Every printer gets one of these calls on a regular basis:
“We’ve got an event in one week. Can you help us get two giant banners printed and installed?”
These requests are a frequent occurrence in our business. Not only are we challenged by time constraints,we are always thinking about the details and nuances of our client’s events. We must consider the space itself, the location, the timing, the lighting, the time we have to install and the potential attendees. These are all critical details to a successful experience.
Are we missing anything else? Oh, that’s right. The Before phase of the event and the After phase. It is often what we do outside the event that matters as much as the event itself.
The “Before” Phase
- Timeframe
If you think you need more time for planning an event, you’re undoubtedly correct. One of the first mistakes companies make is not allotting enough time overall for strategizing the purpose of the event, logistics, materials needed, post-event follow up and more. Is six months extreme? Not at all and depending on the magnitude of the event, you may need even more time.
- Goals
You assume everyone on your team has the same goals going into this event. And maybe you’re right. But more often than not, one person believes the goal is “greater awareness of our brand,” another person might say to “get more leads” and yet another still might say, “need more sales”. It’s not always clear. Start your planning with a team moving in the same direction.
- Clean That List!
You’ve been sitting on a mailing list that looks “clean” and really, how much change could a few thousand people have gone though in, say, only a year’s time?
Plenty.
Let’s say you’re using e-mail as your primary mailing mechanism. If you don’t ensure that you’re e-mailing to a list of updated people, the consequences could be poor. For example, if you were to choose a service such as Constant Contact or MailChimp, you may find yourself unable to send the list at all due to the fact that you have so many “bounce-backs” of people who no longer have that email address or perhaps because you’re using a “info@” or “sales@” email rather than an individual’s name. This is a no-no.
Whether you’re cleaning the list on your own or choosing to have someone else clean it for you, this is one of the most common pre-show hiccups- especially since it isn’t addressed until it’s much closer to the show. Keep your contacts current and clean.
- Custom Landing Page
A landing page can enable us to gather information about attendees, asking questions that are specifically about the event experience. Depending on the answers you receive, that should help tell you if that attendee is interested in taking next steps.
What offer can we provide when people come to a landing page that speaks to the message of the event? For example, you might want them to register so they can get instantly download a White Paper, which then makes them eligible to win a Grand Prize at the end of the event.
You can send people to this type of page before, during and after the event. We can even test two different types of landing pages with different messages, offers and questions for effectiveness.
The “After” Phase
- Video
It’s a couple days after the show and you have a lot of raw video. Good for you that you had the sense to capture the excitement of the event in progress, but what are your next steps? Don’t make the mistake of waiting a few weeks to edit your best footage together and take it “live.” At that point, the momentum and buzz of the event has worn off – you might as well be just another vendor trying to communicate with them. You want to capitalize on the association of your brand’s name with the event they just attended or trade show booth they saw.
If you have a resource for editing (we do), use them for their ability to re-tell the story in a professional way. Editing can be more time-consuming for people who aren’t trained in the field and you don’t have that kind of time with your existing responsibilities. Once edited, you have a source you can upload on your website and social media channels. Speaking of which…
- Social Media Channels
We often forget that what we utilize through social media can help push out valuable content about the event that can last for days, weeks and even longer beyond the show. Photos, videos and blog posts detailing interactions can keep that positive connection with the event. Think about where your audience most likely spends time online, whether it’s Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube or elsewhere. You want to help the audience who didn’t attend feel that while they missed a few things, you didn’t forget about including them in your community.
See your next event through the Before and After phases rather than just your actual appearance. At Bloomingdale Signs by Tomorrow we would welcome the opportunity to be an integral part of your planning process and share some of the relevant events we’ve strategized with our other customers too.
