7 Reasons Why Your Attendees Aren’t Loyal

Want more loyal attendees? Think you need to recruit a new type? It’s probably not them, it may be you.

Cultivate more return attendees at your events by asking these questions.

Loyalty is something all event planners strive for when it comes to recurring events. It takes less marketing dollars to reach return attendees and a good loyal attendee will often do some of your marketing for you through word-of-mouth referrals.

No matter how popular your event, you can expect about 10% of attendees won’t return the next year based on issues outside of your control, such as conflicts in scheduling, budgets, and/or not being able to take the time off.

However, if you see a negative change in your return rate, it’s time to look at something other than “natural” causes and start asking if there’s something you could be doing differently.

There are plenty of reasons that affect conference returns that have nothing to do with your talents as an event organizer but before you stop reading here ready to blame your attendance problems on tighter budgets, know there can be a lot more to it than that. Here are some questions you can ask to help decide if it’s you or them.

Is the Venue Compelling?

When potential attendees look at the marketing materials and take a quick scan at the location, are they excited or turned off by it? Your venue and host city should be selling points not detractors. Many people bring guests to conferences and use it as a vacation as well since half of their expenses are already paid for. If your location is not vacation material, you may want to rethink it.

Is Everyone Welcoming?

Event planners want return attendees, but when you have a lot of them, they tend to stick with the groups they know. When this happens first time attendees can face a difficult time making connections. There are many tight friendships Meeting people you enjoy being with is one of the major reasons people return to conferences. If your first-time attendees aren’t meeting people, they’re less likely to return.

Are You Making Them Feel Special?

Not only do you need to stay in contact, but you want to make them to feel part of an elite group of past attendees. If you make them feel like they’re getting something special, they’ll want to continue in that role.

Is Everything Too Scheduled?

If there is no down time during the day, there’s no time for socializing and enjoying the “hallway track.” Don’t overschedule attendees.

Is Everyone Helpful?

Bad staff can turn a good event into a hospitality nightmare. Do your best to ensure everyone has a great experience. Let your hospitality vendors know that you want to know of any issues before they become large problems.

Are Special Needs an Afterthought?

We’ve all been to events where vegetarian meals, and other special needs, look like an afterthought — like they’re just the main dish minus the meat. Never make a guest’s special needs appear to be an afterthought or an inconvenience. People with special diets deserve to be wowed by their meal as well.

it’s all about remembering they can’t have gluten (without verifying it in front of everyone or making them ask) and creating a magnificent dessert that makes the rest of the table jealous.

And also if you serve alcoholic beverages and expect not drinking you are not a connoisseur. So, serve alcoholic and offer them a chauffeured ride back home or to the hotel.

Did You Show Appreciation to Everyone?

Thank attendees for coming. Thank sponsors for their contributions to making the event a success. Be gracious and welcoming to all and people will want to be a part of it again next year or to another event.

Return attendees are the goal of every event planner. In order to achieve this, you need to create an amazing event, in a place people want to go, with activities they’ll enjoy, and personal touches that make them feel amazing. Now that doesn’t sound hard does it?

MEETING & EVENT SERVICES from MTC Limousine — Make them feel special

We are Client-Driven. We are dedicated to delivering meeting and event solutions that ensure every operational and financial objective is met and every attendee experience is exceptional. We add value. Our global services and fleet provide maximum flexibility to accommodate the changing needs of each of our passengers, planners and executive staff no matter where in the world their travel takes them.

MTC Limousine’s group and meeting professionals recognize that the transportation provided to meeting & event attendees often sets the tone for 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

Originally published at MTC Limousine & Corporate Coach.