Keep 'Em Coming Back

Whether you have danced the night away, sat through a speaker, or enjoyed a seated dinner, once the event is over it and your guests leave the hall, it could be a distant memory. Many people planning events are wondering "what can we do to make our event different", "how can we make our event special," and most importantly "how can we keep them coming back?"

Here are a few tricks that have worked for me....

Change it up

Maybe you are in the same room every year so you want to make the speaker "in the round." This is where you position the speaker in the middle of the room and the chairs in a circle around them. This makes it hard to lose focus because everyone is watching you and makes for an interesting set up in the room.

Create a theme

Use a new theme each year and use it all the way through the planning. For example, if you were coming to Charleston, SC for an event I might have a palm tree on the invitations, then I might serve shrimp for lunch, and perhaps I might have a horse and carriage for transportation one day. Make the details worth remembering.

Think like a guest

If the conference is in a destination city then allow time in the schedule for tours or perhaps bring in someone on a break to speak about the history of the city. Make it an experience they are going to go home and talk about.

Repeat the senses

Remind them throughout the conference of the experience you are providing and have provided. Perhaps on the first day you serve a snack that is a local treat then maybe on the last day you give them the recipe to take home. Depending on the budget there are lots of take away treats you could provide. Think outside the box here - everyone has too many coffee cups and mouse pads!!!

Lastly, keep it easy

Have your staff available and easily accessible. There is no rule that says the "information desk" has to be behind a 6ft table with a registration sign. Maybe the staff should all be dressed in the same color and have "tool boxes" with them. These "tool boxes" should contain all sorts of things you might need from extra pens and AAA Batteries to Band-Aids and mini phone books. Being prepared for anything is key!

All of this being said, when all else fails, go to a few events yourself and see what everyone else is doing!