Events are an important part of building business success, whether it’s for the purpose of networking with others or to help share knowledge or new products and services on offer.
To ensure your event goes smoothly and that you get plenty of value for your money, here are five ways to boost event attendance and engagement this year.
1. Leverage social media and online platforms
There’s a lot of opportunity to take advantage of when it comes to social media. Creating that strong social media presence is important both before, during, and after the event. That means having the right software, like Accelevents, in place so that you can do event management in the buildup to the day itself.
Using platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and even platforms like TikTok and Snapchat to help build excitemen,t as well as sharing updates on speakers and helping to engage with attendees.
2. Offer interactive experiences
Interactive experiences are a good way to engage with your attendees and to hopefully give your event attendees the best experience possible. With that being said, look at going beyond the traditional presentations that you’d expect at these events.
Look at what interactive elements are available, like quizzes, workshops, and live Q&A sessions that encourage more involvement from more than just the speakers.
3. Provide valuable content and resources
Think about what sort of valuable content and resources you could give to your attendees that offer more value to the ticket they purchase. Even if it’s a free event, it’s good to offer value for spending their time at said event.
Look at recording sessions, making use of speakers with interviews and behind-the-scenes footage that might be interesting for your audience to watch. It might also be helpful to entice people who would not have otherwise attended to look at attending or to explore that option the following year.
4. Facilitate plenty of networking opportunities
Networking is a key player when it comes to events, and if you’re not facilitating these networking opportunities simply by making time or space for it, then your attendees may come away feeling a little unfulfilled.
Providing opportunities for attendees to connect with one another, whether it’s with break-out spaces and time that’s freed up in the schedule, to speed dating-style networking.
The more you can offer in the way of networking opportunities, the better. Consider what space and time have been allocated for networking and ensure this is readily in place, advertised, and encouraged to all attendees who are attending the event.
5. Implement a post-event strategy
A post-event strategy is important to plan out, and so you’ll want to look at how you could round off the event through thank-you emails and feedback surveys from attendees. This is an important strategy to put in place because the effectiveness of an event doesn’t just end once the event has finished.
These five tips will hopefully help boost your own event attendance and engagement for all events you put on this year and the next.
FAQs:
How can social media help boost event attendance?
Social media builds awareness and excitement, allows real-time interaction, and reaches broader audiences through shares and hashtags. It’s essential for modern event promotion.
What are effective interactive elements for events?
Workshops, live Q&As, polls, games, and audience participation tools help transform attendees from passive listeners into active participants.
Why is post-event engagement important?
Post-event strategies like thank-you messages and surveys help maintain connections, gather feedback, and promote future events, extending the event’s ROI.
What kind of content should I offer after the event?
Offer session recordings, speaker interviews, downloadable slides, and key takeaways to add ongoing value for attendees and nurture potential leads.
How can I make networking more effective at events?
Use structured formats like speed networking, breakout rooms, and networking apps to facilitate meaningful connections and maximize interaction time.
