For two years, corona turned everything upside down. Mouth caps, one-and-a-half-metre distance, online meetings and even multiple lockdowns. Fortunately, there is finally some good news: we get to meet again! Everyone at Jaarbeurs is eager to organise an event again. Agendas are filling up again and visitors are also looking forward to it!
Yet it will also take some switching, for both organiser and visitor - attending an event from behind the laptop was quite easy and safe. So how do you convince your event visitors to get off the couch and that your event is a can't-miss event?
Our visit marketer, Marleen van Soest, was one of the first to organise another live event after the lockdown, and with success. She gives tips on how to convince someone to take action and get a ticket to your event!
With these eight tips, you will draw full houses again:
- Offer something exclusive
- Answer questions with a Q&A
- Make sure information is easy to find
- Make your event scarce
- Emphasise the USPs
- Give a sneak preview
- Communicate about safety
- Organise networking drinks
1. Offer something exclusive
Do you feel that your target audience post-corona is hard to persuade to attend an event live? Then offer something exclusive that is really only possible at the event. Marleen: "Think of special merchandise, a raffle with products from exhibitors, a one-to-one session with an influencer or a special win action. Make it so interesting that they can't resist!"
"Offer something exclusive so visitors can't resist your event."
2. Answer questions with a Q&A
Recently, Marleen organised the KreaDoe fair, one of the first live events in ages. She saw that people had a lot of questions: "On social media, we received a relatively large response. Think: where can I buy a ticket, what are the opening hours and what measures are in place? We therefore created a highlight on Instagram with frequently asked questions and answers."
3. Make sure information is easy to find
Getting as much information in advance as possible is nice. This can be done, for example, by keeping the website up to date and keeping potential visitors well informed about what is to come. Make sure the visitor has to make as little effort as possible for the optimal experience. At Jaarbeurs, we have therefore developed two apps: the Jaarbeurs Live and the Welcome App.
- Jaarbeurs Live is a fine app with all the practical information about our own event location in Utrecht and the event.
- The Welcome App was developed specifically for corona-related issues and is now thankfully no longer needed, indicating with colour codes where it was crowded or not. This allowed visitors to choose to avoid high-risk areas and visit another part of the event first.
4. Make your event scarce
On=op! Like it or not, everyone is susceptible to this. Yes... even you! Scarcity does something to our brain. Scarcity is a persuasion principle by psychologist Cialdini that has been used for centuries to convince someone. A low supply, less time or a limited number of places; people are afraid of missing out on something. And so they want to have it. Or in this case: be there. Therefore, offer a limited number of (day) tickets for your event. This responds to the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and also allows you to estimate which days will be busy.
"A scarce event capitalises on FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)"
5. Highlight the USPs of your event
That one speaker who is enormously hard to get, a networking reception with live music or a workshop that teaches you a lot. You know the programme is better than ever before. It is the biggest draw of your event. But do your visitors know it too? Communicate the USPs and emphasise the benefits of being here physically. Tip: Is your fair mainly about physical products or workshops? Then capitalise on the experience; after all, products and workshops are much easier to look at 'in real life' than online.
6. Give a sneak preview
A good warm-up for an event is like a beautiful trailer for a new film; you just want to see it. Let the participant get a taste of the atmosphere by giving a sneak preview in advance. This can be done in text form, but videos are of course much more fun. For example, share a round of introductions with the speaker or a tip from an inspiration session.
7. Communicate about safety
Safety first! It is important to communicate about the applicable rules - from both the authorities and the venue itself. What protocol is used at the venue and how does it manifest itself at your event? Communicate as much as possible about any safety measures and reassure your visitor. The corona measures have fortunately disappeared, but further regulations from the government and the venue for safety obviously have not. Send out a newsletter in advance, post it on your website and put it on social media.
8. Create a networking drink
The power of physical encounter transcends all. And how we missed it didn't we, contact with peers? It's always nice to meet someone in the same situation. Did you know that for many people, the opportunity to network is an important persuasion to attend an event? So time to organise a networking event!
We are happy to roll up our sleeves to turn your (first) live event into a true success. Organising an event? Or looking for a venue for a networking meeting in Utrecht? Contact us for the possibilities. We will be happy to help!
