There is attendee engagement, and then there’s attendee engagement for the long run. When you focus only on the event engagement at hand, you might be missing an opportunity to develop and grow a fierce event fan base. When you’re able to wow your guests and cultivate ongoing relationships between them and your event, you will have a loyal audience for future events and promotions. Here’s how you can be turning today’s attendees into tomorrow’s fiercest event superfans.
Know Your Fans
To really engage and connect with your fans, you first have to get to know them. Buyer personas can help target marketable audiences. But you can also rely on them to help you develop a fanbase for your events. Know what it is they like and, more importantly, what they love about your New York conferences or events. Then, speak their language as you align your brand with those positive experiences.
Event Superfans Crave Authenticity
Don’t bother to try and pull a fast one on your guests. Be transparent with them about late or canceled keynote speakers or changes in the itinerary. They’ll appreciate you and the event more when you demonstrate the challenge, the solution, and your authentic resilience to overcome. And they’ll cheer you on and have your back ongoing.
Give Them What They Want
Superfans crave content from their favorite brands. But you can’t just sling blogs or posts that don’t speak to past guests directly. You’ll want to offer them real value, like new information, special attention, discounts, or secrets to unlock more. Cater your content strategy specifically for those you want to retain as event or conference fans. And give them precisely what they want to keep them coming back for more.
Connect with Individuals
Personalization and customized engagement is the secret sauce for transforming a guest into a superfan. So, take the thoughtful time to connect with your past guests on an individual level. Whether it’s sharing a guest's social media post or saying hello in person at a casual encounter, go the distance to engage individually when you can. Ultimately, it’s those personalized efforts that will seal the deal in confirming someone’s confidence in your events and skills as a planner.
Help Them Help You
Sharing event experiences after the event is just one way attendees can champion your efforts. So, look for ways to make it easier for them with event-specific hashtags or event meme generators that allow them to personalize and brag about their experiences. They’ll be more apt to share and promote your event if they have all the tools and resources they need.
Remember, as a New York event planner, you’ll want to create memorable experiences. But don’t be shortsighted and only focus on an engaging event the day of; think long-term and find ways to create loyal fans. These attendee engagement tips will help you do just that.
Don’t forget the best place to engage potential fans and clients is at The Event Planner Expo 2022. Contact our team to make sure you secure your exhibitor space on the tradeshow floor so you can meet and develop your event superfans!
