Maximizing Attendee Engagement at Your Next Conference
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Selling tickets and getting people to your conference is just the first step on your to-do list. But once everybody arrives, how will you keep your conference attendees fully engaged?
The best conferences offer more than a decent roster of speakers and a Q&A panel. They spice up the agenda with interactive and memorable activities that help your audience put ideas into practice and leave feeling inspired.
Here are a few ways to plan for maximum engagement before, during, and after your conference.
Pre-conference preparation
The months and weeks leading up to your conference are a crucial time for generating excitement and buzz.
First, center yourself by setting clear goals for conference engagement. Think about what you hope your attendees will come away with: A strong understanding of key concepts? Connections with other attendees? An affinity for your organization or brand? Identify your number one priority. Avoid chasing too many different objectives and diluting the impact of your efforts.
Now is also the time to nail down your conference agenda. Think about the different tracks, sessions, and speakers you’ll be offering. Gather input from attendees if you’re unsure about which topics, speakers, and activities will be most enticing.
Finally, use social media to spread the word and tease conference highlights. Share one-of-a-kind experiences you plan to offer, tag speakers and sponsors, and introduce your conference hashtag.
During your conference
When you start planning the details of your conference, it’s time to tap into your creativity. There are countless ways to keep attendees engaged—and it doesn’t end at speakers and break-out sessions (although those are a good place to start).
Think of how you’ll encourage active participation through Q&A sessions, workshops, and panel discussions. Make it easy—and less intimidating—for attendees to ask questions in front of a large group. You can collect questions in writing from attendees in advance, for example. Then designate a staffer to ask questions live.
For questions that come up on the spot, be ready with a roving microphone or any other equipment you need to make it easy for attendees to speak up and participate.
Coordinate networking opportunities and icebreakers that help people cut through the awkwardness and get to know other attendees. Consider bringing in vendors for fun activities that relate back to your conference (i.e. photo booths, live product demonstrations, etc.). Use technology to engage attendees with live polls and encourage the use of your conference hashtag across social media.
Post-conference follow-up
Once your conference wraps up, keep attendees engaged after they get home.
Send attendees away with conference highlights and takeaways they can easily share on social media and other online platforms. When attendees go back into their workplaces and communities feeling inspired, they end up being excellent spokespeople for your conference.
Don’t forget to send post-conference surveys. These let you gather feedback and insight on how to improve future conferences. Ask attendees to weigh in on what worked and what didn’t. Take their insight to heart as you plan your next conference.
Crush your next conference
The best conference is an engaging conference. By taking the time to prepare and keep attendees engaged before, during, and after your event, you’ll build a loyal audience of folks eager to attend your next conference.
Feeling overwhelmed? You don’t have to plan your events alone. The Events Calendar has your back with a suite of event management tools, including Promoter to automate email marketing and keep attendees engaged throughout every stage of your conference.