Attendance is vital at any event. To make a show successful for show management and exhibitors alike, there must be people. You can put on the best event and nail the smallest details, but if you cannot fill the seats, it is nothing. Here are a few tips to help increase your attendance at any event.
Where to hold your event is possibly the most crucial part of the planning process. This is one of the quickest ways to increase your attendance numbers. Try to know your audience and hold it in a city that is convenient and fun. Hosting in cities that are too far out and you could lose some interest. Organizing popular city attractions as part of event packages or add-ons is a fun way to get your attendees involved. Make sure you have easy access to housing options and transportation as well to increase your numbers further.
Your event's content is what everyone comes for, so making sure it is interesting is essential. One easy way to achieve this is by doing a pre-conference survey to see what your audience is interested in hearing about. You can use this information to build a tailor-made experience and give them exactly what they want.
After you set your location and content, you still need to get the word out about your event. Encouraging attendees and speakers to spread the word to others in their field is a great way to promote an event. Try bringing experiences to your event that your audience will want to attend. Creating a space for group discussions will encourage your attendees to participate. One huge way to help promote and increase attendance is special offers before your event.
This can be tied in with the promotion section, but in this day and age, social media is one of the top forms of communication and the easiest ways to increase your reach. Creating a hashtag is a creative way to get free advertisement from anyone attending your show. Increasing posts with the hashtag from official Facebook or Instagram pages will help people share information with others. If you also include a photo opportunity spot at your event, this will create a great incentive for people to post online and increase attendance in the future.
There is nothing worse than getting excited to attend a conference to find out once you get there that the food is either subpar or nonexistent. Food and beverage is an essential aspect of your event that you should consider. Coffee breaks and snacks are always a massive hit in between sessions, and if your attendees are hungry, they are less likely to stay attentive or worse, stay at your event. The goal is to increase your attendance numbers, so making sure they are happy once they are at the event is crucial. Good food and beverage options will be a memorable experience for them.
Managers and exhibitors know a successful show requires people. If you have questions about how to increase your attendance or any other aspect of a great show, contact us today to learn how American Tradeshow Services can help.
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