48 | Ignitemag.ca | Fall 2024 STRATEGIES FOR BOOSTING ATTENDEE RETENTION For event organizers, the job of boosting retention now requires listening, intentional response and a multi-pronged approach. Strategies include: Offer early bird pricing at this year’s event Nguyen has one client who, “at the end of their event, they have everything ready to go so you can purchase a ticket to next year’s event at a deeply discounted price. It’s worth it for them to give those tickets at a discount if they can fill half the room before they even launch marketing for next year.” Work the floor at events Taylor is a fan of real-time data gathering. “We’re on the floor, talking with people, engaging with them, asking them, ‘How are things going? What do you like? What don’t you like?’ while they’re in that experience.” He also likes to get room counts to see which sessions are maintaining interest. Post-event surveys “We always, always do post-event surveys,” says Fischer. “Those are sent out the very last moment at the close of every event, to get that fresh feedback.” She adds that, “When you listen to that feedback, it really can help guide our programming.” Engage long-term attendees Besides preferred pricing, Nguyen recommends checking in with long-term attendees and soliciting feedback. “Are there things we can do to add value for you?” Look at year-over-year attendee lists Closer to your event, Fischer suggests reaching out to prior attendees who haven’t registered yet and “having candid conversations” to gain insights. Analyze and act With feedback, follow-through is equally important, says Nguyen. “Planners have access to a lot of data but also need to make sense of it and act on it.” Enlist volunteers To increase buy-in for upcoming events, Fischer suggests enlisting volunteers, committee members and mentors early. “Creating that buy-in, that ownership.” Focus on quality content and engagement “I’ve always said that reputation is what sells any event,” says Taylor, who believes consistently good content, a relational approach and solid networking opportunities encourage attendees’ loyalty more than splashy tech or celebrities. Build community Finally, to boost retention, Fernandes suggests maintaining a year-round online community for your event. Since most events already have an event app, he says, “Why not keep using that year-round?” With content such as webinars, ‘Ask me anything’ sessions, snippets from past events and pre-event networking, Fernandes says this can build “more of an engaged community. They’re not just showing up for one or two days for the event, they’re engaged year-round.” Having passionate champions continue the conversation after one event and leading up to the next, he says, “I think that is key.” Happy Returns
