Currently, there is an abundance of events, and the competition for participants is tough. In a survey carried out in August 2022 among the event industry organisation Tapahtumateollisuus members, 44% of the companies reported more demand for events than before the Covid-19 pandemic.  

So: how do you create a successful event?

Offering interesting content is the most important step to success. I always recommend you consider what your guest wants to hear, not only what you want to tell them. A successful event combines the strategic goals of the organiser with the benefits the participants gain by attending.

Don’t forget to define your target audience. It is often tempting to try to cater to a very wide audience, but that rarely serves the goals set for corporate events. Sure, having a venue full of people is nice, but is it worth the expense if none of the attendees is part of the target group you want to reach?

Once you have defined your target group, it is easier to consider where and how to reach them. Email is still the king in event communications, but even that requires planning and scheduling: what should you include in the first invitation; what is an efficient headline for a reminder email? For instance, I recommend you avoid the word ‘reminder’.

With smaller target groups, you can use more innovative ways: a parcel delivered at home, a phone call, a social media group, or a postcard. And most of all, use the contacts the organisers already have: a personal invitation is always the most efficient.

What if the event is fully booked, but some of the registered attendees don’t show up? I encourage you to reward them for their interest, not punish them for the no-show. They were interested in your organization and event, but something came up, and it was more important than attending. So, send them a message and offer some more information, perhaps a link to the materials shared at the event or a video summary, and suggest a meeting. Don’t let a valuable contact slip through your fingers.

And finally, here is a short list of tips:

• Remember your goals: why arrange an event if you haven’t set goals for it?
• Target group: who do you want to come, and how and where can you reach them?
• Content of the event: what do you want to tell versus what does the participant want to hear?
• Customer experience: map the customer journey early and appreciate the attendee communication enough to give it the time and resources it needs.
• Versatile communication: you can remind about the event in several invitations, but always bring something new to the table – change the headline, offer more information about the program, write about the speakers and their background etc.
• Send enough messages, but don’t spam.
• Don’t forget those who registered but didn’t show up.

I’m always happy to discuss combining events with communication, so please send me a message!