Are bigger events missing the mark?
Yes, it’s exciting for attendees to book tickets (on their company’s dime), prepare for a multi-day trip with peers, and take part in the magic that happens when a group of people have a shared experience together.
But there’s also a harsh reality that sets in when they arrive on-site.
It’s incredibly easy to get overwhelmed showing up to a large venue filled with hundreds, or thousands, of other attendees who are also trying to keep up with packed schedules.
When it comes to offering attendees the personalization and guidance they need, big events often pale in comparison to smaller, more intimate events.
This has attendees and event organizers alike asking: Is there a way to scale personal touch?
Splash’s Director of Experiential Marketing Camille White-Stern and Director of Global Sales at Guidebook Jack Tattersall recently sat down to tackle this question.
Read on to learn how Camille and Jack suggest marketers can use event apps to make their biggest events feel more personal.
Event apps aren’t just for sharing your agenda or a map of the venue.
An effective event app helps organizers deliver a personalized experience to attendees.
When it comes to choosing an app, start by making a list of your specific event needs. Make sure you take note of any non-negotiable features for your programs.
To help get you started, here’s Jack’s list for what an event app should offer both hosts and attendees.
For hosts:
For attendees:
While many organizers (understandably) focus their efforts on day-of activities, the pre-event experience is just as critical to the success of an event.
Jack explained, “The best events get ahead of engagement and connect the dots for attendees upfront. They engage attendees around content, sponsors, shared interests, and the challenges attendees bring to the event.”
With an event app, you can start engaging with your audience immediately.
After your event goes live, send a note to attendees to download the app so they can:
To keep attendees coming back to your event app before your event, Jack suggests finding a way to build excitement. For example, prompt attendees to download the app to hear about special announcements like guest speakers or exclusive sessions.
He also recommends hosting pre-event challenges or giveaways to encourage early participation and adoption of an app. For example, ask attendees to post about what they’re most excited for in the app’s social feed and randomly select a winner. Or offer a free VIP ticket to one of your sessions for the person who sets up the most meetings before event day.
The best way to keep attendees engaged? Make them active participants.
Here are some of Jack’s favorite ways to keep his attendees’ attention:
1. Make every session interactive
Launch polls, host Q&As, or bring attendees on stage for live discussions. The goal is to avoid making attendees feel like bystanders and instead focus on including them at every opportunity.
2. Gamify the event experience
Apps are a great way to reward attendees for engaging and exploring your event. For example, Guidebook’s leaderboard feature allows organizers to assign points when attendees complete certain event actions (e.g., registering for a session, making a new connection, posting to the social feed, etc.). The leaderboard updates in real time so attendees can view their ranking along with how many more points they need to climb to the top.
3. Prioritize networking above all else
Events are about building relationships. Make time to host facilitated networking sessions, speed networking rounds, and meetups with partners and sponsors.
Looking for networking icebreakers? Camille and Jack took a page out of the engagement playbook and asked the live audience to weigh in with their favorite questions.
Here’s what they said:
4. Bring the event to social media
The easiest way to connect with attendees is to go where they hang out: online. Create dedicated event hashtags, host social competitions and raffles, repost photos from the event, etc.
Events should always lead attendees to the next interaction with your brand, whether it’s a follow-up resource, demo, or future event.
With an event app, you already have your audience’s attention. Use it to guide them to the next step in their buyer or customer journey.
Here are Jack’s favorite ways to use event apps to keep the conversation going:
1. Continue sharing content
Event apps, like Guidebook, allow content to be shared beyond the event end date to keep conversations going. This includes resources like post-event recordings, slides, PDFs, and more.
2. Ask for feedback
A natural next step after an event ends is to ask attendees for their thoughts. Look for an event app that offers surveys and feedback forms so you can send and collect responses while your event is still top of mind.
3. Encourage post-event networking
With Guidebook, networking and messaging can continue forever. Attendees can go back to the app at any time to follow up on a conversation or connect with someone new.
4. Share exclusive offers
Use your event app as a place to offer exclusive discounts on future event tickets or early access to other event content. This keeps your audience in the know about your upcoming events.
5. Start a community chat
Jack uses Guidebook’s social feed to create a community chat with attendees. It’s where he can bring in speakers, share ideas, promote other events, and circulate thought leadership. The social feed stays open even after the event ends so attendees can continue to come back and engage with the community in the app.
Big events play a key role in a holistic event strategy. But without the right technology and strategy in place, these events can leave attendees disconnected and your bottom line hurting.
The best event apps go beyond sharing basic event details and prioritize connecting with your audience and addressing their needs.
