If you’re putting time and hard work into planning a corporate event, be it a conference, gala event or launch party, you are going to want as many people as possible to attend.
The key to boosting attendance is to make your event as high-profile as possible, so that people feel that they can’t afford not to show up at what appears to be an industry-leading day. How do you raise the profile of your corporate event? Here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Choose a unique and unusual venue
To make your event stand out, why not think outside the box a little when it comes to the venue? You could just go for the standard conference centre or hotel, or you could make a move outdoors in a purpose-designed event tent. SaddleSpan tents are ideal for conferences and corporate events, offering customisable interiors and all the space you need, including the opportunity to create different zones or areas within one venue.
This unusual choice of venue can be a real talking point, and people may turn up simply out of curiosity for what you’ve managed to create in your event tent. Such a bold move will also position you as an innovative event, and people love anything that is new, creative and different.
2. Market your event with social media
When marketing an event, social networking can be one of the most powerful tools at your disposal. There are lots of things you can do, including:
- Creating a unique hashtag for your event
- Get people excited about the event with shareable content, including leaked details and a good mix of entertaining content and solid reasons why they should attend
- Concentrate on industry leaders and decision-makers – once you have these VIP names on your guest list, this will attract scores of other attendees
- Make use of professional networking sites such as LinkedIn
- Run a contest to get people talking about the event
3. Offer incentives for early registrations
Not only do you need to start publicising your event as early as possible, but you also need to get people signing up as soon as possible. If your event is ticketed, offer early bird discounts to those who register early. If it’s free, offer extra incentives (i.e. books, goody bags, a free drink at the bar) for getting on board as early as possible.
4. Cross-promote with other organisations
If you can partner with another organisation, one that also reaches out to your target audience, you can drastically raise the profile of your corporate event. In return, you can promote the organisation or even make them a sponsor.
5. Contact people directly
It may be time-consuming, but personal initiations and follow-ups to RSVPs can do the world of good to your attendance figures. If you want to fill your event tent, don’t just rely on people to turn up on the day – pick up the phone and give potential guests a courtesy phone call, it really does work!
