast. How many people are likely to attend the event? How many people can the venue hold? Once you find this number, you can divide it by the Break-Even point found earlier to calculate the minimum price you should sell your tickets for to pay for all expenses.

If you offer different purchasing options, bundled pricing may work for you. You can create perceived value by adding multiple items into one bundle at a reduced price compared to having all items purchased separately. This is also a good way to motivate the purchase of add-on items, such as meals, transportation, accommodation, activities, parties, and more.

4. Set Up Common Ticket Types, Pricing Strategies, & Sales Tactics

Once you have determined how much you should be selling your tickets for, draft your strategy to sell the tickets. Here are some different event ticket pricing strategies you may consider.

Early Bird Ticket Pricing & Tiered Early Bird Ticket Pricing

There is no surprise here: early bird sales are the easiest way to create awareness about the event and push sales in the early months of promotion. You can create a multi-tiered early bird strategy to push for even more event ticket sales. Here is an example of how to use the multi-tiered early bird structure:

First 50 tickets at $100
50-100 tickets at $125
Regular price at $175

One thing to keep in mind is that you should never extend your early bird rate. Doing so trains your audience to wait instead of acting, which is the whole point of the early bird strategy.

Timed Batch Event Ticket Pricing

Similarly to tiered early bird, you can create a tier based on milestone dates. You can create as many tiers as you wish, adding price increases as it gets closer to the event date. Make sure the increases are significant enough to make people want to purchase it early. An increase of at least 10% is recommended. Here is an example of timed batch event ticket pricing:

Purchase by March 1st at $100
Purchase by March 14 at $125
After March 14, the regular price is $175

Odd/Even Event Ticket Pricing

This is an old marketing trick we all have heard of. Prices ending in odd numbers, such as 5 and 9, tend to outperform even numbers in terms of sales. Whether this is an old psychology trick or the real deal, it doesn’t hurt to try. You can test this strategy in different events to compare the results.

You should avoid cents and stick to a whole number—for example, $75 or $79 instead of $70.95. The price with no decimal numbers is perceived as lower, even though it may not be.

Bundled Event Ticket Pricing

If you are offering different purchase options, bundled pricing may work for you. You can create perceived value by adding multiple items into one bundle at a reduced price compared to having all items purchased separately. This is also a good way to motivate the purchase of add-on items, such as meals, transportation, accommodation, activities, parties, and more.

Event Up-Selling Strategy

If you don’t want to increase the total cost by using the bundle price, you should consider up-selling after the ticket purchase. That means you focus on selling the tickets for your event and contact them later to up-sell other items, such as meals, transportation,  accommodation, after-parties, etc. This way, you can guarantee the event ticket and worry about items with lower margins later.

Event Ticket Price Discount Strategy

Whether you give a percentage discount of a fixed dollar amount, a discount can make all the difference based on the perceived value of the discount. Follow the “Rule of 100”, which uses percentage discount for ticket prices under $100 and dollar amounts for prices over $100. Here are some examples:

Ticket priceDiscount (%)Discount ($)Better Option
$1020%$2.0020%
$2020%$4.0020%
$10020%$20$20
$50020%$100$100

Use Scarcity To Drive Event Demand

If your audience knows your previous event was sold out, chances are they might feel rushed to get their tickets early for the next event you host. With this in mind, you may choose a smaller venue to host your initial event as a strategy to increase demand for future events. Don’t forget to announce the selling-out situation when promoting a new event to encourage your audience to move quickly to secure their event tickets.

Offer a Top Tier Ticket Package

A premium ticket package and other cheaper options may make lower-priced tickets seem more attractive, increasing demand and sales. Even if you don’t sell too many higher ticket prices, this can help with regular-priced tickets. The VIP offers, which may include exclusive access perks, will appeal to a segment of your attendees who are looking for the best.

Promo Codes

Create promo codes for specific segments that can help push sales through referrals. For example, you can create a special code for your speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors so they can share the event with their audience. This will help increase your promotion reach, as your “partners” will promote directly with their audience, who might not necessarily know you and your event. Partners will feel more motivated to promote the event, knowing they are offering their audience a benefit while strengthening the relationship with you. Provide them with assets to share on social media to help with the event promotions.

Similarly, you can create promo codes for niche influencers in your industry so they can share the event with their audience.

5. Use Unique Ticket Pricing Strategies for Virtual Events

Ticket pricing strategies are even trickier when it comes to hosting virtual and hybrid events. As these events become more popular, the industry is in the process of figuring out the best ways to monetize these events. Here are a few ways you can price your virtual events:

Offer Flexible Event Ticket Pricing Options

Sliding scale: Rather than having a set price, you can offer attendees a sliding scale to give them options for how much they can afford according to their financial situation.

By donation: You can also offer attendees to pay by donation, so they choose how much to pay for the event. In this case, it can be wise to add a “suggested donation amount’ to educate them on the value of the event.

Free, excluding premium components: Another route you might consider is hosting your event free of charge but charging premium amounts if attendees want to get access to specific event components like the online networking platform, high-profile speaker sessions, or exclusive content. This option lets you set several ticket tiers so attendees can choose what suits them most.

Anchor Your Ticket Price On Desirable Experiences

In addition to offering an exciting program with a diverse agenda, you can anchor your price on additional experiences your event can provide, including:

Networking opportunities: Give your audience more points of interaction to create and strengthen connections. You can justify a healthy ticket price for your virtual event when you give attendees an exciting opportunity to connect with peers meaningfully.

Exclusive touch-points with experts: The chance to connect with experts privately or in small groups can be a huge selling point for attendees who value one-on-one time or exclusivity. This can take the form of private meetings or limited-capacity Q&A sessions where guests can connect with people at the very top of their field for an opportunity to pick their brains.

On-demand flexibility: Many virtual events are free to watch live but paid to have on-demand access to watch the recordings. This can be a good way to attract ticket sales as well.

6. Develop Strategies for Where & How To Sell Event Tickets

Your sales strategy should cover the channels you’ll be marketing through and how the sales will be executed.

Sell Event Tickets Online

Ensure customers can buy tickets to your event online. Selling online not only makes it convenient for customers, but it also frees up administration time for you and your team. One of the easiest ways to offer online sales is through an event registration platform. In addition to scheduling and attendee log-in capabilities, this type of platform offers features like different pricing categories, promo codes, and group passes.

Sell Event Tickets At The Door

It could work in your favor to offer tickets at the door as well as online, though this depends on the type of event. People could turn up at the last minute, which could help you fill up your event. However, you might want to charge slightly more at the door to encourage people to buy well before the event.

How to Use Marketing Channels to Sell Event Tickets

As for marketing, you should explore the different channels you’d like to market through.

  • Search engines – You can use pay-per-click (PPC) or search engine optimization (SEO) to reach more potential leads through search engines.
  • Social media – Leverage your social media channels. Social media could be a highly impactful way to get your message out there, generate awareness for your events, and reach a large group of people without expensive paid advertising. Concentrating on the two or three platforms your target audience uses the most is helpful. Ensure your attendees spend time on these platforms and that the content you share is tailored to your target audience and the platform.
  • Customer database and re-targeting – Email your customer database and consider re-targeting leads who’ve shown interest in your events.
  • Your network – Ask your event-management team, caterers, vendors, and other partners to help generate word-of-mouth interest in your events. Ask them to forward emails to their network and share posts on social media.
  • Advertising and sponsorships – Expand your reach through billboards, radio advertising, local press, social ads, other paid advertising media, and related channels like sponsorships.

Leverage Effective Ticket Pricing Strategies & Sell Out Your Events With EventUp Planner’s Event Ticketing Platform

Sold-out events are the result of careful ticket pricing strategies and sales rather than chance. With a detailed ticketing strategy designed for your target audience, you’ll be better positioned to generate awareness, accelerate ticket sales, and sell out your events.

Want to learn more about how to sell out your events and make them a financial success? Download your ticket pricing strategies guide today. Or book a call with our team to learn how EventUp Planner (formerly Attendease) can help you.

Book a Call

Let's Talk!

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.

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!

Learn More!

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.

Learn More!

Let's Talk!

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!

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!

Learn More!

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.
Where all your events come together

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:

  • 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!

Learn More!

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!

Learn More!

75 Event Ideas to Inspire Your Next Event

  • Event Trends
  • February 13, 2024

Event planning is no small feat, especially when it comes to corporate meetings and functions. A successful event requires thoughtful organization, creative vision, and seamless execution.

Why Unique & Fun Event Ideas?

Unique and fun events not only attract more attendees but also increase engagement, brand loyalty, and positive word-of-mouth marketing. They provide a platform for networking, creativity, and innovation, leaving a lasting impression on guests and making the event more memorable and impactful.

But dreaming up unique, inspiring themes and event ideas takes time and imagination. When you’re already overwhelmed with planning the logistics, it can be a challenge to brainstorm something that will wow your attendees.

That’s why we have compiled this extensive list of unique event ideas to take the guesswork out of planning your next function. With so many diverse themes to choose from, you’re sure to find the perfect one to make your event engaging and truly memorable. Let’s dive in!

Table Of Contents

Corporate Event Ideas

Corporate events are a chance to boost engagement, make valuable connections, and invest in your team’s development. With the right activities and experiences, your next event will motivate, unite, and inspire.

1. Team-building activities

Escape the office to engage in team-building activities like outdoor scavenger hunts, trivia games, and relay races. These activities spark creativity, improve communication, and build trust between colleagues. Plus, there’s nothing quite like a fun challenge to break down barriers and bring out everyone’s competitive spirit. 

2. Outdoor adventure challenges

Outdoor adventures lead to inside jokes and shared memories that bring teams closer together. Unique event ideas like hiking tips, high ropes courses, and wall climbing challenge attendees to think strategically, build trust, and foster resilience—not to mention enjoy some fresh air and sunshine!

3. Escape room experiences

Escape rooms require close collaboration, effective communication, and leadership under pressure. Their immersive nature forces teams to work together, leverage their strengths, and improve their weaknesses. Plus, escaping the room brings out everyone’s competitive spirit and creates shared memories that bond the team.

4. Professional development workshops

Liven up professional development workshops with interactive elements like small group activities, role-playing, and open discussions. Allow attendees to choose topics most useful to them ahead of time to customize the experience. Or gamify workshops with points and prizes to add some friendly competition to the mix.

5. Networking events

Networking events connect employees across departments and roles over drinks, snacks, or activities for sharing ideas, collaborating, and forming valuable connections. Group activities like scavenger hunts, trivia, or bingo to break the ice. Also, remember to mix up groups frequently so people meet new contacts.

6. Speed networking sessions

Rotate pairs through quick 5-10 minute exchanges that focus on mentorship, partnership building, or lead generation. Moderators keep conversations flowing with prompts and timers. By practicing exchanging valuable info quickly, attendees grow their network and make meaningful connections in a lively, fast-paced setting.

7. Industry-specific conferences

Keep teams on top of the latest industry trends and innovations. Industry conferences also provide valuable opportunities for networking and bringing back knowledge to the company. Keep the energy high with movement breaks, social events, and local flavors like venue tours. The goal is active participation, not just passive listening.

8. Keynote speakers on future trends

An impactful keynote speaker should do more than present data—they need to tell a compelling story that motivates action. Bring in a dynamic, forward-thinking leader who weaves in surprising anecdotes, asks thought-provoking questions, and provides concrete takeaways. Focus the topic on an emerging trend or issue directly relevant to attendees.

9. Interactive tech displays and demos

Interactive displays and demos enable people to learn by doing. Have knowledgeable reps from developers and partners available to answer questions one-on-one and walk through tailored use cases. Set up immersive simulations that transport people into future scenarios enabled by the tech.

10. Implement eco-friendly policies

Make sustainability a priority by implementing eco-friendly policies that reduce environmental impact. Simple changes like providing attendees with reusable containers and utensils, minimizing printed materials in favor of digital, and reducing food waste enable events to model green best practices. 

11. B Corp social responsibility initiatives

Showcase your values through social responsibility initiatives that empower attendees. Host projects like building community gardens, restoring wildlife habitats, or assembling care packages for at-risk groups. Facilitate panels where social entrepreneurs can pitch for investment funds based on attendee votes. Provide takeaways for creating change within teams and workflows. 

Download our Guide for Corporate Event Professionals
Download our Guide for Corporate Event Professionals

Social Event Ideas

Social events offer a chance for teams to have fun, bond outside of work, and give back together. Themed parties, community engagement initiatives, and group volunteering activities are just some examples of unique event ideas that can boost morale, strengthen relationships, and demonstrate values beyond the bottom line. 

12. Themed parties

Themed events add an extra layer of excitement and fun compared to standard corporate parties. Popular themes like decades parties, costume parties, and masquerade balls give attendees guided inspiration for decor, music, activities, food, and dress code.

13. Decades-themed parties

Decades-themed parties transport guests back in time to eras like the Roaring 20s, Disco 70s, or Hip Hop 90s. Decorations, music, entertainment, photo booths, contests, and food can all match the time period. Attendees will have a blast dressing up to immerse themselves in the experience fully! 

14. Costume parties

Costume parties around a broad theme, like heroes and villains, movie characters, or mythical creatures, encourage creativity and a sense of humor. Seeing executives and managers dressed as fairytale characters levels the playing field for silly bonding. Contests reward outstanding costumes, while on-site photography captures the fun.

15. Masquerade balls 

Masquerade balls evoke an air of mystery and sophistication. Attendees wear elegant masks and ball gowns or tuxedos for a glamorous evening of music, dancing, and mingling. This builds intrigue leading up to the big reveal of familiar coworkers behind the masks.

16. Community engagement events

Community engagement events come in many forms, from fundraising drives to volunteer projects. Skills-based volunteerism allows attendees to contribute their professional expertise through initiatives like pro bono consulting, workshops, coaching, and more. Contributing services and funding for local needs fosters goodwill and pride. 

17. Charity fundraisers

Charity fundraising events leverage a company’s resources and employee passion to drive significant donations benefiting a cause. Popular options include formal galas, sports competitions, variety shows, and crowdfunding campaigns. 

Tip: Display a progress thermometer at the event so attendees can visualize the impact in real time.

18. Volunteer events

Get attendees to roll up their sleeves together for local projects that make a positive impact. Build days with organizations like KABOOM! or Habitat for Humanity brings people together to construct playgrounds and housing. Or, lend a hand at local animal shelters through dog walking, grooming, and facility maintenance to align people around shared values and purpose.

19. Community clean-up projects

Small actions add up to make the community cleaner, safer, and more livable. Lead a trash clean-up effort at a local beach or park—make sure to provide supplies like trash bags, gloves, and pickers. Or, sort and pack donations like clothing, school supplies, or groceries for distribution agencies supporting families in need.

Educational Event Ideas

Providing educational experiences is a strategic investment in your team’s growth and success. From speaker series to hands-on workshops, these ideas for educational events build critical skills, inspire innovation, and support professional development.

20. Speaker series

Speaker series offer thought-provoking perspectives from influential voices that motivate teams and generate ideas. Keynotes from industry experts, inspirational speakers, and thought leaders all engage audiences through compelling storytelling. Their words challenge assumptions and create room for new ideas that energize teams.

21. Industry experts

Industry experts share insider knowledge that helps teams stay on the leading edge. Speakers across sectors like technology, business, healthcare, and more provide targeted insights for key roles. Industry leaders should aim to deliver tangible takeaways, and practical knowledge attendees can immediately apply on the job.

22. Inspirational speakers

Inspirational speakers empower teams to overcome obstacles and achieve more. Their stories of persevering through challenges motivate people to raise their performance. Attendees should walk away feeling energized, empowered, and ready to accomplish more—personally and professionally. 

23. TED-style talks

TED-style talks deliver big ideas in short, powerful speeches ranging from technology to creativity to social issues and more. These bite-sized thought-provoking talks often lead to engaging debates and fascinating conversations afterward.

24. Workshops and seminars

Want to really get hands-on? Immersive workshops and seminars provide memorable learning experiences through skills practice, expert-led discussions, and collaboration. Breakout sessions, role-playing, case studies, and group activities allow for practice and reinforcement, so attendees walk away fully equipped to implement what they’ve learned.

25. Skill-building workshops

Skill-building workshops offer interactive training in areas like leadership, communication, strategic thinking, and other core competencies. Breakout sessions and role-playing allow for practice and feedback. Teams return with enhanced capabilities that improve productivity and job satisfaction. 

26. Educational seminars

Bring in subject matter experts to share the latest research, case studies, and best practices on relevant industry topics. Seminars range from deep dives into emerging tech to broader topics like diversity and inclusion best practices, leadership techniques, and more. Teams gain the insights and knowledge to stay competitive.

27. Leadership development workshops

Leadership development workshops strengthen individual capacity for coaching, mentoring, strategic planning, budgeting, and managing teams. Leaders gain insights to empower their people and drive results. Roleplay common scenarios, explore case studies and encourage collaboration to solve real issues. 

28. Networking opportunities for women in science

Want to address the challenges women face in STEM? Dedicated panels, workshops, and networking receptions build community, strengthen skills, and provide mentorship and support—ultimately empowering women to overcome obstacles as they advance in the field.

29. Panel discussions

Panel discussions bring multiple perspectives around a topic, issue, or trend to the stage for lively debate and the exchange of ideas. A moderator guides the conversation and draws insights from diverse experts. Attendees appreciate seeing viewpoints challenged in real-time, and they gain a nuanced understanding of complex issues. 

Technology And Innovation Event Ideas

Ready to fuel innovation, inspire tech enthusiasts, and spark big ideas? Our lineup of technology and innovation events engages developers, IT pros, and techies alike through friendly competition, collaboration, and discovery. 

30. Hackathons

Hackathons are intensive 24-48 hour events where cross-functional teams collaborate to build creative solutions for business challenges and opportunities. Be sure to provide themes, datasets, hardware, and mentors so attendees can rapidly bring ideas to life. The immersive, competitive format fuels creativity and skills development. 

31. Coding competitions

Coding competitions are fast-paced contests where programmers flex their skills in solving complex algorithms, logic puzzles, and coding challenges. Attendees can participate solo or in teams. The competitive format lets coders showcase their abilities for prizes, prestige, and job opportunities.

32. App development challenges

Find tech-driven solutions to unique or pressing challenges. App development challenges bring developers together to conceptualize, build, and pitch mobile or web apps to a captive audience. The winning team gets a chance to see their app go live!

33. Robotics competitions

Bring together engineers to code robot players that go head-to-head in live matches. Competitors program robots with capabilities like speed, dexterity, motion planning, and environmental sensing. Matches take place in front of enthusiastic crowds and are often broadcast to share the action.

34. Tech expos

Get attendees to explore the latest innovations up close and personal at an interactive tech expo. Booth staff provide demos of leading-edge technology like VR/AR and AI, showcasing new possibilities for work and play. 

35. Product launches

Product launches are exclusive events to showcase new software, apps, devices, and platforms before they hit the mainstream market. These events give people an early look at anticipated tech along with demos of new capabilities and features. 

36. Demo sessions

Demo sessions showcase emerging technologies in an interactive setting. Guided demonstrations let attendees explore innovations like autonomous vehicles, smart city simulations, VR, and more. Participants leave with tangible examples of how to evaluate and use new technologies.

37. Startup showcases

Bring together promising startups to pitch their innovative solutions for the chance to secure investment and partnerships. These “shark tank” style presentations give startups a platform to demonstrate their unique technologies and business models. Like the TV show, expert judges and the audience evaluate strengths and weaknesses.

Arts And Culture Event Ideas

Immerse attendees in creative expression and provide memorable experiences that highlight diverse talents, foods, and practices from around the world.

38. Art exhibitions

Let attendees wander through galleries displaying works by renowned and emerging artists. Exhibitions range from traditional paintings and sculptures to avant-garde multi-media installations and tactile pieces. Experts provide insights into techniques, history, and symbolism within featured works.

39. Local artist showcases

Looking to amplify the local community? Bring together fresh works from local painters, sculptors, jewelers, photographers, and more! Attendees can meet creators and learn their stories while finding that perfect piece to take home. 

40. Interactive art installations

Engage your attendees’ senses with mesmerizing art pieces that react to motion, touch, and sound. Consider light columns that change color and pattern when people walk between them, or projections triggered by body movements that turn people into performers. Attendees will make memories and get amazing pictures for the ‘gram. 

41. Art and wine tastings

Invite attendees to sip wine and enjoy light refreshments while exploring different mediums and styles. Gallery guides provide insights into key pieces and the stories behind them. Between sips, guests have opportunities to chat about their favorite pieces and discover new artists. 

Tip: Use a portion of the proceeds to fund local arts education programs.

42. Cultural festivals

Cultural festivals promote traditions, performances, and food from around the globe. Multiple stages come alive with acts like Chinese acrobats, Polynesian dancers, Bollywood singers, and Irish dancers. Performers share stories behind their practices and what their heritage means to them, building cross-cultural bonds.

43. International food festivals

Let attendees sample traditional dishes from different cultures at food stall stations. Attendees can taste authentic pad thai, chicken tikka masala, empanadas, German sausages, and other traditional dishes all under one roof. Cooking demonstrations and menus provide education on staple flavors and ingredients.

44. Music and dance festivals

Bring people together for nonstop live entertainment. Multiple stages come alive with DJs, dance troupes, and more. Headliners get crowds on their feet while emerging talent gains exposure. In between sets, guests can learn dance fundamentals from skilled instructors. 

45. Cultural exchange events

Help build empathy and understanding between people from different walks of life. Panel discussions, storytelling sessions, meals, and open conversations encourage relationships between people from various cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds.

46. Live demonstrations of traditional crafts

Watch artisans demonstrate pottery making, glass blowing, embroidery, and other specialized crafts honed over generations. Unique examples include Japanese woodblock printing, Navajo weaving, Italian leatherworking, and French macaron making. 

47. International food and beverage stations

Travel the world one bite at a time! Themed buffet stations offer authentic dishes, snacks, and beverages from diverse cuisines. Imagine tapas, sushi, curries, and poutine all in one place. Friendly cultural ambassadors provide samples and discuss cultural influences.

48. Hands-on art workshops

Get creative with workshops that teach painting, jewelry making, pottery, origami, flower arranging, and other fun crafts. Workshops should appeal to all skill levels, even complete beginners. Instructors demonstrate key skills step-by-step before letting attendees showcase their creativity. Plus, everyone gets a unique memento to take home!

Health And Wellness Event Ideas

Foster employee well-being through events that promote positive lifestyle changes. Health and wellness gatherings build community while providing tools to improve physical, mental, and emotional health.

49. Fitness challenges

Friendly fitness competitions incentivize employees to move more. Encourage individuals or teams to track steps, exercise minutes, or activity goals for prizes like gift cards, trophies, and bragging rights! Leaderboards and challenges add motivation.

50. Charity runs/walks

Gather attendees for a feel-good group run or walkathon supporting an important cause like cancer research or homelessness. Choose from 5Ks, tough mudders, marathons, and more based on abilities. Fundraising adds a sense of purpose.

51. Yoga or meditation retreats

Help participants find inner calm with guided yoga, tai chi, or meditation sessions surrounded by the beauty of nature. Instructors lead relaxing classes focused on breathing, mindfulness, and gentle movements to reduce stress. Encourage attendees to practice these relaxation techniques in their everyday lives.

52. Wellness expos

Showcase options for healthier living through vendor booths, demos, and tastings. Speakers share their stories of achieving better health through different methods and practices. Get a massage, sample superfoods, take a strength test, and more! Attendees walk away with inspiration and resources to lead healthier lives.

53. Mental health awareness events

Host an event that breaks down stigma and fosters understanding around mental well-being in the workplace. Small group sessions led by trained facilitators provide a judgment-free zone for employees to talk about their mental health. Clinical experts lead workshops on building resilience, finding purpose, and overcoming challenges.

54. Workshops and seminars

Help employees develop healthy habits across all aspects of their lives. Consider bringing in financial advisors to provide tips on effectively managing money or nutritionists to offer guidance on meal planning and mindful eating. These sessions should send attendees away with clear, actionable strategies relevant to daily life.

55. Group therapy sessions

Group therapy sessions led by skilled professionals provide a safe space for employees to discuss concerns and receive support. Sessions are kept small to allow for intimate sharing. The facilitator establishes ground rules of confidentiality and listening without judgment. Attendees realize they are not alone in facing life’s challenges.

56. Mindfulness and stress-relief activities

Empower attendees with simple yet powerful ways to calm the mind and body during hectic workdays. Guided mindfulness sessions teach breathing techniques for finding calm. Adult coloring books provide a low-pressure creative outlet to occupy wandering minds during breaks. People return focused and uplifted.

57. Building a supportive workplace culture

A supportive organizational culture is built through intentional efforts to foster community, belonging, and care for one another. Host team-building activities to strengthen connections. Volunteer days give back to causes that matter. Shared meals, outings, and social events build rapport.

58. Strategies for managing stress and burnout

Provide attendees with practical tips for recognizing and reducing stress and burnout through seminars and resources. Seminars can cover time management, setting boundaries, goal planning, and building resilience. These sessions will help employees take control of their well-being and find fulfillment while avoiding chronic stress.

Seasonal And Holiday Event Ideas

Liven up the calendar with festive gatherings throughout the year to foster camaraderie and boost engagement.

59. Holiday-themed parties

Deck the halls and get in the spirit by celebrating seasonal holidays like Independence Day, Halloween, and Christmas. Go all out with food, games, decorations, costumes, and music centered around the holiday theme. These festive staples build goodwill and create lasting memories.

60. Halloween costume contests

Check out colleagues’ creative side by encouraging Halloween costumes at work. Offer prizes for categories like funniest costume, most original costume, and best group theme. Host activities like mummy wrapping contests, monster trivia, or creepy photo booths to get everyone involved in the fun.

61. Christmas tree lighting ceremonies

Gather employees and families to ring in the holidays with a magical tree-lighting event. Carolers, treats, photo ops with Santa, and holiday crafts add to the nostalgia. Trees could be decorated based on specific themes and remain up for seasonal cheer throughout the office.

62. New Year’s Eve galas

Why wait for midnight? Host a glamorous New Year’s Eve-themed gala for employees at any time. Break out black tie apparel, festive party hats, noise makers, and bubbles for toasting. Decor, cuisine, music, and countdowns set the scene to celebrate new beginnings.

63. Seasonal festivals

Tap into the energy of the solstices with lively festivals for the spring equinox, summer solstice, fall equinox, and winter solstice. Align activities, decor, food, and music around each season’s themes and traditions. 

64. Spring garden parties

Celebrate seasonal rebirth with a spring celebration in lush outdoor spaces. Entertain with floral centerpieces, butterfly releases, egg hunts, herb planting, springtime treats, and music from string quartets. Shake off winter with the sights and smells of spring!

65. Summer beach festivals

Bring the ocean to the office with a beach bash featuring tropical decor, limbo contests, leis, sunglasses, and more. The endless summer vibes make for laidback fun among colleagues, regardless of the season. Bonus points if you work somewhere with an actual beach nearby!

66. Fall harvest celebrations

Pay homage to the season of the bounty with fun harvest activities. Set up pumpkin carving, pie-eating contests, hayrides, and autumnal floral arrangements. Serve up classic fall dishes (hello, mashed potatoes!), baked goods, hot ciders, and other tasty treats to get people in the mood.

67. Outdoor garden games and activities

Make the most of warm seasons by gathering colleagues outside for fun games and activities. Consider bocce ball, croquet, volleyball, frisbee, capture the flag, relay races, or tug of war. Getting into the playful spirit builds rapport among teams.

Miscellaneous Event Ideas

Round out your event calendar with creative gatherings beyond standard meetups. Unique venues, interactive installations, pop-up parties, and modern twists on traditional events all make for memorable and Instagram-worthy experiences.

68. Unique venues

Go beyond typical hotel ballrooms and convention centers. Unique venues like art galleries, museums, gardens, historic buildings, and breweries add character to events that attendees won’t soon forget. Match the setting to your theme or purpose for maximum impact. 

Tip: Need help finding the perfect event space? EventUp has you covered with a robust marketplace of venues. 

69. Rooftop parties

Soak in gorgeous skyline views at chic open-air rooftop bars and lounges. These modern venues are perfect for cocktail receptions, posh dining, dancing, mingling, sunset toasts, and more. Rooftop parties provide scenic backdrops above the hustle and bustle below.

70. Historic site events

Take guests on a trip back in time by hosting events at storied museums, mansions, gardens, and other historic spaces. Costumed actors, decor from the era, and period-appropriate food all add old-world charm. 

71. Pop-up events

Stage a surprise event in an unexpected public space to surprise and delight attendees. Consider flash mobs, outdoor concerts, theater acts, or impromptu games in parks and plazas. Passersby take pause, have fun, and ask, “What’s this all about?”

72. Interactive experiences

Engage your attendees’ senses with interactive components people can see, touch, hear, smell, and even taste. Ideas include digital graffiti walls, augmented reality coloring books, ball pits, personalized scent bars, and immersive sound environments. Interactivity brings events to life!

73. Virtual reality experiences

With VR headsets, attendees can explore captivating worlds like deep seas, outer space, fantastical realms, and simulations tailored to your brand or event theme. This next-level digital interactivity offers perspectives they couldn’t have otherwise.

74. Augmented reality scavenger hunts

Turn your next event into a high-tech scavenger hunt by having attendees use a special app to find virtual objects around the venue. Players scan special markers to unlock AR surprises, clues, and challenges, testing their knowledge in fun ways.

75. Interactive art installations

Surprise and delight attendees with interactive displays triggered by sound and motion. As people weave between responsive columns, their movements create dazzling patterns. Interactive installations become creative “playgrounds” at events.

Seamlessly Execute Your Next Event

Planning your next corporate event takes creativity, strategic thinking, and tireless coordination. But with so many innovative options to choose from, you’re bound to find the perfect theme that will make your next event stand out. 

This guide covered event categories ranging from health and wellness events ideas to seasonal celebrations and technology and innovation events. The key is choosing ideas and themes that align with your company’s values and purpose.

At EventUp Planner by Tripleseat, our all-in-one event management platform streamlines coordination so you can focus on creating exceptional experiences. From online registration to branded apps and on-site badging, we provide the tools to manage your catalog of events from start to finish seamlessly.

Don’t waste time juggling multiple vendors and spreadsheets. EventUp Planner provides a simplified, intuitive solution that enables flawless execution. See how we can make your next event a success! Request a demo today.

Contact Us

Let's Talk!

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
  • Unlimited events and attendees
  • No per-registration fee
  • No percentage of ticket sales

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

How to Create an Event Website + Best Event Website Examples

  • Event Management News
  • February 6, 2024
8 Event Website Tips to Increase Registrations

Your event website has the potential to be the biggest driver of corporate event attendance. An optimized, functional, and user-friendly event website acts as the centralized online hub for your event. It’s where attendees can register, get information, and engage with your brand. 

With various digital marketing channels also playing a huge role in face-to-face, hybrid, or virtual event promotion today, optimizing your event website for registrations and attendance is crucial. These supporting channels can also help drive interest and numbers for your event, not to mention open the door to potential sponsorship, partnership, or vendor opportunities. According to Bizzabo, many event organizers are spending an increased budget on marketing their events.

However, you will only see the true benefits if your website functions as intended and is best positioned to succeed on its own merits while supporting your event marketing goals.

How to Build a Successful Event Website

1. Choose a Specialized Event Management Platform

There are plenty of website builders and content management systems (CMS) that give event organizers many options to create a basic website without the need for extensive hard coding. However, using a generic website builder limits what you can do for event promotion. 

Specialized event management platforms like EventUp Planner’s event website builder provide built-in tools to boost registrations and attendance. Features like customizable registration forms, promo code management, and email marketing integration make it easy to optimize the signup process. Robust attendee management tools also help drive attendance by allowing for personalized communication.

Other flexible CMS solutions like WordPress can offer plenty of customization opportunities and third-party integration with plugins for CRM software, social media, and others. However, you will need to consider whether this is more prudent than opting for an end-to-end event management system that streamlines website creation, promotion, and event delivery in one place.

2. Optimize Website Content for SEO

Many event attendees will find your website organically through search engines. Following technical and content SEO best practices ensures your pages rank high for relevant search terms and keywords that drive active and passive interest in your event, its content, featured speakers, topics, and so on.

Follow the tips below for optimizing your event website for SEO purposes:

  • Include target keywords in page titles, headers, content, alt text, etc. Make use of relevant terms event-goers would search for.
  • Create unique, high-quality content that answers questions and provides value. Blog posts and FAQs help boost your visibility.
  • Make pages easy to navigate with clear calls to action (CTAs) and mobile-friendly design elements.
  • Build external interest and hype for your event and earn quality backlinks to your site by guest posting on industry blogs, directories, resources, etc.

Optimizing content for search helps you attract more registrants through organic traffic. In doing so, you can build a reputable website that ranks well for relevant terms which can help for future event promotion.

3. Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly

What is a “mobile-friendly” or “mobile-responsive” website? These are websites that quickly adapt to the user’s screen layout. This means that regardless of the type of phone or tablet someone is using, they’re able to access all the information they need in an easy-to-use, easy-to-read layout—just like someone would on a desktop or laptop computer.

It’s natural for attendees to look up the details of the event, even when they are already in attendance. Having a mobile-responsive website gives your attendees a consistent user experience, puts all details of your event at their fingertips, and helps keep frustration to a minimum. Investing in responsive website design also aids in SEO optimization. Google prefers mobile-optimized websites as opposed to desktop-only websites. So, the chances of your mobile-responsive website securing a top ranking in the search results are automatically improved. As a matter of fact, Google now reprimands websites that aren’t mobile-responsive!

Your target audience is on their phones a lot. So, making your site mobile-friendly is one quick way to help boost your event registrations.

4. Make Event Registration Easy for Attendees

The registration page of a website has one simple goal: to convert visitors into attendees.

The easier the registration process is, the more prospective sign-ups you can get. Removing any friction or unnecessary blockers from the event registration process will help you significantly when creating interest in your event.

  • Only ask for essential customer info like name, email, and ticket type. Additional questions can be included in a post-purchase survey.
  • Offer social login options alongside email registration for faster signups.
  • Allow group registrations for families, teams, etc., with one form submission.
  • Accept global payment methods like PayPal to accommodate overseas attendees.
  • Use partial registration to allow attendees to save progress and complete signup later.

Simplifying registrations removes most risks of abandonment, which, according to WPForms, is something that 81% of event website users do. Creating a seamless experience makes it easy and quick for attendees and thus maximizes conversions.

To provide a smooth registration experience, make sure your website contains all the necessary information on the page and has a clear path to register. Call-to-action (CTA) buttons are a great way to help direct users to the registration form and grow your event registrations. Make sure your CTA stands out from the rest of the page with a larger font, a different color, or a pill button. Want to design the perfect event registration landing page but aren’t sure where to begin? Learn more about how to build the perfect event landing page.

5. Make Event Ticket Purchasing Seamless

Providing a good checkout experience is crucial to an event website’s success. Once a visitor has decided to register, don’t let an annoying acquisition procedure make them second guess their decision.

When building your registration form, keep in mind that simpler is better. According to the Baymard Institute, a long and complicated checkout process can lead to 17% checkout abandonment. On the other hand, the same report mentions that a seamless checkout design can lead to a nearly 36% increase in checkout completion—so it’s worth ensuring your process is as efficient as possible!

Partnering up with a professional ticketing partner is the best way to secure maximum mobile-optimized payments.

6. Promote Early Bird Pricing

Early bird tickets incentivize registrants to sign up sooner by offering discounted pricing. 

Promote this via:

  • A deadline countdown timer on your event page. This creates an urgency to act fast.
  • Social media posts and email campaigns focused on the early bird offer and looming expiration dates.
  • Initial launch promos like first-x registrants get early bird pricing.
  • Early bird referral rewards for sharing the deal with connections.
  • Targeted ad campaigns that draw interest in early bird event tickets.

Driving early registrations helps create buzz for your event and lock in attendees. 

Another option is offering payment plans which can help attendees spread the costs of tickets. For certain high-priced events, scattering payments can help attendee cash flow and still guarantee income and attendance, even if that means full payment is obtained later.

7. Spotlight Your Speakers and Program

Many attendees will want to know the full extent of what your event is offering. Details such as who is speaking and exhibiting and why they should consider going are key drivers before they register their interest. Make your website full of engaging, relevant information that adds value to attendees considering going but aren’t quite ready to commit yet.

Consider adding the following features to your event website:

  • Speaker spotlights on the homepage and in featured posts. Names, photos, biographies, and session info build credibility and drive interest if added with relevant, thought-provoking content.
  • A clear agenda or program overview page, as well as dedicated speaker profile pages, can go a long way. List session titles, summaries, times, and presenters, as well as a timetable that attendees can print or flesh out via a mobile application. In the tech industry alone, 97% of event organizers use agenda functionality in their applications.
  • Categorization by tracks, topics, industries, etc., so visitors can easily find relevant content and plan their day accordingly.

Showcasing your lineup and what attendees will experience gives your website more marketing power. Make sure to communicate openly and transparently about any schedule alterations or adjustments.

8. Ensure Event Agendas & Schedules Are Easy to Find

Make sure key information such as event details, location, date, time, event descriptions, and line-ups are clearly mentioned on the website. The clearer you can display this information, the better! Consider placing it right at the top of the page or in your hero image.

If the event has a conference followed by other events, make sure that they are all mentioned on the agenda. The more reasons you can give to attend your event, the more your event registrations will grow.

9. Use Professional Images

The visual draw of an event must be perfect to catch the attention of a potential attendee, so it’s always a great idea to have a selection of professional images to choose from to help you promote your event.

If your team has hired a professional photographer during past events to capture shots of the guests, speakers, and other activities, don’t forget to use these photos on your event website! This can help generate FOMO (fear of missing out), which in turn can help increase registrations.

If you haven’t hired a photographer in the past, here’s a friendly reminder: not only are photos great promotional material for your future use, but real, candid photos can help your attendees reminisce and share your event online well after the fact. In the meantime, consider including photos from elsewhere that capture the spirit of your event. Venues are always invested in having terrific photos of their space, so be sure to ask your venue contact for some of their favorites.

Try avoiding generic “stock” photos on the event website, however, as these can come across as inauthentic. Using real images from past events and local venues—or anything your attendees may be familiar with—will help make the website more relatable and trustworthy.

Finally, the concept of professional images does not end with photos. Graphics matter, too! Hire a graphic designer or use existing well-designed graphics and branding to highlight event proceedings.

10. Include Videos on Your Event Website

Thanks to social media, online videos have become the most popular form of media by a landslide. And what’s not to like? Videos are compelling, easy-to-digest, and highly interactive.

Videos are also incredibly powerful promotional tools, and there are several ways of using them effectively on event websites. Using video content in place of a hero image (or otherwise on your homepage) helps create a dynamic web experience.

Brainstorm with your team how to best show visitors what they can expect at your event, whether through highlights of a past event, a showcase of the venue, or something else altogether. When produced effectively, videos can help clarify the character of your organization and the event being promoted and generate a ton of excitement. Videos also tend to do a better job of persuading visitors to attend an event (when compared to text and photos alone as they offer a lot of information in a short amount of time.

Finally, videos keep visitors on your page longer. The longer visitors stay on your page, the better your SEO ranking will get over time.

11. Embed Social Proof

Visitor testimonials, reviews, social media activity, and past attendance metrics act as social proof that your event delivers value. According to OptInMonitor, testimonials can increase conversions by 34%.

Build trust and confidence by displaying the following:

  • Quotes and feedback from past attendees. Include their name, photo, and company with their permission, showcasing the success of your past events.
  • A feed of social media posts, reviews, and ratings on your event pages.
  • Attendance numbers, customer logos, and growth stats from previous editions.
  • Links to photo galleries on social media showing past event experiences.

Proving your event’s track record and community provides the nudge many prospective visitors need to register and commit to attending your forthcoming event.

12. Promote Event Social Sharing & Expand Your Reach

Word of mouth is the best form of marketing for a reason! People are much more inclined to try something if an acquaintance recommends it to them. Social media has amplified this human tendency, making sharing information effortless. Therefore, having social media profiles for your event is an absolute must if you want to grow your event registrations, in addition to having social buttons on your event website linking to these profiles. Here are some other ways to use social media to generate more buzz for your event.

13. Use Retargeting Ads

Retargeting ads follow website visitors with your branding and messaging across other sites. They also allow your audience to see your brand and event and be reminded of what they could be missing out on. If they haven’t converted yet, sometimes retargeting event ads can give them enough impetus to go beyond that proverbial line.

Other ways you can bring prospects back to your event website can involve the following:

  • Install tracking pixels like Google Tag Manager to deploy retargeting ads.
  • Create display and social ads on different platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, driving visitors back to register.
  • Customize messaging for those who started registration but didn’t complete it.

Retargeting your website traffic with ads multiplies your visibility to drive signups. Align your social media retargeting ads with granular CRM data to fine-tune your audience targeting options.

How to Use Event Website Templates for Consistent Design & Branding

Why Your Event Website Needs a Consistent Design

Consistent visuals reinforce your company’s brand, but they do more than that. According to Forbes contributor Solomon Thimothy, a consistent brand image makes your company look more put-together – a must when attendees are trusting you to deliver an exceptional event experience in exchange for their dollars and time.

“Imagine walking into a restaurant where every server wore whatever they wanted, or a department store where no one wore a name tag,” he writes. “How could a customer identify who to turn to for help? Everything might be running smoothly in your eyes, but a polished brand image is necessary to show that you know how to run your business.”

Megan Powell, owner of Little Dot Creative, suggests in a post on her blog that branded visuals also play a role in customer loyalty. “Your visual brand is a puzzle piece that works with the rest of your brand in a system to create an experience for your clients and customers. When all of these pieces work well together, you start to build a loyal audience, and establish trust, which will lead to more customers and clients for your business.”

Loyalty is critically important for those involved in planning event series. Earning repeat attendees requires that the first event these guests participate in be memorable. Brand visuals may only be one part of this puzzle, but it’s easy to see how a well-designed event can create a greater and more memorable impact than one that’s devoid of consistent visuals.

Knowing that visual consistency is so important, consider all the different branding opportunities for your entire portfolio of events. Although some of the items listed below may not be relevant to a particular event, use this list as a starting place for creating your own “to design” list.

Opportunities to carry branded visuals throughout your event:

  • Your event website
  • Your event’s registration pages
  • Checkout sequence and “thank you” pages following registration or ticket purchases
  • Event signage (print and digital)
  • Advertising banners
  • Event badges or name tags
  • Print materials provided during the event
  • Staff or team member t-shirts
  • Your event’s mobile app
  • Your event’s social media pages and banners

Event Website Design Tips

Building Your Event Website

Website templates help simplify the visual branding process for events. When used correctly, templates can bridge the gap between the consistent branded design you want to create and the amount of time you have available to customize every element (let alone your technical or design skills).

Take EventUp Planner’s library of pre-built event website templates as an example. The library contains options for all event types, including webinars, conferences, product launches, retreats, and more, while the advanced publishing engine allows you to customize them by adding or deleting individual elements. The template provides a canvas, and the event manager can easily customize the template by adding in their logo, color palette, imagery, and more to build a white-labeled, branded experience.

When you have access to website templates, you can set up a beautifully branded website once and then clone it as often as you need to for future events. You’ll get all the benefits of consistent visual branding without the effort needed to manually recreate it every time.

Look at Your Existing Branding

Visual branding can be difficult to define. But generally speaking, “Visual identity is all the things that the consumer can see about the company,” according to marketing analyst Prince Kapoor. That encompasses the following elements, among others:

  • Your logo (or logo variations)
  • Your typography
  • Your brand colors
  • The style of imagery you use

Most event planners know to put their logo on their event materials. However, not all carry through the other elements listed here – yet consistency with fonts, colors, and imagery are all necessary to give a put-together impression and improve guest loyalty, as mentioned above.

When choosing an event website template, make sure you’re able to optimize the pages provided for each of these elements. Finding event templates that are the closest to your existing branding will minimize the amount of time you have to spend customizing them to your needs.

Consider Your Event’s Personality

Next, think through the impression you want to give guests when they interact with your event’s design elements. No matter what your company’s branding might look like, you’d expect that the visual design for a marketing trends conference would look different than an annual gathering of estate planners.

  • Are you hosting a fun networking-driven event, or will the material presented be more serious in nature?
  • Are you trying to educate or to inspire?
  • Is your industry cutting-edge, or is it more traditional?

Your answers to these and other questions may overlap. You may, for example, want to impart useful information to attendees while also getting them fired up for the future. However, the greater your understanding of the kind of personality you want to convey at your event, the better prepared you’ll be to communicate your chosen personality through your design choices.

Think Through Demographics

Another important consideration when designing your event is the demographics of the likely attendees, as the reaction of individual groups to different visual elements may vary.

For example, imagine that you’re hosting a retreat for startup entrepreneurs, who may respond well to bold colors and vibrant imagery. Contrast that to the conference of a professional association, where a more classic look and buttoned-up styling may be appropriate.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t push the envelope. In fact, standing out from the norm with visual branding that defies industry convention in some way—large or small—can help to create a memorable experience that sticks with attendees. Gauge how much deviation from the norm is acceptable by examining either your own experience with the group or the standards being set by other events in the space.

Event Website Design Mistakes to Avoid

If you commit to understanding both your company’s visual brand and the identity you want to create for your event, you’ll end up ahead of those who don’t take these elements into consideration (or who don’t extend them to all possible aspects of event design). However, it’s also a good idea to keep the common event design mistakes below in mind when you’re still in the planning stages:

  • Don’t copy. The look and feel of your event should look uniquely yours. Leaning too heavily on the design elements used by others won’t increase your authority by association – and it could land you in legal hot water for potential copyright infringement.
  • Don’t make your logo do the heavy lifting. Your brand is more than your logo. Make sure other elements of your company’s and event’s visual identity – like your branded colors and typography – make it onto your event assets.
  • Avoid inconsistency. As Karla Cook writes on the Hubspot blog, “When you attach your brand name to something, it should reflect and be compatible with your brand’s values and voice.” It takes more energy to carry your branding throughout each of your event’s assets, but the value built through consistent visual branding is worth the effort.

And finally, don’t reinvent the wheel. Event website templates make it easy to not just create branded assets, but to replicate them as often as you need to for future events.

But keep in mind that just because they can be replicated easily doesn’t mean they should be. Each event’s design should reflect its unique mood, makeup, and theme. These elements may seem arbitrary or casual, but they are not. They speak directly to any event’s most important asset – its attendees. Subtly, they can send signals that affect how attendees engage with others, participate in activities, or even affect their decision to return for future events.

So, to help craft an event your attendees will remember, take these design elements into consideration. Taken together, they can have a huge impact on your event’s overall success.

Event Website Trends & Examples

Forward-thinking event marketers are paying attention to current design trends to create websites that impact, engage, and convert.

The predominant web design trend for 2024 is the injection of a more human element. Websites are becoming more relatable, conversational, and intuitive through the use of personalization, customization, and unique user experiences. Here are a few ways you can capitalize on this humanizing trend to design impactful event websites that engage your audience.

The Power of Authentic Visual

Written content is invaluable for SEO but images are taking precedence in site design. But not just any images. Gone are the days of staged stock photos. The emerging trend is to use real images, and high-quality authentic photography. In fact, studies have shown that images featuring real people—candid photos that are easily relatable and capture moments of real life—are more effective at converting visitors. Try using images from last year’s event or photographs of the conference center where the event is being held to engage prospective attendees. Check out 99U Conference’s website or SXSW for inspiration.

Modular Design

Modular design is here to stay. This is good news for event marketers since it’s an easy, foolproof way to create a clean, accessible website. From the event marketer’s perspective, card, block, and grid design styles are flexible, streamlined, and easy to build; from the attendees’ viewpoint, modular websites are intuitive and easy to navigate, creating a positive user experience. The Adobe MAX Creativity Conference website is an excellent example of the efficacy of block design. (Try refreshing the page to see new designs!)

Intuitive, Natural-Language Forms

Registration forms and surveys are an integral part of an event website for interacting with prospects and attendees. Going forward, forms will use everyday language to ask questions and obtain information in a more conversational and engaging way. With customizable forms, event marketers can design questions using natural language to gather customer data more effectively while delivering a simple, unique user experience.

Videos

Videos of past events—speakers addressing the group, live audiences engaged with presentations, and real people enjoying themselves at the event—create a feeling of authenticity and relatability. Visit the Internet Summit website for ideas.

Value-Driven Flow

By showcasing speakers and keynotes on your event website, prospects can easily visualize, as they scroll through the site, the value they will receive by attending. Salesforce employs this technique successfully for their annual Dreamforce event.

Event Recap

By featuring a real-life recap of the previous event on the website, event marketers can manage attendees’ expectations while piquing their interest in the upcoming event. Check out Inbound for an excellent example of this technique.

Building Beautiful Event Websites Without Coding or Developers

Creating and publishing event websites has historically been a challenge for marketers—especially ones without an army of developers and designers at their disposal. This means that, for many marketers, building an event website can feel like stumbling in the dark.

With outdated workflows, you might find yourself wondering:

  • “How do I make our website and registration forms work together?”
  • “What do I do if I need to fix a mistake on the website quickly?”
  • “How can I collect and use attendee data to make our events better?”

If these questions strike a chord, then you likely need to streamline and modernize your event website creation tools!

Create Great Event Websites the Easy Way

It doesn’t have to be rocket science to create beautiful event websites. Foundational event management platforms like EventUp Planner are designed to make your life (and your teams’ lives) easier. They offer intuitive website builders that empower event organizers and marketers to effortlessly create professional event websites.

If you thought you needed to be a coding guru to create an event website that’ll make your attendees say, “Wow, count me in,” think again! Long gone are the days when you needed to write lines of complex code to design a terrific website.

Here are just a few ways that today’s event management platforms help you create event websites in less time and with less stress.

Drag-and-Drop Functionality

The website builders in today’s most robust event management platforms are user-friendly and feature simple drag-and-drop functionality. This helps you effortlessly visualize and customize your website. It also means even first-timers can create the event website of their dreams!

When you look to create your first website, you might not be sure where to begin. No problem! Platforms like EventUp Planner feature plenty of easy-to-use website-building presets that help you hit the ground running.

Further, the addition of easily customizable page blocks allows you to break your site into bite-sized sections such as headlines, hero images, text boxes, speaker profiles, and videos. This offers you complete control to dictate the flow and user experience of your website from header to footer and beyond.

Your Event Website, Your Brand

Maintaining brand consistency is crucial, and that’s where white-label event website builders really shine. Platforms like EventUp Planner enable you to infuse your brand’s personality into every inch of your website. From adding your logos to using your brand’s fonts and colors to showcasing your own engaging images and videos—you can do it all.

With the right platform, embodying your brand’s distinct look and feel is a breeze. Let this serve as a head’s up: you don’t need to be a top-tier designer to create event websites that your attendees will fall in love with!

Save Time with Templates

A major perk of website builders featured in today’s event management platforms are time-saving templates. If you’re juggling multiple events, these templates can be a lifesaver.

Having a library of customizable, flexible website templates at your disposal gives you a massive advantage, especially when those templates are informed by years of experience working with some of the biggest brands in the world. (Speaking of big brands, did we mention that EventUp Planner has collaborated with industry giants like Adobe, NBC, SXSW, and more? They’ve got some great things to say about us. Check out some testimonials here!)

Effortless Automation

Modern event management platforms are all about making your life easier through automation. Automation helps you save valuable time and eliminate manual errors, ensuring consistent quality across all your digital assets and communications. For example, EventUp Planner automatically syncs your event settings with your event website by incorporating automation into every aspect of your event, allowing you to spend less time creating an event website and more time on curating an unforgettable experience.

Contact blocks play a pivotal role in populating event websites with up-to-date information. From event agendas and sponsorships to speaker profiles and registration forms, changes made in your event settings will be automatically reflected on the website in real time. Whether updating session times, adding new speakers, or modifying registration forms, organizers can ensure that their event website remains in perfect harmony without lifting a finger.

Rinse and Repeat

More than 60% of event planners repeat the same event portfolio year after year. That’s a lot of déjà vu! Who wants to create the same event website from scratch over and over each time? Not us!

That’s where cloning comes in. With the click of a button, you can duplicate websites and settings, meaning you don’t have to upload your brand materials every single time. All your assets—logos, fonts, colors, and images—are saved and plugged in automatically. For organizations that host a portfolio of similar events, it saves tons of time and allows you to reallocate team resources where they matter most.

Create and Manage Beautiful and Branded Event Websites with EventUp Planner (formerly Attendease)

EventUp Planner allows you to create and manage beautiful, branded event websites with zero coding required. Create on-brand, fully customized websites with ease and keep control of your brand across your entire portfolio of meetings and events—without relying on developers and designers.

With our advanced publishing engine/ website builder, you can create and publish user-friendly, branded event websites with the click of a button. Flexible registration forms, beautiful event templates, and customizable surveys are at your disposal, no matter what your budget. With EventUp Planner, you can easily launch a compelling event website—with a human, relatable feel—that will delight attendees and drive lead generation. 

With EventUp Planner, you will:

  • Create beautiful agency-grade websites without the agency
  • Reduce in-house team resources needed to build event websites
  • Ensure all of your websites stay on brand all the time
  • Replicate your event websites in just a few clicks

Want to see EventUp Planner in action?

Learn More!