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How do you get people to your events?

  • 1.  How do you get people to your events?

    Posted 07-10-2019 09:57
    We have found huge success in having a dedicated person on our team for recruiting attendees to our events. This person uses phone calls, personal introductions, social media and email to target potential attendees. 

    1. Does your organization use a recruiter to get attendees to your events? 
    2. Are you looking for a part time position to help us get attendees to our events? We have one open now. 

    I would love to hear from you! Thank you!

    #ManagingOn-site

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    Mary Zampino, CSP, CSMP | Vice President – Content, Research & Analytics | SIG
    mzampino@sig.org | LinkedIn: maryzampino | Twitter: @MaryZampino_SIG
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  • 2.  RE: How do you get people to your events?

    Posted 08-02-2019 18:25
    We use social media, as well as email campaigns, and word of mouth at other conferences. We also rely heavily on our attendees to recommend us to others in their network, so we aim for them to leave the conference with the best possible experience.

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    Katie Cincotta
    Manager of Planning and Logistics
    Culinary Institute of America - CA
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: How do you get people to your events?

    Posted 08-09-2019 10:34
    Our events are mostly internal or targeted client lists,

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    Hallie Loeb
    Meeting Technology Specialist
    Travel and Transport, Inc.
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: How do you get people to your events?

    Posted 08-02-2019 18:30
    We have started to buy lists from similar organizations. We also sometimes send our emails on behalf of a chair member that they may know and therefore are more likely to open

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    Kim Schechter
    Program and Administrative Manager
    Executive Director Inc.
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: How do you get people to your events?

    Posted 08-05-2019 10:27
    We do actually do this, and try to have the phone calls done by an employee the prospect may be familiar with. If it's a true prospect with no relationship built yet, our inside sales team handles the phone calls. In addition, we post our events on our website and in social media as well (when they are public - many of our events are invitation-only).

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    Lori Wildman
    Senior Marketing Manager
    DuCharme McMilllen & Associates
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: How do you get people to your events?

    Posted 08-05-2019 11:33
    We sometimes have our sales team attend other events to talk about our projects, but more for awareness than for recruiting attendees. Glad to hear it's successful for your team!

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    Haley Kilar
    Junior Operations Coordinator
    Encore Live Productions
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: How do you get people to your events?

    Posted 08-05-2019 11:49
    Since our conference is sales orientated, we use our sales managers to push the folks to sign up. Internally we have set up competitions between the sales managers to see whose team has the most people sign up within a timely fashion.

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    Courtney Riley
    Digital Media Supervisor
    CNC Software, Inc.
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: How do you get people to your events?

    Posted 08-05-2019 13:43
    Our biggest event is our client conference, so we use email marketing campaigns, social media marketing and direct outreach to enlist attendees!

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    Jennifer Ricciuti
    Marketing Coordinator And Graphic Specialist
    Reged
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: How do you get people to your events?

    Posted 08-05-2019 15:50
    We have internally an assigned Convention Services Manager (or more than one if it's a larger event) that will handle the event from planning to questions to arrival etc.

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    Andrea Timbes
    CRM Administrator
    Visit Fort Worth
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    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: How do you get people to your events?

    Posted 08-05-2019 19:54
    Our clients use social media, sales team, recommendations, etc. Also check out video #11How To Sell Tickets FAST! [Event Planning Tips] on this Cvent's blog.
    ​

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    Rica Rillo
    Web Developer
    MFactor
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    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: How do you get people to your events?

    Posted 08-06-2019 08:01
    @Mary Zampino, I am curious as to what kind of event. Is this an open-to-the public tradeshow? A training event? Sales prospecting. All good suggestions from other Cvent Celebrities so far, but I think knowing more about your intended audience and your goals would help you to create a list of the best tactics for each size/audience/goal event. 

    For example, my event is about 400 people, business partners, a training/enablement/networking event. We offer free training, but attendees pay for their travel and hotel room. We feed them. I promote the site itself like crazy, am taking the "bleisure" approach (turn this business trip into a leisure experience by coming early or staying late), and I also promote the content. Our Partner Managers contact the business owners to discuss how many people they are sending, and can use the quarterly business plans for leverage. For example, maybe they have to sell a certain amount of a product and they lack a sales or technical person certified in that product. Or maybe they have a new Marketer on staff that should attend to get training. 

    Knowing more about your audience, event, and goals will help to organize a strategy for each one so that you have an effective plan for different events. ​

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    Brenda Ainsburg
    Channel Program Manager
    brenda.ainsburg@siemens.com
    Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    United States
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    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: How do you get people to your events?

    Posted 08-06-2019 10:29
    @Brenda Ainsburg, you asked, "I am curious as to what kind of event. Is this an open-to-the public tradeshow? A training event? Sales prospecting."

    Our event is open registration, but we validate all registrations so that the attendees are either professionals from our membership community and using a seat from their membership agreement, qualified prospects or sponsors and providers. It is a thought leadership event with educational sessions, networking and an innovation forum.

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    Mary Zampino, CSP, CSMP | Vice President – Content, Research & Analytics | SIG
    mzampino@sig.org | LinkedIn: maryzampino | Twitter: @MaryZampino_SIG
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    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: How do you get people to your events?

    Posted 08-06-2019 10:38
    Thanks @Mary Zampino! It sounds like you have a way of knowing who is a part of your membership community. Marketing email to known members of your membership community and posts to social media as others have suggested are definitely good ways to promote the event. I have a Partner list that I update every 2 weeks during event season because more contacts are added frequently and we don't have a direct SalesForce integration.

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    Brenda Ainsburg
    Channel Program Manager
    brenda.ainsburg@siemens.com
    Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    United States
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    Original Message


  • 14.  RE: How do you get people to your events?

    Posted 08-06-2019 13:11
    We rely mostly on word of mouth and reputation. Having one person blasting out information doesn't always translate into engagement.

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    Andrea Johnson
    Contract Administrator
    Association of Communication Engineers
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    Original Message


  • 15.  RE: How do you get people to your events?

    Posted 08-09-2019 11:25
    We're not currently using a recruiter but it may be something for us to look into down the line. We currently do email campaigns, phone calls, and social media in addition to word of mouth.

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    Jillian Kreider
    Communications Specialist
    Riegl Usa
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    Original Message


  • 16.  RE: How do you get people to your events?

    Posted 08-09-2019 17:28
    Edited by Jacqueline Ward, CMP 08-09-2019 17:31
    We depend on alumni and our state bar lists. I echo Andrea's post, we rely on word of mouth and reputation. Having one person blasting out information doesn't always translate into engagement.

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    Jacqueline C. Ward, CMP
    Director, Continuing Legal Education & Special Events, UNC-Chapel Hill
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    Original Message


  • 17.  RE: How do you get people to your events?

    Posted 08-12-2019 10:40
    Our events are very exclusive and tend to have a targeted audience.  We use social media, email campaigns, word of mouth. We've never used (or really have need for) a recruiter getting attendees to events.

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    Melissa Thuston
    Sr. Corporate Meeting and Event Planner
    Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
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    Original Message