How to boost your event registration in four easy steps
Event registration might just be the tip of the event planning iceberg, but it’s one of the most important parts of organising a mind-blowing event. With no guests, there’s no event. Getting people to sign up for your event can be tricky – especially as your online invitations can get lost in the maelstrom of emails in the inboxes of your invitees. People’s schedules are often jam packed and deciding whether or not they’ll attend an event might be made in a split second. Here are four steps you can take to make sure that split second decision is the right one.
1) Give your brand’s biggest fans the rewards they deserve
If you are putting on an annual event, be sure to send out invites to the guests who attended last year’s function, as soon as the date is confirmed. Even if the finer details of the day are not confirmed, telling the supporters of your past events well before anyone else will make them feel appreciated – and they might even help you spread the word. Offer them early-bird pricing on tickets, VIP access to your event or even a special offer on some of your products to make them feel valued for their commitment to your brand. Make event registration as easy and appealing as posible for them. They might well turn into your best brand advocates.
2) Harness the power of social media platforms to target those you know are interested in the same things
LinkedIn in a godsend when it comes to promoting your upcoming function. It allows you tap in to a huge number of potential guests that goes over and above your company database – as well as their connections. LinkedIn groups, events and company pages let you target people by industry and areas of interest: if you promote your event within these circles, chances are it won’t fall on deaf ears. The beauty of social media is how easy it is to share information. The conversations generated around your event online are great publicity, too.
3) It’s no longer all or nothing when it comes to attending events
One barrier to event registration is whether your potential guests can attend the event from start to finish. If your function is a several hour affair, made up of networking drinks, speeches, seminars, entertainment and dinner, it may take up an entire day or evening. By dividing the event into one to two hour slots and then offering different attendance options, you open up a whole new group of people who could potentially attend. Each guest who registers can then be allocated their own unique QR code which grants them access to their chosen part of the day or evening. This can also double as a parking pass or way to get into different areas of your venue. This personalised approach to event registration will instil a feeling of exclusivity in your guests – which can only do wonders for how they feel about your brand.
4) Entice your guests with the propsect of the entertainment in store at your event
Everybody loves to be entertained, as well as informed. Your event will likely have something interesting and unique about it that can be leveraged when sending out event registration emails. Highlight whether a key note speaker at the event is a leader in their field or if a popular singer will be performing. Perhaps your function will be having a Mexican food theme or have its bar sponsored by a notable wine farm. The venue you are holding your event at might have some historical significance or be situated in a particularly beautiful location. All of these factors will help to grab the attention of those invited.
Boosting your event registration doesn’t have to fill you with worry and dread. By getting into the minds of your invitees and using online invitations and technology to your advantage, you’ll no longer have to fear a half empty room. Find out more about our Event Management Software, here.
