Community-driven events are unique in that they offer an opportunity to involve the community as part of your event team. Whether you’re hosting a fundraising event or a local festival, community members are often passionate about these types of events. Tap into that passion, and it’s easy to turn attendees into advocates for your event. Here’s how.
Foster Connection
At the heart of any community-driven event is, as you can probably guess, community. Sometimes, that community is readily apparent, such as a local cultural festival or a gala to benefit a child cancer treatment center. In other cases, you can create a community within an event. However, in every case, it’s essential to foster connection between your attendees.
Attendees who identify with your event and feel like they are part of the community often organically turn into advocates. For instance, in the example above, guests who connect with one another and have a positive, meaningful experience at a fundraising gala are likely to come together to champion the cause the following year.
Whether your event community revolves around brand loyalty, shared interests, passion for a particular cause, or geographic proximity, a shared identity is a crucial first step to turning attendees into advocates.
Offer Valuable Experiences
In addition to fostering connections between your guests, offering valuable experiences is a crucial method of turning attendees into advocates. Think about an experience you loved or found meaningful in your own life. You probably told others about the experience and possibly encouraged them to try it themselves.
The same thing happens with events when attendees find the event particularly enjoyable, meaningful, or transformative. So, offer experiences that are valuable to your attendees, and they will quickly turn into advocates.
Include Attendees in the Process
Remember, community-driven events frequently benefit from passionate attendees, so use that passion to make your event even better! Give your guests some ownership over the event by inviting them to participate in the process.
This can take many forms, including:
- Voting on guest speakers
- Soliciting suggestions for your next event
- Offering a referral program
- Creating an online discussion forum
- Providing opportunities to speak at the event
Encourage Your Event Guests to Post on Social Media and Leave Reviews
Word of mouth is still powerful, albeit today, it’s more often done online. That’s why you should encourage guests to post about your event on social media and leave reviews. Group photos and candid shots from your event are especially powerful for generating interest in your event.
As community leaders emerge, offer opportunities to create short videos for social media, encouraging them to share their experiences about the event. It’s one of the most effective ways to turn attendees into advocates.
Show Your Appreciation
While attendees at community-driven events can be some of your best advocates, you mustn’t take those relationships for granted. No one likes to feel used. Instead, be sure to show your appreciation to attendees who take on an advocate role.
Some great ways to thank your advocates include:
- Personal thank-you notes
- Awards
- Event swag
- Recognition during the event
- VIP experiences
However you choose to thank your advocates, make sure they know just how much they have helped the success of your event. When attendees feel valued, they are more likely to participate for years to come.
Join the Community at The Event Planner Expo
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