Top 6 Tips to Personalize your Events

They say “Personalize your events, website, emails, social media and customer service!” But why?

We say because 80% of customers are more likely to do business with a company that offers personalized experiences. (1)

What is a Personalized Experience?

It refers to tailoring the customer experience to the individual needs and preferences of the customer. Delivering a personalized experience usually involves using data and information about a person's behavior, interests, or past interactions.

Talking about events in particular, businesses can leverage personalization to improve attendee engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty, as well as drive event attendance and revenue.

Now how do you personalize your B2C or B2B events? Well, it may involve creating customized agendas, recommending relevant sessions and networking opportunities, and providing personalized handouts or swag bags.

Why Should you Personalize your Event?

In a survey, 90% of the event attendees emphasized the significance of offering a personalized attendee experience. (2) Let’s see why it’s important to personalize an event:

1. Increased Attendee Engagement: A personalized event can help you keep your attendees engaged and interested in your event. When attendees feel that the event is tailored to their interests and preferences, they are more likely to actively participate and engage with the content and activities.
2. Improved Attendee Satisfaction: When attendees feel that their needs and preferences are being considered, they are more likely to have a positive experience and leave with a favorable impression of your event.
3. Increased Attendee Loyalty: When attendees have a positive experience at your event, they are more likely to become loyal to your brand. Personalized events can help build long-term relationships with attendees and foster advocacy.
4. Competitive Advantage: By personalizing your event, you can make it stand out in a crowded marketplace and attract more attendees.
5. Better Data and Insights: A personalized event can help you collect better data and insights about attendees, including their interests, behaviors, and preferences. You can use this event data to personalize future events and create more targeted marketing campaigns.

How to Personalize an Event?

Here are some ideas that you can use to personalize your event:

1. Send personalized invitations

Personalized emails remain one of the most effective ways of marketing an event. This includes addressing the attendees by their names and mentioning their specific interests. This will make them feel valued and increase their likelihood of attending the event. Try to use the information you have about them, such as their job title or industry, to tailor the invitation. You could also add a note about why you think they would enjoy the event or any special details that you want to share. However, it is important to know that customization in event management is much more than personalized invites! Keep reading!

2. Customize Registrations

Sounds strange? In simple terms, it’s about offering different registration options, collecting personalized information during the registration process, and providing individualized event materials.

One of the most common ways you can do this is by offering personalized name badges or event materials. Other than this, you can propound different registration levels or packages, such as VIPs or general admissions. You can also allow your attendees to select their preferred sessions or workshops during the registration process. Next, you can also ask them for any accessibility/ conveyance needs.

If you believe that personalization is only possible in physical events, it’s not true! You can offer customization options during your virtual event as well. For instance, you can let your virtual audience choose a preferred breakout session or select a preferred speaker.

3. Customize Your Event Schedule

Before creating your event agenda or schedule, consider your audience's preferences and interests. You can use surveys or feedback forms to gather information about what they would like to see and do at your event. This will help you create a schedule that provides the most value to your attendees.

To be on the safer side, you can use a mix of formats for your content and activities. For example, you can include keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops, and networking sessions.

4. Provide Personalized Recommendations

Offering personalized recommendations is one of the most underrated event marketing tips. This is about offering individualized suggestions and advice to attendees. This way you can help them find sessions and activities that are most relevant to their needs, and also connect with other attendees who share the same interests or goals.

To personalize your recommendations, you can use the attendee data that you have gathered during registration or through old feedback forms. You can also leverage event apps or other technology solutions to provide personalized recommendations during the event.

5. Offer Personalized Swag

Offering personalized swag is one of the most common yet effective ways to personalize events. It shows your attendees that you value their attendance and appreciate their specific interests and goals. Examples of the personalized swag might include customized bags with the attendee's name and company logo, branded water bottles, t-shirts or mugs with their name or a personalized message.

Offering personalized swag at an event requires careful planning and execution. Here are some tips! Determine a budget for swag based on the number of attendees and the cost per item. Consider the cost of customization, packaging, and shipping. Choose swag items that are relevant and useful (and preferably eco-friendly). Package them in a way that is visually appealing and easy to distribute. Consider using a tracking system to ensure that each attendee receives their swag.

6. Provide Personalized Follow-up

Personalized follow-up should form an important part of your event strategy. This will help you can build stronger relationships with your attendees and increase the chances of them attending your future events and eventually becoming your customer/ partner. ?

To tailor your follow-up activities, segment your attendees based on their interests, job roles, or other relevant criteria. Send a personalized thank-you note to each attendee after the event. If possible, include specific details about their participation in the event, such as the sessions they attended or any questions they asked during Q&A. Provide attendees with customized resources (articles, webinar links, ebooks) based on their interests or needs. You can even connect with them on social media to build a relationship beyond the event.

Conclusion:

The attendee experience is critical for the success of any event. And personalizing events can make all the difference. Though it requires a thoughtful approach and distinctive event planning skills, it’s worth every ounce of time, effort and money! After all, satisfied attendees lead to long-term loyalty and improved retention rates.

So the next time you wonder how to design an event that leaves a lasting impact on your customers, partners or even employees, personalization is the key folks!

Looking for a physical, virtual or hybrid event agency in India? With 25+ years of experience, we, at Channel Technologies, offer end-to-end event management services across the country!

Contact us today!