You’ve spent hundreds of thousands of rands on a corporate event, wined and dined some of the most influential industry insiders and pulled off a show-stopping, Pinterest-worthy event. But that’s where it ends. There’s been no increase in enquiries, sales are stagnant and brand awareness is plateauing.
If this scenario sounds familiar – you’re not alone.
A recent experience I had with one of the country’s leading brands (no names shall be mentioned) was a perfect (yet unfortunate) example of the three mistakes corporates carry on making – to their own detriment.
An event budget that ran into the millions was spent on an exclusive launch which saw VIP attendees test-drive their product. Subjectively speaking, this engaging interaction should have culminated in product adoption and brand advocacy. Unfortunately, the aftermath of this event was far from the desired response.
As a past customer of the brand in question, my invite arrived the day before the event. While my interest was piqued, my hands were tied: my diary had been booked up weeks in advance.
An associate of mine who attended the event was blown away by the experience. Unfortunately, that’s where the interaction ended. In marketing speak, he was a sales-qualified lead: he’d tried out the product and was ready to purchase. Unfortunately, he never heard from the brand ever again. Their failure to follow up with a sales prospect cost them a customer.
This event is just one of many examples of poor corporate event management, largely due to three major oversights:
1. A lack of insight into their attendees.
If the brand had done their research, they’d have known that I’m an existing customer – and have been for years. In other words, I was a perfect candidate for their event: a brand adopter. Had they used this vital nugget of information, they could have sent me a personalised invitation that referenced the fact and made sure that I received it well in advance.
2. Not following up with attendees
Many brands mistakenly think that once a venue has been cleared out, their event is over. Not so. The real culmination of an event happens only once all guests have been followed up with, whether via a post-event survey, a thank you email or a call. It’s highly doubtful whether the brand mentioned above recuperated their event budget – never mind realising ROI – as their marketing activities screeched to a halt once their guests had left the venue. Prematurely ending all communication with guests isn’t only poor eventiquette, it’s a surefire way to turn attendees off your brand – sometimes for life.
3. Neglecting the crux of the matter: guest engagement
It’s not enough to woo your guests at the event in question. You also need to actively court attendees before and after the event via multiple touch points that demonstrate the value you offer. To do this, you need to approach your corporate event management as a holistic undertaking and ensure that every single brand interaction resonates and engages your guests. Anything less and your events are nothing more than blips on the radar of your attendees.
Make sure your corporate events don’t get tripped up by these three roadblocks. Contact us to find out how we can assist you in creating a corporate event that’s a resounding success.
