Your event is finally over. The attendees have left the venue and your organising team is packing up for the day. But as the head event organiser, are you really done with the event? No! Now is the time to collate and analyse the digital breadcrumbs and behavioural patterns exhibited by your attendees to create a final, lasting impression. Based on the conversations you had, and the real-time feedback provided on different aspects of the event, what should your post-event engagement plan be? It can be as simple as a personalised email and post-event survey, but make sure your attendees aren’t left disappointed.
Tap into the memories
Your final email and social posts should help the attendees remember what an incredibly fun and informative experience they had. Compile images shared on their social media accounts with the event hashtag e.g. #CventCONNECTEurope2019 (which by the way, happens in October this year!) and create a photo collage or short video montage to tap into nostalgia. Also, include some memorable quotes from the key speakers and a couple of unique experiences – maybe there was a VR stand that was a huge hit – and you will have your highlight reel.
Get critical data
Leveraging an event app to collect data before, during, and after the event is certainly the way to go about it, but there could be attendees who missed the memo for downloading the app. To get hold of this missing data, sending an email with a post-event survey link included at the end will do the trick. You should stress on the fact that the information collected will be used to create a more enhanced and personalised experience the next time they attend.
Feedback farming tools
When reviewing the effectiveness of your event, here are the resources you should utilise:
- Data and Analytics
- Mobile Event Apps
- Lead Tracking
- Social Media
- Session Tracking
- Survey Results
Implementing feedback
At this point, it’s all about future personalisation. Attendees will notice if you listen to their comments the next year. According to a study by Cvent and Edelman Intelligence, attendee experience can vary among generations as well as regions. A Millennial from the UK might perceive a particular event experience differently than a Baby Boomer from Germany. Understand the pain points, frustrations and unmet needs to develop an actionable roadmap and deliver more engaging and profitable events in the future. A personalised experience aligned with attendee expectations will make them come back for more, year after year!
