Take a minute to think about the best event you’ve ever been to. Maybe it was a fundraiser, a dinner party, an industry conference, or even a sporting event.
Think about the experience you had at that event. What made it so memorable? Why was it so unique?
Just like any event you attend in your personal life, the events you decide to host for your business or organization will be defined by the type of experience you offer to the people who show up.
That experience will have a lot to do with the type of event you hold and the expectations your customers, members, and supporters have going into it (for example the experience at a silent auction will be much different than the experience at a golf tournament) but it is that experience that they will remember the most.
Now ask yourself, are you offering the type of experience your customers, members, and supporters will want to remember?
Providing a memorable event experience from start to finish
Creating a memorable event experience doesn’t begin and end when people show up and leave your event.
In most cases, the experience begins when someone first hears about the event and decides to visit your website, store, or office to learn more.
If you’ve taken the right steps to promote your event and get the right information in front of your target audience, you’ll be much more likely to get the right people to attend your event.
On the flipside, if you’re doing very little to promote your event and aren’t making details about your event readily available to the people who need it the most, you may be looking at an empty room when the big day finally arrives.
Then there’s registration
You’ve created flyers, sent out invitations, posted about the event on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Hopefully you’ve sent an email to your list of contacts and have gotten the word out early.
People are excited and want to make sure they don’t miss the chance to attend your event!
Are you making It easy for them to do so? For a lot of small businesses and nonprofit organizations, the answer is no.
The danger of not providing a memorable registration experience
If you’re still relying on “old-school” event registration methods, you could be missing a huge opportunity to make your event a memorable one from start to finish.
A recent survey from the Direct Marketing Association, which focused on the expectations of event attendees, found that 50% of people who receive event invitations want the capability to register online.
For businesses and organizations that are giving their target audience the opportunity to do so, this is a huge advantage. For those who are not, this could be putting the success of your event at risk.
Provide a registration experience your attendees will remember
With an online registration tool like EventSpot, you can collect valuable information from event registrants without having to do any extra work or without it taking up any more of time.
This makes it a lot easier for your attendees as well. They won’t have to worry about dropping off registration forms at a specific location or have to call to sign up for your event at a particular time. Event registration will be available 24/7—whether you’re open or not.
Your registration experience should be an extension of your event experience
With the right tools, you’ll not only be able to improve your registration experience, you’ll also be able to make that experience an extension of your event.
By adding your logo, branding, and event information you can make your form easily recognizable and offer a consistent look and feel across all of your event material.
You’ll look more professional before, during, and after your event which can go a long way toward making your event experience one that attendees will remember.
A webinar you won’t forget
This week, we’re hosting a free live webinar Filling the Room: Simple Strategies for Maximizing Event Registration.
The purpose of the webinar is simple: to give you the training you need to get the most out of your event registration.
In this webinar you will:
- Learn why choosing to use an online registration tool can be an immediate asset to your event management efforts.
- Get practical tips on collecting the right information from your registrants.
- Learn about some key considerations for getting your invitees to actually hit the “submit” button and then show up for your event.
Don’t miss out! Reserve your spot today.