The event landscape continues to change and even if your strategy has been working, it’s important to take stock and make any necessary adjustments. You’ll want to ask the right questions to develop an event strategy that meets your goals and keeps your attendees engaged. As you look ahead to the rest of 2022, we’ll be your guide as you craft a successful event strategy.
What is an event strategy?
Let’s start at the beginning and explore what an event marketing strategy is (and isn’t). You can think of your event strategy as your north star – the single source of guidance that takes you from an event’s conception through to post-event follow-up. An event strategy should be measurable, data-driven and informed, and purposeful. Typically it should outline elements such as organizational goals and objectives, audiences, event type, what you will do, and what you won’t do. An event strategy should not be written in stone. Be sure to regularly review and update it according to your objectives and goals and industry trends.
Take another look at your current strategy
With many events returning to in-person and the rise of hybrid events, it’s definitely worth re-evaluating your current strategy. But how? Try examining the following:
- Success metrics. Your targets, such as KPIs, change all the time, which means you should make sure they’re still the right ones. As you collect more data on your events, you can create more focused targets that will better align your event strategy with your goals.
- Budget. As events shifted from in-person, to virtual, to hybrid, and then back again, budgets shifted too. The cost of technology for virtual or hybrid events can add up fast so it’s critical to make sure your budget will let you put on a great event.
- Business needs. Events can be an important method for achieving business goals so it’s important to have a firm understanding of what those are. Holding an event just for the sake of having one, or creating an event that isn’t aligned with the organization’s needs can be a waste of time and money.
Considerations for your next event strategy
Now that you’ve evaluated your strategy, you’re ready to think about what goes into the next one. There are many elements and angles to keep in mind, especially if you’re thinking about hybrid events. Consider the following factors when creating a new strategy:
- Attendee engagement. Are you including tactics to engage attendees through chats, polls, Q&A’s, and surveys? Audience engagement is an ongoing process and it’s important that your event strategy includes these vital tactics.
- Data security and compliance. With the technology required for virtual and hybrid events, data security should be top of mind for your strategy. Make sure you take into account all ethical and legal requirements and ensure you’re protecting your attendees’ information. At InGo, data security is a mindset and we’re constantly improving our protocols and adhering to industry best practices.
- Use the right platforms. With multiple elements involved in putting on an event, you probably utilize different platforms to make your job easier. So it’s important to make sure you’re using the best. Our platform is the #1 tool for referral marketing and solves the biggest event marketing challenges by driving more attendees and engagement.
- Deliver personalized experiences. Generic, one-size-fits-all experiences no longer satisfy event goers so it’s critical that your strategy includes engaging and personalized experiences. You can be intentional in capturing audience data, use the power of referral marketing, leverage the right event planning tools, and create the right content to tailor your event to what your audience wants and needs.
Get started
It can be overwhelming to think about redoing your entire event strategy, but it’s a must-do to keep your events fresh and engaging. By examining your current strategy and considering elements such as attendee engagement, data security, using the right platforms, and personalized experiences, you can build a stronger event strategy. With a strong strategy and a supportive partner, you’ll be able to devote more time and energy to creating a great event experience.
Schedule a time to chat with us to learn more about how InGo can be your event marketing partner. We can help you engage your audience, skyrocket your attendance, and transform your event ROI.
