Factors driving attendance at your conference can sometimes include those outside your control – that’s why so many conferences include attendee justification letters on their event’s homepage and in marketing materials. Check out this timely article from MeetingsNet, How to Help Your Attendees Convince Their Bosses to Let Them Attend
But how do you get on a potential attendee’s radar? Before they seek justification to attend, they need to know what your conference offers. Will the time away from home and work be worth it?
Create FOMO!
Attending a conference can be expensive and time-consuming, so if they know more about the opportunities they will be afforded, it may make the decision to petition to attend a little easier.
- Content: Every potential attendee’s area of focus may be a little different, depending on their position and experience level. Showcasing a wide range of content areas, maybe using tracks or themes as a guide, will show attendees what the conference offers. Consider profiling members in attendance with different areas of focus and at different points in their career. It can help show those not attending who does attend.
- Thought Leaders: Even if they haven’t attended your conferences in the past, they may recognize presenters because of articles in association publications, white papers, webinars or other industry events. Use your show daily to promote their involvement in your conferences – and share the links via email and social media to reach non-attendees. And don’t forget to share videos and photos!
- Networking: Finding camaraderie among those facing the same challenges could alone be worth the price of attendance. Produce video clips and share photos from these events. Publish a Man on the Street interview focused on the event’s networking opportunities.
- Vendor Relationships: Besides content, the other driver will be the exhibit hall. Finding companies that may offer new products that would ease or improve job performance is why attendees make their way through trade shows. Do you offer exhibitors a way to connect with attendees? This can be done via advertising opportunities in your show daily.
- #FOMO: Show them that your conference offers an experience they can’t get anywhere else!
Interested in learning more about CustomNEWS’ print and digital publishing services? Contact Jenn Waters today, jwaters@Showdailies.com.