When in the beginning stages of your event, branding becomes an important aspect of how you want to represent your organization.
Branding is probably the most difficult aspect to any event. You have to come up with a name; something that will make it memorable like a creative logo, or catchy slogan that will make your brand stand out. Think about Burger King’s “Have it Your Way” or Lifetime’s “Television for Women.” Most brands have a story explaining how they came up with their idea or event; these stories usually bring consumers closer to the business.
The branding experience also includes engagement with your audience. This could mean having a lecture talking about the event before it happens, your plans and goals. Try building a connection between you and the people you want at your event. See what they are expecting from the event and make sure your values are consistent throughout. Doing this will create loyalty with your audience and will always keep them coming back.
Promotion is key. The more you advertise means more people get excited about your event. Offer deals to people who RSVP early or people who get to the event first. The most important thing is the audience and you need to get them excited about what you are doing. Simply having an invitation with your brand logo can influence people to attend your event and be excited about it.
Consistency is key. If you are planning a Mardi Gras themed event, don’t have Christmas themed invitations. Make sure your branding is consistent throughout the entire planning of your event.
Use social media to your advantage. It’s become customary to invite people to events over Facebook, but you can also use different mediums to connect with your audience. Try using twitter to talk to potential attendees or to advertise further and offer deals. People love deals and free items; so the more you can offer, the bigger the audience and attraction.
Once you have people at your event, you have to keep them entertained and make sure they are getting the experience they were promised. This all ties back to the previous article on volunteers. Have a strong foundation of people to help you to carry the event and make sure that promotions, themes, and values are all evident throughout.
Towards the end, you can offer attendees a thank you gift or takeaway gift. It could be something with the event logo or a reminder of the event expressing the theme. Make sure the gift is relevant to the branding you have constructed. For example, if you had a party to promote your new sneaker line, you might give provide a coupon to get your sneakers at a discounted price.
The economics of trade shows have shifted. Yet the ROI conversation is still murky. As trade show costs rise, budgets aren't keeping pace, creating pressure on event organizers.
If you’re an event organizer, you know the drill. Event goals often sound fantastic in the initial brainstorming session, but when it’s time for execution, they can easily collapse.
Let’s be honest: there was a time when great content and a catchy title were enough to pull in a crowd. But today, events have become a go-to marketing play, and now, everyone’s in the game.
