Reinvent the tired, predictable conference experience by using readily available technology to wow your attendees, simplify communication, and create a spectacular, lasting impression that takes your organization above and beyond their expectations.
Your First Impression Starts BEFORE Attendees Arrive
You know the sayings, ‘First Impressions Mean Everything’ and ‘It only takes 7 Seconds to Make an Everlasting Impression.’ We all know and apply them to most everyone we meet. Well, the same is even more crucial for your event and sometimes you have to overcome bad experiences before your attendees even arrive.
Think about it, your attendees are coming off of sometimes long flights, tired, hungry and easily agitated from waiting in long airport lines or lost luggage. Create a ‘surprise and delight’ moment they aren’t expecting as soon as they land with a digital welcome sign. This message to attendees can be placed on airport marquees as they exit their gate and in baggage claim areas.
Leverage Social Media to Create More Interaction
Social media is a universal communication tool, so use it to your advantage. Display live social media and texting feeds on screens throughout your events to create friendly and lively interaction – in session and out – with attendees.
Attendees will love connecting with others, seeing pictures from sessions and events and sharing in the fun. Just make sure someone is monitoring the exchanges to keep the messages appropriate (especially if you host a breakout session that has an open bar!).
Deliver Instant Support Via Mobile Phone Help Desks
Questions and concerns are bound to pop up at your conference. Since it’s one of the few things you can absolutely count on, plan for it!
One very easy and effective way you can make sure your attendees remain happy and informed is by delivering the immediate answers they want through a mobile phone help desk. Establish a phone number or text handle so you can instantly acknowledge their questions and deliver answers they need right to their phones in real time. This will solidify your organization as a caring, responsive host and will become their conference hero.
Increase Session Interaction through Online Forums
The days of budgeting printing costs for conference hand-outs (that find the trash can before they make it to the hotel room) are over. Going green is nice, but saving green while you do it is even better.
Group forums make it possible for attendees to view ‘attendee-only’ conference slides and hand-outs on their portable devices, take notes and provide feedback. Forums are the most welcomed, cost-effective and efficient way to deliver important information to attendees, and also enables presenters to collect polling information, feedback surveys and post recorded versions of the presentations for later use.
Technology Creates a Memorable, Value-Added Attendee Asset
Simple technology can make your conference the event of the year, generate active audience engagement and participation, and ensure that you and your information is received and remembered.
Make the ‘predictable conference experience’ a thing of the past by using readily available technology to simplify communication, deliver immediate attendee support, and create the most positive and lasting attendee impression from arrival through departure.
