When putting together a public relations strategy for a conference event or industry trade show, there are a myriad of factors to account for to ensure ultimate success. Attendees (and their employers) want to make sure the event is worth their time and investment, so as the event organizer, it’s important to keep guest considerations as the guiding backdrop for everything you do.
We’ve done our fair share of client conferences and have learned some important lessons along the way. Here we’ve outlined 3 tips to help make your next company event the best one yet.
Consider ways to enhance the experience.
From the speaker lineup and event space to the entertainment you choose, everything about your event will leave an impression on attendees. When making these choices, think about how each factor will contribute to guests’ experiences. Simple considerations like making sure sessions are held in the same general area so people don’t get lost trying to shuffle between places or ensuring there is an appropriate number of seats for each session might seem trivial, but if they don’t live up to guests’ expectations, small mishaps could leave a poor impression.
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Account for time (and other) delays.
It’s important to be aware of possible aspects which might cause delays. If a speaker is known for running over their allotted time, try to plan against that by scheduling their session right before a short break, so that it doesn’t impact another session. Similar to delays at the doctor’s office, if the first session runs long, it has the potential to make the following sessions run behind schedule as well. Take care of all sound and visual checks ahead of time, to minimize the chances of technical difficulties. While it’s impossible to account for everything that might cause a delay, being aware of the most common issues is a little thing that could save a lot of time.
Content, content, content.
People attend industry events because they want to hear from leaders and learn about the latest news, innovations and trends. The content you present should cater to this need. To do so, strive to make content more thought leader focused and targeted to your audience members, rather than focused on a product or brand. This content should be delivered to your attendees before, during and after the show. An example of delivering content before the show can be through social media promotion, a dedicated landing page or an email marketing campaign. After attending the show or a session, people should leave feeling enlightened and like they need to get to know the speakers more, to glean further insight from them. Highlighting big picture ideas and having diverse content will lead attendees to leave sessions feeling more knowledgeable and empowered.
Related Post: Can You Hear Me Now?
Expert tip:
Repurposing content from a conference can provide you with a full arsenal of information to use at a later date. Information from a general session can be used to write a blog, craft a targeted media pitch, or even share as social media posts.