Today we’re finding out how you increase event attendee satisfaction & attendance for just a few dollars / pounds / Euros a head.
Whenever I wear my TEDxCardiff t-shirt people ask me when the next event is.
EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
Got my @TEDxCardiff t-shirt out in preparation for tomorrow's #TEDxCardiffLive. I'm so excited I may even iron it. pic.twitter.com/EnQZqv88Av
— Neil Cocker (@NeilCocker) October 7, 2014
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Here’s a few questions to ask yourself.
How much did you spend per head on food and drinks for your last conference? $10? £20? €50
How much did you spend per head on marketing to get people to your seminar? €5? £10? $20??
And how much do people speak about the catering afterwards? How much do people comment on your marketing strategies in the weeks after your event?
Exactly.
No-one’s going to be talking about them weeks later unless they’re absolutely phenomenal or absolutely awful. And let’s hope it’s not the latter!
But you can increase attendance and engagement with your event, provide some added value, AND delight your attendees for just a few dollars a head.
Good quality branded T-shirts can be sourced for as little as $2-$3 / £2-£3 per shirt, and provide not only a great feelgood moment when you hand them over at registration, but they will be a constant reminder for people, and reinforce your brand for months or years to come.
A t-shirt worn by someone after your event is a very public endorsement.
We printed t-shirts for SwanseaCon, and here’s a tweet sent by an attendee when he got home to The Netherlands. He returned to a completely different country, but tweeted it out to his thousands of followers!
Look @11vlr the @SwanseaCon shirts fit nicely. @kimvanwilgen pic.twitter.com/IGzO6A8qz8
— Sander Hoogendoorn (@aahoogendoorn) September 18, 2016
Do you think he’d have sent the same tweet with a picture of one of the pop-up stands from an event? Yeah, me neither.
So, here’s a few tips to ensure you get the very most out of your prime branding opportunity:
- The t-shirts
- Go for the best quality and fit that you can afford, and don’t skimp on the design. A poor quality t-shirt with the dates of your event on the back might be worn once or twice, but it will very quickly be consigned to the “for decorating or sleeping in” pile. Make it a great design on a soft-feel t-shirt, and it’ll still be proudly worn months and years later, making your event visible to thousands of people.
- Design
- The style of design you go for will very much depend on the brand of your event, and your target market. But again, don’t skimp on design. Make it something that people will be proud to wear in six months time. And think about whether you want to include a URL or hashtag, so people can look you up.
- Speakers, team, volunteers…
- Consider a different colour of t-shirts for your speakers, or anyone else involved with your event. Perhaps even a unique design.
- Delivery
- It’s a lovely feelgood moment to arrive at the venue and to find a t-shirt in your size waiting for you in a goodie bag (tip – we can collect the sizes of your attendees for you for free, saving you the time and effort). But you may also want to consider sending them a goodie bag in the post a few days after the event. This of course will cost more in time and money, but it’s a lovely surprise to receive a package when you get home!
- Bonus-tip
- You can even use your t-shirts as a bribe to get them to give you feedback forms!
Don't forget to hand in your feedback forms and get your free t-shirt! #swanseacon pic.twitter.com/H5mwnQNZFD
— SwanseaCon (@SwanseaCon) September 13, 2016
Want any specific help or guidance on how to get the most from your event marketing budget? Just head to our homepage, jump on our livechat, or email us on [email protected]
