In-person events may have hit the pause button for the past couple years, but they are now back and stronger than ever. 70% of survey respondents would prefer to attend conferences in-person. The global industry is growing fast, at more than 13% annually, to a projected $2 Trillion by 2028. Welcome to a New Era of Event Planning.
Events are an important tool for accessing the most current information in your industry, meeting with colleagues old and new, and trend spotting. But only about half of people feel that meetings are a good use of their time. So how do you make your event THE EVENT for everyone to attend?
Stay Focused on the Purpose
• What is your organization’s strategy?
• What do you want this event to accomplish?
Attendees are coming to your event because you are meeting a specific need. It’s that simple. Long gone are the days of corporate travel to an exotic location. Your event has to be crystal clear on its objectives and how it will benefit your attendees. From speakers to breakout sessions to guided-discussions at meals, make sure every topic leads back to your organization’s purpose
You also have to make sure your audience in engaged. More than 70% of respondents admit to bringing other work with them to do while at a meeting. That’s because they are bored. Keep your event on-strategy with a specific goal to keep your attendees’ attention. Is this event about annual re-accreditation? Are you rolling out next year’s sales plan? Stay focused on why you are there.
Another way to keep people listening is to let them nibble. Then they don’t have to leave the room while the keynote is speaking. You can add your logo to healthy snacks or sweet treats. Have these available at the event for table gifts and during breaks. Consider a custom imprinted take-home back of coffee to keep your attendees talking about your event at the break room when they get back. Just make sure whatever you offer can be included in luggage. No one wants the TSA to throw away their goodies.
Make Logistics Easy –
The best event can be derailed if lines are long and directions are unclear. Here are a few tips to keep things running smoothly.
- Avoid long registration lines by encouraging people to register in advance and mail them their name badge holder, agenda and badge ribbon. If you have other materials, such as a custom printed writing pad or pen, they can slip easily into an envelope as well.
- Use all the space you have available, including the outdoors. Many conference centers have outdoor courtyards or spaces to set up an event tent. Consider using this space for snack breaks or as a place to conduct your welcome area. This is also a great option for supplier and sponsor areas. Even though your attendees came to the conference, they want a chance to get away. An outdoor venue for vendors is a great way to get people to actually attend.
- Where do I go? Let people spend time in the event not wandering to their next session. Include proper signage and available maps of the layout. Entrance banners and straightforward easel signs are the minimum. Try a dry erase sign to accommodate late minute changes, or combine a pre-printed ‘arrow’ sign with a room number and workshop name. Signage is especially important if you have both inside and outdoor activities.
- Health and Safety Measures – Routines introduced during the pandemic will be part of our in-person culture for years.
- Try staggering your breaks and lunch times. Let attendees know what group they are in with a special color badge, event ticket, or custom wristband. This helps reduce crowds for safety, but also creates a more intimate time for people to talk with peers.
- Custom hand sanitizer. You can choose to hand out your own branded bottles, or offer as a promotional option for key suppliers. The event venue may also have touchless sanitizer stations already available.
- Despite the technology age we live in, the ubiquitous pen is still a welcomed promotional item. Giving each person a new pen to use is both sanitary and gets your brand impression out 3,000 time. Try an antimicrobial pen to reduce the spread of bacteria and further boost confidence in the steps you are taking to have a clean and safe event.
Virtual Events are Here to Stay
In-person events are definitely making a comeback. But virtual events have claimed a permanent prominence, and are still expected to grow 23% annually through 2027.
E-mails are the best way to drive registrations for events, according to 76% of marketers, with social media as a strong influencer. Once people have registered, direct them to your event’s website for a current schedule and travel arrangements. Don’t forget the shoppable event store to help registrants feel more connected through merchandise that says they “were there.” Nearly a quarter of consumers have purchased a logoed item in the last year.
An on-line store can be available pre- and post-event. Use items your organization always has in stock, like a high quality fleece imprinted with your organization’s logo or men’s and women’s button-down shirts. Create special items to commemorate the event that attendees can take back to the office. Insulated travel mugs or water thermoses are favorites for both Gen X’ers and Baby Boomers. Desk accessories are a perennial favorite, with an average of 1,450 brand impressions during their lifetime.
Welcome your virtual attendees with an event box. Include a printed agenda and some work-from-home office essentials. Use a customer presentation folder for all their conference materials. Add some sticky notes and highlighters to help them identify topics of interest. Consider a USB drive pre-loaded with the presentations and other work materials. Your attendees will use these items well beyond your event, with desk accessories and USBs kept an average of 13 months.
Use MARCO Promos custom distribution options to get each attendee a personalized even packet soon after registration. Then use our bulk ship option for a pre-event teaser that hits just a couple days ahead, going to all registrants. If you are still looking to push attendance, try drop ships to key groups a week or so in advance, for those people who just didn’t know what their calendars looked like until the last minute.
Looking to Offset Costs at Your Event?
Event budget are a perpetual struggle and registration fees don’t cover everything. Exhibitor booth sales and/or obtaining sponsorships can provide you additional revenue while giving key vendors access to their target audience. Make sure to offer value and opportunity for those vendors in order to make it a win-win proposition for all.
Bring your best supplier members in from the very beginning. What would they like to see you include at the event and online? Share different engagement ideas that have worked in the past year. They may have exhibited with other organizations also and can bring a new perspective to the table. You can always adjust, as long as you’ve included them from the beginning.
You got great ideas with early planning. Now use those ideas as opportunities to promote and allow the vendors to dominate a half hour session or webinar. You can sell banner space, and/or offer a promotional mug sponsorship to drum up advance interest and promote the activity by mailing a promo item with combined messaging to all registered attendees.
You are the professional event planner, and this new evolution is just one more challenge for you to face and overcome…much to the amazement and pleasure of those around you.
The call or email to MARCO Promos is free. Let us make things smoother and easier for you so you can focus on making a safe, special and memorable event in this New Era of Event Planning.
SOURCES
60 Incredible Virtual Event Statistics! (2021 Research), Markletic, January 19, 2021
Global Events Industry Market Size, Verified Market Research, August 2022
Half Of All Meetings Are A Waste Of Time – Here’s How To Improve Them, Peter High, November 25, 2019
Meeting Facilitation: Tired of boring meetings?, People Biz, Inc.
Global Ad Impressions Study, 2021 Edition, Advertising Specialty Institute
30 Virtual Event Statistics You Need to Know in 2021, Tatiana Morand, August 25, 2020
2019 Consumer Study, PPAI Research, Promotional Products Association International
Global Ad Impressions Study, 2020 Edition, Advertising Specialty Institute
