You have an excellent idea for a business conference that will benefit business professionals from various industries. You’ve invested a great deal of time, money, and resources into selecting the best materials, guest speakers, instructors, vendors, location, menu, and entertainment. Unfortunately, none of it means anything if you can’t get people to attend. With so many competing entities (including the internet, which provides free access to information), getting people to sign up is easier said than done.
Attendance is one of the most significant factors event planners use to determine the success and effectiveness of their corporate events. Fortunately, there are ways to spread the word and pique the interest of your target audience. Continue reading to learn more.
Sell The Advantages
There are a variety of business conferences, training, seminars, and events available. So, what makes yours any different? If you’re going to attract participants, you must work hard to sell them the advantages of attending your event. What information will you provide? Who are some of the guest speakers and trainers? How will this benefit their career or business?
You should also point out what’s included, such as overnight stays, meals, and engaging activities. A three-day conference in Florida with an all-inclusive stay at a luxury hotel and free meals from a well-renowned chef will warrant a lot of attention.
Make It Exclusive
Most people like feeling special. They enjoy feeling like they’ve gained access to something that others didn’t. Instead of advertising your business event to a broad audience, consider making it exclusive. Ultimately, the idea of needing an invitation to participate increases interest.
Certifications And Badges
Does your corporate event include training opportunities? There’s nothing like getting recognized for your accomplishments and adding to your list of credentials as a business professional. Offering certificates of completion or badges to participants that finish the training can attract more attendees. You can use a badge creator to reward participants with a measurable way to demonstrate their accomplishments that will help them advance their careers.
Attendance Options
Not everyone can afford to pay for travel expenses, hotel accommodations, and admission tickets to attend a corporate event. Offering various options for attendance can increase your chances of getting people to sign up. You could allow participants to choose between in-person and virtual sessions to accommodate their needs.
Discounts
Affordability is one of the most significant factors for business professionals when deciding which events to attend. You can increase your guest list by offering discounts. For instance, giving a break to groups would encourage businesses to enroll departments for your event. You could also work with other establishments like hotels, airlines, and restaurants to provide conference attendees with cheaper rates on products and services they need most.
Collaboration
Collaborating with other businesses is another creative way to get more attendees. It enhances the quality of your corporate event while reaching broader audiences. The more brands, business experts, vendors, and service providers you have advertising the same event, the more likely you are to gain the recognition you need to fill those seats.
Multiple Marketing Platforms
You can’t expect a good turnout for your event if no one knows it’s happening. Ultimately event planners should use various marketing platforms to spread the word. Advertise the conference or training on your company website, social media, and industry-related websites. You should also combine traditional and digital marketing strategies like flyers and email marketing campaigns. The more audiences see your advertisement, the more inclined they are to learn more. Increased exposure and interest ultimately equates to higher attendance.
Putting together a business conference or corporate event is an all-encompassing task. It requires extensive planning and research and the investment of time, money, and resources. When you put forth that much effort, the last thing you want is to have no one show up. The most practical way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to use strategies such as those listed above to boost enrollment.