By Erin Lemons
Your association’s next event is on the horizon, and you’ve got an extensive to-do list to tackle. Before the event day, you must create a schedule, find sponsors, develop promotional materials and more. Regardless of the size of your team and budget, adopting the right digital tools can significantly streamline your processes and help you make the most of your efforts.
In this guide, we’ll walk through four tips to successfully prepare for association events by using digital tools:
- Build out your toolkit based on your association’s goals.
- Train your staff and volunteers in advance.
- Use digital tools to enhance the attendee experience.
- Measure your association event’s results.
A well-planned association event can create stronger connections among your members, drive more revenue and boost your reputation. Let’s discuss how you can leverage technology to accomplish this.
1. Build out your toolkit based on your association’s goals.
There is a wide assortment of event tools available to facilitate your association's event planning. However, it’s up to you to build a toolkit that fits your budget and aligns with your goals. When researching digital event tools to invest in, keep the following best practices in mind:
● Evaluate your existing technology. According to Fonteva’s guide to AMS systems, many association management software solutions come with event management tools that enable self-serve registration, automatic discounts and tiered registration packages. Determine whether your software has everything you need or if you need to invest in more specialized tools to augment its capabilities.
● Make a list of essential features. Think about your association’s event goals. Are you trying to incorporate more virtual events into your calendar? Or perhaps you’d like to start using text marketing tools to improve attendee engagement. Compile a list of the key features you’re looking for to use as a reference when evaluating event tools.
● Consult peers for recommendations. Chances are, some of your association peers may have found digital event tools that work well for them. Feel free to reach out to learn about their experiences and ask for recommendations.
Once you’ve assembled your top picks, request demos and take advantage of any free trials the provider may offer. Prepare any specific questions you may want to ask and ensure that the tools are user-friendly so your staff and volunteers can start using them immediately without a steep learning curve.
2. Train your staff and volunteers in advance.
Well before the day of your event, equip your staff and volunteers with all the background information and training they need to use your digital tools. To set them up for success, be sure to:
● Provide in-depth training resources. Consider what your staff and volunteers would find useful when planning events on behalf of your association. Double the Donation recommends sharing a brand guide that outlines key elements of your voice and imagery so everyone can craft cohesive messages for your audience. Additionally, produce FAQs and video tutorials that walk through basic processes within your event software.
● Host live training sessions. For those who need more hands-on guidance, host live training sessions. These can be virtual, in-person, or hybrid meetings depending on your staff and volunteer preferences. Allow them to ask specific questions and work through essential tasks together.
● Maintain ongoing support and communication. Designate a point of contact that your association’s staff and volunteers can reach out to if they run into any additional issues or concerns with your digital event tools. In doing so, you’ll ensure that they feel supported throughout their responsibilities and capable of putting in their best efforts.
As your staff and volunteers begin using your association event tools, encourage them to submit feedback about their experiences so you can make improvements as needed. For example, if you realize that many of them are struggling to access the mobile app, you might put together a dedicated resource on how to do so.
3. Use digital tools to enhance the attendee experience.
Your event—along with the digital tools you use to facilitate it—should fit into your larger association member engagement strategy. Take the opportunity to create memorable, rewarding attendee experiences with your event software.
Several ways you can use digital tools to increase attendee engagement include:
Alt Text: Ways to use digital tools to increase attendee event engagement, as discussed in more detail below.
● Offering a mobile app. Americans spend an average of four and a half hours on their phones every day. Make their event experience a convenient one by allowing them to use a mobile app to view session descriptions, receive updates, reference interactive maps, and more.
● Issuing digital badges. Use digital event badges to streamline the check-in process and award attendees for engaging with your sessions. You should be able to incorporate your association branding into the badge designs and allow attendees to add missing information to complete their individual profiles.
● Conducting real-time polls. Maintain engagement throughout your event by sending out real-time polls that attendees can fill out. For example, you could ask about the topics attendees are most interested in exploring or how satisfied they are with the available networking opportunities.
Remember that the success of any member engagement strategy depends on personalization. Make your attendees feel valued by offering opportunities to engage that are tailored to their preferences. Identify these preferences by sending out a pre-event survey to registrants.
4. Measure your association event’s results.
Your association event software should allow you to track important metrics for measuring event performance. This information can yield important insights, such as where you should hold your next event or what types of activities members engaged with the most. After your event, you should evaluate:
● Attendance rate
● Networking engagement
● Poll response rates
In addition to sending follow-up emails to thank your members for attending, invite them to fill out a survey to share their feedback. Ask them questions about their overall satisfaction with your event as well as suggestions for improvement in the future.
Using digital tools to improve your association's event planning and execution should be an iterative process. Store your event data and attendee feedback in your association management software and reference this information when you begin to plan your next event. By learning from your past efforts, you can ensure that each event is more engaging than the last.
Erin Lemons joins Togetherwork Association Solutions with over 15 years serving as a marketing director, event producer, and project manager creating robust marketing campaigns and initiatives that focus on the growing and ever-changing technology needs of the association industry. She leads the marketing teams and strategy at Fonteva and Protech.
