5 x Tips to Increase Event Attendance

5 x Tips to Increase Event Attendance

You may have a wonderful event idea, a fantastic event team on board, fabulous sponsorship and all the best planning in place, but the event will come to nothing if it experiences low attendance numbers. As an event manager, you may think that attendance numbers are out of your hands and best left to the marketing and sales team. That’s true to a certain extent. But there are definitely ways that you, as the event manager can help minimise the risk by implementing these five simple tips to increase event attendance at your special event.

1. Make Registration Easy

This is definitely #1 on the list! When planning an event, keep in mind the importance of a simple registration process. Guests want the technological convenience that allows them to: purchase a ticket,  RSVP online and check in so that on the day of the event, all they have to do is show up with their proof of purchase. TIP: Use a ticketing system that does the lot! It’s very important to place yourself in the consumer’s shoes when creating your registration process. Standing in long lines and waiting to register for an event is out of the question if you want your attendees to come back next time.

2. Create Visuals

We live in a click-bait world where consumers are more likely to click on content that looks interesting no matter the quality of the material. With that in mind, prepare a slideshow or video within your social media platforms so that you can show off the success of your past event. Consumers would rather see a visual representation of people like them having a good experience than to read about it. Visuals project the tone and vibe of the event and give potential attendees an idea of what they can expect if they come to your event. If this is your first time planning an event, hire on a professional photographer or videographer to capture the essence and moments of the event. You can use this for promotional purposes over and over again.

3. Network

Networking is vital to building relationships in the events industry. It’s also a way to gather data for an event idea that you have in mind, sort of like an informal market research project! Attend events that attract individuals that you’re looking to draw at your next event. This will give you the opportunity to speak to those likeminded individuals and get a better idea of their interests and what attracted them to this particular event. Using gathered intel is a great way to strategise how to promote your event and keep your audience engaged during your event. To learn more about why networking in the events industry is critical, click HERE>>

4. Make it exclusive

Have you ever stumbled upon an event as you were out and about socially and wonder why you weren’t invited? Did you yearn to learn more about the event and discover that it was an invite-only function? This kind of exclusivity around an event tends to create a feeling of longing and will, in many cases, leave people intent on making sure they’re part of next year’s event. Making an event unique to a group of individuals will attract those who weren’t included and generate a buzz. Limiting ticket sales for the general public and inviting select few to come to your event is a straightforward way to achieve exclusivity. While your guests are there, encourage them to use a particular hashtag or to talk about the event on their social media platforms.

5. Increase event management

Whether you’re planning or managing anything from a corporate event to a wedding, it’s important to include activities that will keep guests excited and engaged. There are many ways of doing this. For example, photobooths are a great way for guests to interact with one another by taking pictures with props and fun backgrounds. Corporate event attendees may begin to feel disconnected when they’ve sat through too many panel discussions, so incorporating interactive food stations or outdoor activities will add significant value to the event. When at an event, notice what engages you and others at the event to help you better understand how to achieve what makes event goers happy when planning your own event.

Interested in furthering your event management skills so that you can actually work in events?

Graduates from College of Event Management are job-ready! If you’re wanting to find out a little more about a career in event management there’s plenty of information on our website about our specialised event courses. Any of our course advisors will be more than happy to chat to you on 02 9280 4912 or you can request a call back HERE