When there is a need to create a memorable event, it is clear that you need to pay attention to how to boost your participants' pleasure. According to recent studies, 60% of the event planners say that nowadays' participants want to have experiences. In addition, 'value' is more important than ever. It is almost necessary to present value for your attendees as well as speakers and your team.
However, when you want to impress your participants, it costs too much.
Not necessarily, actually. I will give you some tips on how to create value for your attendees while letting them live the experience by engaging with you and each other. If you implement some of the tips below, you will be able to impress your participants at the least cost.
Here are 5 tips to amaze your attendees:
1. Learn more about the "Bleisure" trend
The term "bleisure" is a new trend in business travel. When attendees leave for a work-related occasion, they are expected to have some leisure time to rest. You, as an event planner, can combine your events' aura by giving them what they need and want in the same area as your event.
For example, you can organize city tours, which they can book while registering for your event. So, you would help them turn your event into a vacation by offering cultural trips around the city. Or a sunrise hike to reduce their stress and relax.
2. Give your attendees a place and time to relax.
I can understand if you do not want to allocate your budget to overwhelming elements to upgrade your event. Also, you are not sure of the outcome from them or overall it may not be applicable for your audience.
Well, offering some space could be applicable for many kinds of events and audiences. The best part is that it is possible to create it at a minimum cost as a room in your event venue. You can put yoga mats with meditation music on them to relax or you can put books and chairs on them to read. You might even use the room yourself to take a little break from stress.
TIP: This is also a good way to get some help from sponsors or even better, get a brand new sponsorship for these. That way, this is going to be a win-win relationship for your sponsors, you and the participants.
3. Networking, networking and networking
Events are social gatherings where people with the same interests meet together. One of the biggest reasons people participate in events is to meet with other professionals and build relationships with them to benefit their organizations themselves. Networking is no longer just exchanging business cards. Participants want and need more than that.
Creating an environment where your participants can meet with each other and build professional relationships would be helpful. It is possible to be creative about it or you can choose from our suggestions in the following tips.
4. Add some entertainment to your congress
It can be something like a game to encourage attendees to interact with each other in a fun occasion. However, people often do not volunteer to get out of their comfort zone. In this case, their comfort zone is their acquaintances who are at your event. Since this is going to create an obstacle to creating an efficient networking environment, I have a solution for you: Candy Matchmaker!
Here is how it works: You put different colors of candy on the seats, and at break or dinner, people who have the same color of candy are going to gather and sit at the same tables, and then you can go ahead. You can do a quiz or trivia, or apply your event's theme to another game.
5. Allow your attendees to interact with each other
Encourage your attendees to share their thoughts. A social wall you created online could be helpful, like the ones on Facebook, so that your attendees can write their thoughts and create a social place. You can think of that as 'Facebook that is dedicated to your event'. If you can adopt that social wall to a mobile app, you would create an excellent opportunity for your attendees to network. You can use event management software to help you create that and achieve your goals.
How could MeetingHand support event planners?
MeetingHand is a user-friendly and supportive all-in-one event management software that allows you to implement the points above and more at the least cost. Contact us to learn more from sales@meetinghand.com