Nearly 60% of those working in the meeting and event industry started since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to research by Freeman. In these 101 articles, we provide key learnings for those new to the industry or those seeking a refresher to help set them up for success.

By Jay Love, co-founder and chief relationship officer, Bloomerang

Events are powerful ways to connect with your community face-to-face and spread awareness for your cause. When you host a successful event, you’ll create a memorable experience and positive association with your organization that will keep attendees coming back for more.

However, leaving a lasting impression doesn’t end on event day. After your event is over, you can keep that momentum going by following up with attendees and expressing your gratitude for their support.

In this guide, we’ll review tips for how you can properly show appreciation for your event attendees. As you read, keep in mind how you may adapt these best practices to fit your organization’s unique audience and overarching strategy.

1. Automate thank-you messages.

Once your event comes to a close, it’s important to thank your attendees as soon as possible—ideally within 24-48 hours. This promptness shows attendees you prioritize their experience and ensures that your organization and event stay top of mind.

To speed up this process, automate your initial thank-you messages. Leveraging automation will ensure that each attendee receives a thank-you message in a timely manner and at the same time as their fellow attendees. Use your nonprofit CRM to:

●      Create an attendee segment. First, create a segment within your CRM for all registrants who actually attended your event. This step ensures that each attendee gets a thank-you message.

●      Pull in relevant data. While automated thank-you messages aren’t the most personal way to appreciate your attendees, that doesn’t mean you can’t customize them at all. Your CRM can help you easily include details like attendees’ first names using dynamic fields.

●      Schedule these messages. Lastly, schedule your thank-you messages so attendees receive them at an optimal time. Again, within 24-48 hours is best, but also make sure you choose a time of day when they’re likely to be checking their email inboxes.

The foundation of your automated thank-you messages will be a strong template. Refine this template over time by experimenting with different elements and assessing the results through metrics like email open and click-through rates.

2. Follow up with more substantial thank-you notes later on.

When your post-event wrap-up has ended, take the time to send more personalized thank-you notes that are catered to each attendee. While your automated thank-you messages were meant to efficiently thank attendees, these communications are intended to thoroughly thank attendees.

Reference data from your donor management system to include details like:

●      The attendee’s history with your organization

●      How much they donated during the event

●      Their specific involvement in the event

●      Anything you’ve learned about them through your interactions at the event

●      Tailored engagement opportunities based on their interests

For example, you may thank a long-term donor for their continued support over the past ten years, tell a first-time attendee how much it means to you that they decided to join your event, reflect on an insightful comment an attendee made during a speaker session, or invite them to participate in upcoming volunteer outings.

Additionally, incorporate event-specific follow-up into your thank-you messages. For instance, Qgiv’s silent auction guide recommends explaining how people can pick up their winnings and sharing plans for items that didn’t sell to bring closure to an auction.

3. Thank attendees publicly.

After thanking attendees individually, scale up your appreciation by thanking them publicly. Show your community how grateful you are for everyone who participated in your event and their impact on your cause.

Implement a variety of public recognition strategies, such as:

●      Social media. Commemorate your event on your social media feed with photos and videos from the special day. In your caption, thank attendees for their contributions. You may even highlight specific attendees who went above and beyond by incorporating quotes from them or tagging their social media handles.

●      Donor walls. A donor wall is a physical representation of your appreciation for attendees who contributed during your event. You can also create a virtual donor wall on your website for greater visibility. Bloomerang recommends reserving this strategy for major donors to help build strong relationships with them.

●      Your website. Consider writing a blog post to summarize your event and thank attendees for their support. Alternatively, you can update your existing event page with a note of your appreciation.

Before publicly acknowledging any individual attendees, ask for their permission first. Some attendees might not be comfortable with public recognition, so take note of these preferences for future reference, and only thank them privately.

4. Send event-specific impact reports.

While you should assure attendees of their impact when you thank them, consider following up with more substantial updates once you’ve put their funds to good use. That way, you can show attendees that you’ve followed through on your promises and leveraged their donations to further your mission.

Use a combination of data, text, and visuals to portray:

●      The number of attendees

●      How much your event raised

●      How you’ve used these funds

●      Specific event achievements or outcomes

Additionally, use storytelling to show how specific attendees made an impact or illustrate the effect of attendees’ contributions on certain beneficiaries. For example, you may highlight how an attendee’s major donation allowed you to expand your programming to help more beneficiaries or interview one of those beneficiaries about how the program has changed their life.

5. Solicit attendee feedback.

Collecting feedback doesn’t just help you learn about attendees’ preferences and improve your future events. It also shows that you value their opinions and want to create the best possible experiences for them.

Contact attendees using their preferred communication channels, such as text messages, email, or even direct mail, to ask them questions like:

●      How did you find out about the event?

●      How would you rate your overall experience at our event?

●      What did you enjoy most about the event?

●      Did this event help you learn more about our cause? Why or why not?

●      Did this event inspire you to get more involved with our organization? Why or why not?

●      How likely are you to attend another event of ours?

●      How likely are you to recommend our events to others?

●      Is there anything we could do differently to improve the event experience in the future?

Once attendees have responded to your survey, store their responses in your CRM and event platform for future reference. Meet with your team to implement any constructive feedback that could take your events to the next level.

In addition to asking attendees for their feedback on your event itself, consider surveying them about your recognition strategy as well. That way, you can tailor your appreciation to your audience and make sure each attendee feels valued by your organization.

Jay Love is co-founder and Chief Relationship Officer at Bloomerang. Before founding Bloomerang, he was the co-founder and CEO of eTapestry for 11 years, which at the time was the leading SaaS technology company serving the charity sector.