Your Event Right

April 2008, North Vancouver, BC
Allison Cousins, Rex Image25

These days, there are a lot of events competing for guests attention. You can’t even assume that employees will attend their corporate functions these days. Your guest has to be engaged and motivated.

So how do you get people to come to your event? The first key is to plan a great event. The second is event branding and promotion. Here are 5 tips for creating effective promotional materials for your event.

Who is your guest? Brainstorm a profile of your ideal guest. It is key to understand who you want to attend your event and, more importantly, what appeals to them.

1. What’s in it for them? Now that you understand your guest, brainstorm on 10 reasons why they would want to attend your event. Be specific! Promising “great food and a fun night” is too generic. Prizes, activities, a particular network or a guest speaker are examples of features that may appeal to them.

2. The headline! When reading a newspaper, how do you decide which article to read? The headline! Make the headline meaningful to your guest. Your headline can even include an enticing reason to attend the event: “Attend my seminar and learn how to reduce your tax payable by $5000.”

3. Less is more. Too much text or cheesy graphics are overwhelming. Any description of the event should be concise and include your best “What’s in it for them?” statements. Be sure to group the logistical information in one area so that people can find this critical info at a glance.

4. Call to action! Once you’ve got people all revved up, tell them exactly what to do next… and be specific. For example, don’t just put a website address. Say “Visit our website to reserve your seat before July 1st.”