Organizing an event is one thing. Communicating around it is another. And yes, as an event planner, you must be multitasking, but above all have diverse and varied skills. In addition to setting up a great project, you need to take the time to promote it. At a time when technologies are multiplying, we tend to forget the old working methods that are still proving their worth.
But don’t panic! At Eventdrive, we still have them all in mind, and even better, we also know the new ones. So make yourself comfortable and discover all our tips for successful event communication.
DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR EVENT COMMUNICATION
Communication around an event is an important step in the creative process. Yes! We can compare the organization of an event to the creation of an artwork, because the goal is the same: to dazzle!
The communication must meet two main objectives. It must be informative and promotional. In other words, effective communication must be able to improve awareness around an event by making it widely known. Obviously, in the long term, we want to encourage the act of buying by increasing the number of registrations for our event. To achieve this, different methods have emerged in recent decades. Today, as 2019 begins, Eventdrive has decided to talk to you about the two main strategies and why they are so important.
PRINT OR DIGITAL: WHAT TO CHOOSE FOR ON-SITE COMMUNICATION?
There are several methods to communicate about your event. Today, we have decided to focus mainly on the two main categories: print and digital. Why? Because we want you to implement effective strategies quickly. But depending on the type of event you are organizing, other techniques can prove their worth. For example, a study conducted by Ipsos showed that nearly 91% of people surveyed appreciate street marketing operations. This type of campaign takes a little longer to set up and requires significant resources, but street marketing should be considered if you can afford it.
But let’s come back to our topic and talk in a little more detail about the two main strategies.
was in the event and what they said about it.
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Focus on methods that have proven their worth with print
We no longer present communication through print, which we all know very well. The use of paper signs, posters, flyers, has been around (almost) forever and is still proving its worth, despite what some people may think.
To ensure successful print communication, it is important to define your visual identity, specific to your event. It must be strong and representative of your brand image. Once this step has been validated, it is time to apply it to different media. To stand out, you can choose to print on high quality paper or add finishes, such as varnish or textured wood paper. Regarding the achievements themselves, put yourself in the shoes of your participants and think about what they would like to have on site. Plans, catalogues, business cards are the first things to explore. Don’t forget the commercial brochures in your strategy, it’s the ideal way to promote your products during your event.
On the other hand, with sustainable development issues increasingly prominent in conversations, the use of paper is less recommended. It is therefore partly for this reason that digital has gained importance in event communication.
Use digital technology to modernize your event
As mentioned above, for environmental reasons, but also in line with current trends, digital has gained importance in event communication. Today, we see more and more invitations sent only by email for example. Eventdrive also offers the possibility to create an application during an event. A job that requires a little preparation beforehand, but has a small impact on communication. The creation of a website dedicated to the event on which guests can find all the practical information, but also register, is also in vogue.
Without going that far if your means are limited, other alternatives exist. To have an online presence, don’t forget to communicate widely on social networks in particular. You can also write sponsored articles or use influencers to gain visibility. Imagine the latest fashionable blogger talking about your event in his latest article, or even better in his Instagram story! Without even saying whether he will be there or not, a quote of this kind is a real added value.
4 TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL ON-SITE COMMUNICATION
It’s time to get to the heart of the matter. Event communication involves the implementation of on-site strategies. Here are some tips to make sure you don’t miss it:
- Don’t forget to print the program of the event and make it available to your guests. For the web version, you can also choose a mobile application that will contain all the information, as we told you earlier (but as you are very attentive, you already knew it!).
- Remember to recall all the conferences that will take place during the event. Either with posters featuring the highlights, or with push notifications that participants will receive directly on their smartphone.
- Set up signposts to indicate the different conference rooms, or even the different locations of the event if it is a major gathering. You can also implement geolocalisation on smartphones, but this technology is not available on a very small scale.
- To make beautiful visuals, feel free to use online tools such as Canva. Its free version allows you to create an unlimited (or almost unlimited) number of designs. To have even more freedom, Sketch is very easy to use and has a free trial version for 1 month.
On-site communication requires a lot of work and especially preparation beforehand, but believe us, the returns on investment will not disappoint you. Whether you are ultra-connected or follow more traditional methods, you will find the right strategy for your event, that’s for sure!
