No, we're not putting ourselves out of business by suggesting we do away with meetings and events. Rather, this post aims to look at how we close out events and how we can keep people engaged to the very end.[Tweet "A look at how to keep people engaged to the very end. #GovEventsBlog"]
We've all seen it and done it - sneaking out toward the end of an event to miss the traffic or get in some email time. Many events have relied on incentivizing attendees by saving their best speaker for the closing keynote or doing prize drawings. While this can work, it can backfire and give a great speaker a less than full room and a less than engaged audience, or it can make prize drawings feel more like roll-call in Ferris Beuller. How can meeting planners avoid short changing end-of-day speakers and ensure attendees want to stay and get the full benefit of the event?
Think about planning your events backwards and taking a logistical look at how your attendees will spend their day.[Tweet "Think about planning your events backwards. #GovEventsBlog"]
- Location, Location, Location - look at where you're holding your event. What are the traffic patterns, public transport options, etc. Plan your event around how people want to get to and from the venue.
- Short and Sweet - does it have to be a day-long event? Could you break it into smaller, shorter, more focused events to get the full attention of participants?
- Show Your Appreciation - give attendees something useful as they leave your show. A small coffee gift card that can be used at the airport or the shop around the corner. You could also hand out a thank you note with a code to download conference materials so they can get them before you do a follow-up email.
- Embrace the Fear of Missing Out - use social media to tease some of the end of event activities (and then follow-up and actually make the end of the event memorable and worthwhile). Stay active on social media through the last minutes of the meeting to show people who did leave what they missed.[Tweet "Embrace the Fear of Missing Out. #GovEventsBlog"]
We'd love to hear your ideas on how to take advantage of the "end of days." Let us know what you've done and seen in the comments.
