Looking To Boost Your Corporate Events’ Attendance? Here’s How.

Tips & Tricks · 22 Jul 2023

Home > Articles > Looking To Boost Your Corporate Events’ Attendance? Here’s How.

Attendance is one of the most popular KPIs for any corporate event. However, getting the right people in is not as simple as it sounds. Imagine spending months in the preparation phase just to see it fall short at the end. A poor turnout rate is every event planner’s worst nightmare! It might affect the corporate event’s vibe and reflect poorly on the company. Fortunately, there are many initiatives you can take in the build up to circumvent this issue. Here’s how.

Craft A Unique Experience

How well do you understand your audience? Are they looking to gain new insights or are they there to network? Key findings from a study revealed that education (92%), destination (78%), and networking (76%) are the top three drivers for attending corporate events. To appeal to your target audience, you need to understand their needs and interests.

Begin with a strong agenda. It’s important to design a valuable and unique agenda that leaves a lasting impression. Use your competitors as a benchmark, observe how they hold their own corporate events. Include elements that might resonate with your target audience, and add some ‘wow’ factor wherever possible. Genuinely engage your attendees, and you’ll be able to effectively communicate your event messaging, build relationships, and enhance their experience.

The aim here is to craft unique experiences for your attendees. If they’re there for educational purposes, pay attention to your presentations: invest in established guest speakers, high quality productions and event technology. If networking is the main purpose, emphasise elements like an intimate corporate event space, breakout sessions, and exquisite menus.

Content Creation For Corporate Events

Now that you’ve come up with a unique agenda, it’s time to get the word out with a strong content marketing strategy. Don’t forget this tactic as they’re effective in generating awareness and attracting attendees. Social media campaigns, blog posts, and press releases are just some tools at your disposal for publicising your event. However, always keep your target audience in mind as they determine the tools you’ll use.

Take advantage of your online channels to generate buzz around your corporate event. Just take a look at Apple’s approach and how teasers were used to build anticipation. Similarly, try giving your attendees sneak peeks of the corporate event prep on your social media.

We suggest highlighting the “what’s in it for them” by mentioning the value attendees can receive to build excitement. If you have guest speakers, upload content centred around them by highlighting their background or interesting snippets from their past presentations. Guest speakers are known to have an impact on corporate event attendance so take advantage of this. Consider dedicating a portion of your landing page to such value adding elements to get your audience excited for the corporate event.

To foster an emotional connection with your audience, leverage on the power of storytelling. A well-crafted story allows your audience to easily resonate with your corporate event and your company, keeping them interested throughout. Design a story around your corporate event and convey it in an authentic and consistent manner. What is the corporate event’s theme and is there a problem that it’s trying to address? Try weaving in captivating stories as part of your content marketing strategy.

Keep Your Attendees In The Loop

Don’t forget to provide key information about your corporate events early on. These details like the location, date, time and agenda should be communicated across all channels. Your attendees should know what they’re signing up for, and this is where communication and transparency is key.

Remember to keep your attendees in the loop as well. Stay connected with your signups by sending personalised reminders periodically. Consider tapping on email marketing to help you automate this process.

Your corporate event website or landing page shouldn’t be a “set and forget” task, it should be regularly updated with any additions or changes. It’s okay to change your agenda down the road because of the number of parties involved. We understand that there are many unforeseen circumstances in the world of event planning so we’re here to help you navigate it. Trusted by established enterprises across APAC, Eventive specialises in planning and executing a wide range of corporate events. Collaborate with us to find out more!

Simplify Registration

Optimising your registration page may seem trivial, but this is one of your audience’s earliest point of contact. It has the potential to shape their perception and experience of your corporate event. To avoid putting off prospective attendees, ensure that your registration process is as efficient as possible.

Keep it short and simple. Only collect essential information to minimise the number of pages they have to fill in. Ideally, they should only be able to see questions that are relevant based on their demographics or reason for attending for instance. Additionally, check to see whether your registration page is mobile friendly as many people may register on the go.

Consider a group registration feature to streamline the process for large groups. With this feature, a representative can easily register other attendees under the same group. It not only encourages them to invite more participants, it also helps you keep track of administrative matters. It’s easier to collect data, track attendance and allocate seats.

Don’t forget about your onsite registration either as you want it to be equally smooth. Choose your event technology wisely as a seamless process sets a professional tone for your corporate event. Pair self-service check-ins with contactless solutions like QR code scanners and you’ve digitised the process. Be sure to have well-trained staff onsite as well to lend their assistance.

Getting Media Coverage

While we have focused on internal initiatives to boost corporate event attendance, you can also rely on external sources like the media. They significantly increase your reach and build credibility and trust in your company. It’s one of the best ways to get noticed!

Start by drafting a targeted list of journalists, magazines, news platforms or radio stations. We suggest evaluating their target audience and whether they’ve covered similar events to ensure that your goals are aligned.

To get them on board, you’d have to make your corporate event newsworthy. Give them a compelling reason to cover your event – they too want to attract their audience’s attention. Highlight the notable details of your event: it can be the event story, the venue, and any exclusive perks. The key is to create an exciting yet concise event pitch that allows your receiver to get a good understanding of your plans.

The next step is to pitch early! Send out media advisories, press releases or media kits to your desired outlets a few weeks in advance. Give them enough time to review the pitch and if they find your corporate event appealing, they can develop their own piece. This step involves plenty of trial and error, so don’t be disheartened if you don’t receive a response. The bottom line is to always plan ahead and take your time to develop a convincing pitch.

Realise The Potential Of Your Corporate Events Today

Boosting your corporate event’s attendance may not be a straightforward task. There is plenty of work involved in generating buzz and building excitement. Play to your strengths and see what works for you. From planning a unique experience to getting the media on board, flex your creativity and go that extra mile. After all, an impactful and successful corporate event will bring numerous benefits to your company.

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