5 Tips for Boosting Attendance at Your Next Corporate Event

Corporate events are one of the bulwarks of the modern business world. Whether it’s a training seminar or a trade show, corporate events can be an invaluable asset to the savvy business owner. However, the success of any corporate event ultimately comes down to attendance, and without a full complement of guests any business event will naturally fail to reach its maximum potential. Which begs the question, “How can you boost attendance for your next business event, without going broke in the process?’. Fortunately, there are some easy to follow tips that can help business event planners ensure that they get the turn out they desire for their next corporate affair. These tips are easy to apply, and should become a standard part of every corporate event planners guide book.

#1 — Location, Location, Location

The first tip may seem somewhat obvious, but it bears repeating. The location you choose for your event can have a definite impact on the number of guests who choose to attend. While it may be tempting to stage your marketing seminar or trade show in an exotic location, that may make it more difficult for attendees to fit it into their own hectic business schedules. Remember, most of your guests will have business responsibilities of their own, and as welcome and potentially profitable as your event may be they cannot abandon those responsibilities lightly. When planning a business event, choose a venue and location that is central to the majority of your guests. If you will be having out of town guests attending, choose a venue that is close to a number of fine hotels and restaurants to make it more convenient for all of your attendees.

#2 — Easier Registration

Registration for any business event can often become cumbersome and difficult. The easier you can make the registration process, the more likely it is that people will sign up to attend your event. Offering an online registration option will make it much more convenient for guests to RSVP to your initial invitation. Moreover, if you are charging an attendance fee for your event, online registration will make it easier for guests to buy tickets and confirm their intention to attend. Again, if you will be hosting guests from out of town, consider linking your registration site to local hotels to make it easier for visiting guests to find suitable lodging and book rooms for their eventual stay.

#3 — Leverage Social Media

Promotion is everything when it comes to garnering attention and increasing attendance for any business event. One of the most cost effective ways of promoting an event is via the various popular social media platforms. For instance, setting up a business page for your event on Facebook, and creating an event that people can like and follow, will help to encourage people’s interest in your upcoming event. Likewise, if your business has a Twitter presence, you can create a hashtag (for example, #mymarketingseminar) for your event that allows attendees to communicate with each other and with the event organizers. Again, this will give your event an active presence on social media, and will help to keep it uppermost in the minds of your potential guests.

#4 — Incentivize Your Event

Nothing increases attendance for a business event than building in an attractive incentive for the guests. This can be anything from a celebrity speaker or performer to a raffle or benefit package for attendees. The point is to include something that is unique to the event, and that encourages potential guests to make time in their busy schedules to attend. It should be noted that incentivizing your event will likely require an added financial investment, so the trick here is to balance the cost of your incentives against the potential return on investment for your business event.

#5 — Bonus tip: Provide Group Transportation

MTC Limousine’s group and meeting professionals recognize that the transportation provided to meeting & event attendees often sets the tone for a an entire program and defines the value of an event. We know the importance of engaging passengers with impeccable service and efficiency. We provide solutions that bridge the gap between the logistical details of your program and the importance of achieving your meeting objectives.

We focus on your needs, develop the transportation solutions that meet your objectives and deliver the best value for every dollar you spend. Whether we are providing solutions for a small group on the West Coast, a group of 200 in Dallas, or simultaneous international events in Dubai, Geneva and New York, MTC has the expertise and experience to ensure successful outcomes.

• Site and attendance analysis to maximize vehicle utilization and budget
• Local vendor selection and contract negotiation to ensure best value possible
• Integrated worldwide transportation services for smoothly operated programs
• Arrival and departure services to ensure that first impressions are always exceptional
• Program planning, management and on-site coordination of all services

Whether planning for 10 or 10,000 participants, rely on MTC Limousine’s experienced meeting & event specialists to manage every aspect of your ground transportation — from preliminary planning through reservations, traveler communications, on-site coordination, quality assurance and the analysis and information management tools to ensure budget and service performance.

To get the most out of any business event it is important to maximize attendance. For any business event or corporate affair to be truly successful, it needs a full complement of guests. These are only a few ways in which event planners can boost attendance for their affair, and create a more successful final outcome.

Originally published at MTC Limousine & Corporate Coach.