In 2020, people were deprived of attending and hosting events all over the world. With the COVID-19 vaccine being rolled out, our empty calendars could soon start filling up. However, for the time being, we’ve adapted to attending and hosting virtual events.
When it comes to planning an event either online or in-person, there’s a lot to consider: the marketing, content, guest speakers and much more! Any event requires careful planning, attention to detail, budgets and focusing on the right priorities.
However, it’s not just about getting your event “right”, it’s about making sure it’s memorable and your guests go away with new ideas and positive things to say. From start to finish, your event needs to cover all possibilities and cater to your guests every need.
So, if you’ve ever considered running an event but have no idea where to start, take a look at these 5 top tips on how to make your event memorable…
1.Getting Your Message Right:
It’s important to think about the audience of your event and what message you’d like them to take home. You have to consider this right at the beginning of the planning when you’re thinking of your event brand and the marketing leading up to the big day.
Identifying and researching your exact target audience will enable you to promote your event to the right people. Otherwise, you could spend valuable time and money marketing to people who won’t even attend!
Before diving into marketing channels and logistics, you need to figure out what you’re going to say. Each event attracts a unique crowd and you need to craft a message that sets the tone of your event and convinces them to attend. This could be the deciding factor of who/how many people turn up, so you want to make sure that the message is going to set your event up for success.
You want people to leave with new information and lasting memories for years to come! Event timing and content is a vital factor for virtual and in-person events. Trying to pack in too much can be overwhelming, whereas leaving it too lean could result in your guests wanting more.
2. Event Timing And Content
It’s important to gauge what your audience wants to know and why they signed up for the event. You want them to go away feeling fulfilled, which requires thorough research. Conducting pre-event surveys or polls will give you a better understanding of the type of content they’ll find valuable.
When hosting an online event, keeping your audience engaged might prove more difficult. Your guests could be sitting at their desk, on the train or even on their sofa, but they’re still giving you their time. If you want them to commit their focus, your content needs to inspire and appeal to them!
3. Guests Speakers
A memorable guest
speaker can make or break your event and you don’t need a huge budget to find someone impressive. Having the right speakers can set the tone of your event and make it an event night to remember.
The speakers you select should align closely with the central themes of your event, the topics and the overall goals. You want your guest speaker to energise and inspire your guests, whilst engaging them with relevant content.
When it comes to an online event, it’s important to find a professional speaker that’s guaranteed to be able to engage your audience and share their information in an easy and interesting way. Attention is even harder to hold onto in a virtual event, so your speaker needs to be enthusiastic and captivating!
When planning any event, it’s so important to design them to be both engaging and interactive. They allow people to come together, to network and to connect with like-minded people, so it’s vital they’re given the opportunity to do that.
Your guests wouldn’t have attended your event if they weren’t interested in the topic and didn’t want to know more. Creating an interactive element by giving people the opportunity to ask questions or discuss what they’ve learnt from your event is a sure way to keep your audience engaged.
It’s very easy for people to become distracted when attending online events, so you need to find interactive elements that will make them feel involved. Providing your audience with things to do is a great way to keep them engaged and could be the deciding factor on the success of your event. Studies have shown that 49% of marketers say that audience engagement is the biggest contributing factor to having a successful virtual event.
5. Make It Fun
Although your event might be for business purposes and not for partying, it’s still important to include an element of fun. You can host a thoughtful and professional event, but that doesn’t guarantee that your guests will have a memorable experience.
If you want them to go away reminiscing on the occasion and looking forward to your future events, it’s important to create fun, energy and excitement. The challenge, however, is finding the balance between fun and professionalism. When I say fun, I’m not talking about waterslides and circus acts, I’m simply encouraging a bit of entertainment and a chance to laugh. Guests will be attending to socialise with professionals, meet like-minded people and learn new ideas, so it’s important to keep it tasteful.
You don’t want people yawning their way through your event!
Summary
After nearly a year of cancelled events and worldwide restrictions, people will be eager to get back out there and enjoy themselves. Diaries could soon get booked up and events may have to step up their game to ensure that they’re memorable. However, whilst we’re still attending online events, it’s clear that audience engagement is extremely important to your event’s success.
Sheer Edge can 
help you secure a spot in your guests’ memories! We’re an award-winning agency with over two decades of experience in the events industry, offering an unrivalled range of corporate hospitality packages.
Whether you’re running an online or in-person event, we’ll provide you with all the support you need. We aim to take the pressure off you and make your event a true success. We’ll take the time to understand your event brief, your budget, what you want your attendees to experience, supporting you from the planning phase to the final day.
From the first impression to the last, we’ll make sure your guests have a memorable experience!
To find out more about how we can support you to run your events both online and in person contact us on: hello@sheeredge.co.uk or call us: 0330 223 3176
