The modern attendee expects more from your events. The word “more” is just ambiguous enough to leave event organizers with many questions. What do attendees really want? What do they need? What are you doing right? What are you doing wrong? Unless your post-event surveys get epic response rates, it can be difficult to pinpoint what’s working and what isn’t at your events outside of the obvious.
What’s on the Minds of Event Attendees
Cvent commissioned a report with Hanover Research to find the answers to these questions and get insights into attendees’ pain points and frustrations.
1,000+ global event attendees were surveyed as part of this research, from those who attend only one event per year to the event veterans who attend several. The results were, in some cases, quite surprising. Let’s investigate.
Your Attendees Want More Networking and Professional Development
Networking is the top reason (52%) for attending an event, with these opportunities considered highly important (67%). How’s your networking plan?
A few questions to consider:
- Are you fostering a community that brings everyone into the conversation through live Q&A, polls, chat, and gamification?
- Are you facilitating speed networking conversations with AI-powered recommendations?
- Do you offer the ability to make pre-scheduled appointments with other attendees who share mutual interests?
Attendees cite professional development (53%) and staying on top of industry trends and development (45%) as top reasons for attending a professional event. Additionally, almost three-quarters of attendees (70%) find hearing about the latest industry trends at professional events valuable. More than half of professional event attendees define a successful event as teaching new skills (57%) and leading to a better understanding of the latest advancements (55%).
When it comes to professional development at your events, are you:
- Offering attendees training courses, workshops, and certifications (if applicable)?
- Inviting industry experts to deliver keynotes and other speaking opportunities?
- Marketing personalized sessions for prospective attendees, tailored specifically for their job level and persona?
Your Event Website is More Important than Ever
“Set it and forget it” is not the right strategy for your event website. Half of attendees (51%) use the event-specific website before an event, with event websites being the predominant method for registering for events (60%). Nearly half of attendees (47%) also use the event-specific websites after attending the event.
When thinking about your event website, are you:
- Updating it regularly with updates on speakers, sessions, special events, and learning opportunities?
- Ensuring the site is easy to navigate by using personalization so visitors don’t receive a generic experience?
- Have clear calls-to-action?
There’s so Much More: Get Your Report
From your attendees’ budgeting pressures, their travel preferences and limitations, the growing importance of local events, why they want more communication from you (!), and why and what kind of food options make all the difference—this report is enlightening and hopefully will be empowering, helping you craft better attendee experiences.
Pick up your complimentary “Inside the Minds of Event Attendees” copy here.
