We have an important question for you: Do you want your next event to be a flop? No? We didn’t think so. Make sure you avoid these common pitfalls to ensure your meeting, conference, or trade show is a success.
Lack of innovation
Your event was a hit, people loved it and couldn’t stop talking about coming back next year. That means people want to have the exact same experience, right? Wrong. Yes, your attendees loved the event this year, but if they come back next year and you offer them a re-run, they’re going to feel like you wasted their time and money. Staying innovative, keeping a close eye on hot trends, and building upon successful ideas and themes from years past will make your attendees happy, engaged, and want to return again and again.
No attendee engagement
Back in the "olde" days, attendees sat in dreary conference rooms and listened to a litany of speakers drone on for hours on end...and we all know that just doesn't cut it anymore for the modern attendee. People crave engagement, it makes them feel connected. 21st-century attendees stay constantly engaged via their mobile phones with friends, family, and work colleagues. If your event isn’t keeping your attendee’s attention, they’re going to tune out and look for engagement somewhere else. Involve your attendees with live polling via your mobile event app to get their opinions during speaker sessions, and offer live Q&A to make sure every *digital* voice can be heard. Your attendees have opinions and they want to express themselves.
Forgetting social
Your attendees are living in the golden age of social media. Sorry, there's just no denying this. That means if you want to increase attendee engagement and create a truly memorable event experience, you need to create “insta-worthy moments." This can be anything from cool performances and unique art displays to amazing happy hours. Your attendees can and will provide you with free publicity and marketing if you enable them with the right social tools, and use onsite tech to create awe-inspiring experiences. Remember to put aside some time to create a fun Snapchat filter, think of a unique event #hashtag and make it known so your attendees can use it, and if you have a mobile event app get the conversation going early by posting a live feed on Social Wall.
Failing to “wow” your attendees
This one goes hand-in-hand with "forgetting social," and creating "insta-worthy" moments for your attendees. Your attendees have come to expect big moments when going to events, like concerts, plays, festivals etc. Don’t disappoint them by making sure you have some fun stuff lined-up for them to experience! At Cvent CONNECT, we set up an Innovation Pavilion for our users to visit during the conference where they could get actual hands-on experience with our new and emerging technology solutions. It's always a big hit, with attendees bustling about trying out the new technology. Wowing attendees goes beyond technology, you also need to "wow" your attendees with pertinent educational sessions and relevant speakers who will impress and inspire.
Ignoring event tech
There are so many different tech tools out there, it can be tough to make a decision on what's right for you and your organization. That doesn't mean you shouldn't put off making a decision though. You are organizing events for 21st century attendees who expect technology to be at the center of every event they attend, whether its personal or business. Streamline your check-in process by using an onsite solution such as OnArrival, which gets attendees checked-in and through the door faster than ever. Once in the door, make sure your attendees are connected by offering a mobile event app such as CrowdCompass. Your attendees will love the fun tech they get to use throughout their time with you. The benefits of these onsite solutions are almost immeasurable, but the data they can provide you when the event is over will help you gather key feedback and attendee behavior, helping you improve your events year after year.
Is there anything else you think can think of that leads to a major event flop? Let us know by sharing them in the comments below!
