Zadro Communications - Event Communication - Stakeholders vs Attendees

To gain the maximum return on investment from events, targeted communication, pre, during and post event is vital.

As the event organiser, how do you differentiate your communication from event key stakeholders to that of event attendees?

As an event organiser, regular and clear communication with people is imperative to the success of the event. Without it, there is the potential for confusion, your message to become clouded and people to be disappointed with the outcomes that may lead to less support in following events.

*Stakeholders can include exhibitors, sponsors, media partners, suppliers and/or venue partners.

1. Set up an Advisory Board. Including representatives from each stakeholder category helps to ensure all needs are met. This is a great forum that inspires teamwork and you can be assured of fresh, new ideas.

2. Weekly updates. Send an EDM (electronic direct mail - an HTML email) to all stakeholders in the weeks prior to the event. Information such as expected attendee numbers, confirmed sponsors, new exhibitors or suppliers guarantees stakeholders are aware and subsequently feel like an integral part of the event.

3. Networking/ information pre-events. If you have many exhibitors to communicate with, conduct an exhibitor briefing event. Share tips on how they can increase their ROI at the event and engage a wider audience for the overall event. The more people that each exhibitor engages with, adds more and more people to the list of potential attendees.

4. Social media. Create a group on LinkedIn and invite all stakeholders. This provides an online forum for stakeholders to share ideas, receive updates and contribute to the event.

5. Communication channels. Have you considered using project management software? Tools like Basecamp allow you to invite stakeholders to see and be actively involved in the progress of a project. All tasks in the lead up to the event can be kept in one place including lists, emails, notifications and you can set milestones to track the reaching of goals along the way.

1. Email marketing campaigns. Send out an engaging fortnightly or weekly e-newsletter about what will be at the event, share information about sponsors and key dates of the event. BEWARE - don't bombard your audience - keep it to a maximum of one email per week.

2. Use social media. Facebook and Twitter are great channels to engage with and exponentially increase your event audience. Share interesting content from sponsors or media partners, update guests on the reasons why they should attend the event. Ask for feedback about the event and use these social media tools to connect with brands and partners who may be valuable for future events.

3. Have an updated event website. Often the first impression for your event the website, it is vital that the content is easy to navigate and regularly updated. Be sure to feature the web address on all collateral - business cards, email marketing and social media sites.

4. Briefing/networking functions. Before the event, take advantage of industry events and opportunities to share pre-event information with attendees including floor plans, the run sheet or schedule, key dates and times and key information.

5. Leverage your network. Don't underestimate the power of people's networks. Work with people attending the event so they become your channel of communication with an even wider audience via their own social media profiles, working on a co-branded email or securing prime editorial placement with media partners.

Communication should be the backbone of any event strategy. Zadro Communications have designed a program specifically for the events industry, Event COMM*BAT, to help define your objectives, strategies and actions and ultimately provide the greatest return on investment. Whilst you're thinking about the colour of the décor and the theme take a moment to think about what you want to achieve from the event!

Contact Zadro Communications today to set your event on the right path!

Email [email protected] or call the Zadro team on +61 02 9212 7867

Click here to view a case study about event communication.