Blog

It’s no small feat to fill every seat at an event. In a crowded conference landscape, earning the support of your attendees is difficult – and every event’s success should be celebrated. However, in event marketing, there is something even greater than one sold out event. The only thing better than getting attendees to attend is getting them to return for the next event. First time attendees may have shown up for a number of reasons, including great marketing, curiosity, or joining a friend or colleague. But repeat attendees walk through the doors because they trust your brand and they enjoyed their last experience – the two most important successes for event planners and marketers.

So, what can you do to ensure you’re creating the kind of events that bring people back time after time? We know that no matter how fantastic an event looks, people return because of how the event made them feel. How can you provide an experience, both during and after the gathering, that makes attendees feel seen and valued? 

1. Pay attention to the details.

Event highlights, like keynote speakers and overall branding, will draw in lots of first-timers. But it’s the details that earn repeat customers. When an attendee feels like they were truly considered in every aspect of an event, they’ll believe they’re getting a great return on investment for the cost of admission. Excellent event planning requires thinking through the attendee experience from start to finish. Consider every “small” detail that might cause a hiccup – and solve the issue before a customer ever experiences it. Some sample questions to ask: 

• What does our check-in process look like? How long will attendees have to wait? 
• Will attendees have regular access to water, snacks, and meals? (Nobody likes being hungry in a session.)
• Are bathrooms easily accessible and easy to find? 
• What opportunities are we providing for attendees to engage with speakers or one another after keynote sessions? 
• If a large group is moving from place to place, how should we manage crowd control?
• Is the schedule easy to follow, and will attendees have enough “down time” to relax or connect with others? 
• If attendees have questions during the conference, who should they ask and how will they find them? 
• Will we have a lost and found area?

This list is not comprehensive, but it offers a great starting point to thinking through the “little things.” To most attendees, the little things turn out to be the biggest indicators of whether or not they’ll return for your next gathering.

2. Offer VIP upgrades that are well worth it.

It’s no secret: exclusivity sells. And if you want to convert first time attendees into repeat customers, show them that your VIP perks are worth the investment. In fact, you can even convert ALL of your current attendees into VIPs for the following event! To do this, offer them exclusive access to early registration, provide them a discount code for a return purchase, or offer them an exclusive cocktail hour or room upgrade just for coming back next time. You can also designate them as VIPs on the next event’s lanyard or name tag. This doesn’t have to involve significant financial investment on your part – the important thing is that your attendees feel like VIPs. 

3. Ask for feedback – and use it. 

In event production, it’s common practice to send surveys after the event ends. Less common: putting that feedback in action for future events. Listening to your attendees is the most underrated way to add value to their experience. No matter how meticulous your planning, you’ll never be able to step into your attendees’ shoes, so it’s critical to gain their perspective on the experience. Some potential questions to ask: 

• What aspect of this event offered you the greatest value? 
• Did you experience any frustrations at the event? How can we fix them next time? 
• If you could change anything about the event, what would it be? 
• What was your favorite part of this event? Least favorite? 
• What would you like to see more of in the future? 

Once you’ve gathered all the information from these surveys, don’t forget to follow up! If there are a few common threads in the feedback, send an email to all attendees letting them know you’ve heard their concerns – and give them a concrete answer for how those concerns will be addressed at forthcoming events. If a specific person gave you a great idea, reach out to them directly to let them know they’ll be using it! When attendees know that their voices matter, they’re much more likely to purchase tickets again and again. 

4. Keep in touch with attendees. 

Want attendees to come back? Don’t let them forget about you! This can be as simple as capturing email addresses at the event and marketing future events well, promoting your social media channels during the event to earn followers. Reposting stories from attendees, creating an event hashtag, and posting lots of great content during the event will all help you build your audience! Lastly, if it’s within your budget, sending attendees a thank you note or gift after the event is a great value add that will likely set you apart from the rest. 

5. Tell attendees about the next event at this event. 

If you have your next event date, location, or theme already lined up, take advantage of the opportunity to share the exciting news with every attendee in the room! Creating a promotional video to share during a session is the perfect way to introduce your next event, generating buzz among attendees. You can continue to share details via email and social media, but there’s nothing better than sparking excitement while everyone is still in the room. 

Want to create impactful events that attendees return to time and time again? At Redstory, our approach to event marketing is built on the power of human connection. We love to make event attendees feel valued every step of the way. Connect with us to see how we can turn your next event into a unique experience your attendees won’t soon forget.