Boomset Blog

“I’d like to congratulate and thank all contestants for the endless inspiration and innovation they bring to our industry - we feel privileged to be the ones recognizing the best among them! We will continue to support the event profs community with different initiatives and activities”, comments Ovanes Ovanessian, Co-founder of Eventex Awards.

Eventex Awards are well known for their stellar jury panel and fair evaluation process where the entries are evaluated on their own merit, instead of getting judged against each other.

This marks a remarkable achievement for Boomset and worthy recognition of their excellent work.

What can you do with this new direct integration between Boomset and Splash? 

• Instantly import events, guest details and session information from Splash into Boomset!

• Use the two-way connection to sync and update attendee contact and check-in status in Splash!

• Update your guest list in real-time without having to push any manual updates!

We’re extra excited about this new partnership to give planners the tools they need to seamlessly manage and track their event lifecycle and continuously impress their event attendees - from before the event starts until way after it ends.

1. Triggering email series for event promotion. An effective email series is a great way to build brand recognition among potential event attendees. Plus, you can target specific audiences with email blasts containing information relevant to the reader.

When you have access to the proper software, triggering an email series looks like this:

- First, a potential event attendee downloads a resource, clicks through an email, or subscribes to your newsletter. Any action where you can collect contact data is enough. This acts as the trigger for your email series. 

- Next, the potential attendee will receive an email because of the action they completed. This email (and future emails) are designed ahead of time by your organization staff and should help lead them to your event registration page. 

- Finally, the email series has an automatic stopping point when the recipient completes the task you want them to. In this case, the stopping point occurs after the email recipient registers to attend your event.

The key to an effective email series is writing the emails in a way that encourages the recipient to open, read, and follow through with the email’s suggestions.

Make sure you follow your other marketing best practices when crafting your emails. For instance, be sure to make the best use of your images, create an eye-catching call-to-action, and use plenty of details in your descriptions.

2. Blasting out social media messages. In addition to your email blasts, your organization should use other platforms to reach out to past supporters and customers. Social media channels are at least as important as email when it comes to marketing automation.

It can be difficult to interrupt your busy schedule 10 minutes every day to write and publish a social media post leading up to your event. Instead, marketing automation allows you to plan ahead and schedule posts for each day leading up to your event.

However, don’t forget to customize each marketing message based on where it will be posted. Consider the following platforms:

- Facebook. The average audience demographic on social media may be a slightly older crowd than on other platforms. You may see more Gen X, Baby Boomers, and older Millennials using this platform the most. Craft your message to this general audience. 

- Instagram. Instagram specializes in posting images. Try posting pictures from last year’s event in addition to your ads for this year. Instagram is also owned by Facebook, so you can connect the two and share posts between them!

- Twitter. This is a great platform for witty comments and polls. You may survey your audience to get them engaged with event details before the event even starts. Make sure to also include a link to your registration page to encourage them to also attend.

The best marketing automation software solutions should help your organization publish on multiple social media platforms in addition to your email marketing strategy.

3. Segmenting groups for targeted messaging. In your organization’s CRM, you can divide supporters and customers according to specific details and data you’ve collected about them in the past. Then, use this data to craft messages that will most appeal to that specific audience.

Your marketing automation tools will help you send messages to these specific audience members and entice them to get further involved and will help you maximize donations or registrations.7

Consider segmenting your audience by:

- Last year’s attendees. If your event is an annual occurrence, invite your attendees from last year to return. Remind them of all the fun they had at last year’s event and tell them about the new opportunities this year.

- Attendees from other events. Invite the attendees from your other events. Explain to them how this event is different, but just as (or more) enticing than the one they attended in the past. 

- Social media leads. You’ve likely collected contact leads from social media platforms. Creating a new segment in your CRM with these leads will help you better reach out to them on various platforms and further increase their engagement. 

- Long-term customers. If you have customers, supporters, donors, sponsors, or other involved parties who have been around for a while, you may want to craft a special message to them that differs from that sent to new leads. 

- Volunteers. While you reach out to many leads in order to increase your registration rates, don’t forget that you’ll also need to recruit volunteers to help staff the event. Reach out to past volunteers to get started with this process.

When it comes to marketing strategies, one of the best places to start is your organization’s CRM. When you have the right segments created for outreach, you’ll be better equipped to market your event as effectively and efficiently as possible.

4. A/B testing to find better outreach strategies. As your organization plans your upcoming event, it’s easy to get caught up in the short-game—how to make this event as successful as possible. However, don’t forget the importance of long-term planning as well.

Consider the big questions you may have about your organization’s general marketing strategies. What can you learn from this event to help your entire organizational strategy in the future?

Conducting A/B testing to discover new outreach strategies can help your organization better implement new marketing initiatives in the future.

Try testing out different aspects of your strategy such as:

- Email structure - Registration page structure - Newsletter explanations - Other event marketing materials

Collect information and data about how each of your supporters and recipients responded to each strategy experiment. Then, save this important data in your CRM.

For example, nonprofits may test out two different donation pages in the time leading up to your event and measure success by which got more and larger donations. The data from each page should be saved as donor analytics in the CRM for future reference.

Automating the event outreach lists allows you to add a personal element to your messaging without crafting a new message for each and every person. The best software will allow you to choose the segment of supporters you want to reach, then auto-fill their names and other relevant information upon sending the message.

5. Collecting and storing registration information. Your organization’s event registration forms are a great opportunity to collect new data to add to existing CRM profiles and to create new supporter profiles for those who are new to engaging with your organization.

However, you don’t want to create a complicated registration page with too many questions or loops to jump through in order to attend your event just to collect data. This may drive people away and reduce the number of attendees for your event.

Use a top registration system so that you can collect relevant information through ticketing without slowing down the process for attendees.

Look for features that improve efficiency such as:

- QR code scanning - Face recognition scanning - Attendee profile editing access - Kiosk check-in - Cashless payments

When you implement the available tech that will help your organization collect data while speeding up the registration and check-in processes, you’ll obtain more information about your attendees while providing them a better event experience.

Marketing automation has changed the game for event planning. You can now reach out to more people effectively and efficiently when you have access to the best tech.

Boomset was founded in 2011 by two friends who were tired of waiting in long registration lines at events. Since then, Boomset’s solution has expanded beyond mobile check-in and on-demand badging to include event registration, facial recognition check-in, and gamification features to name a few. The cutting-edge platform and apps appeal to event planners, marketing executives, IT professionals, and so many more to service their events, vendors, exhibitors, and attendees.

This year’s awards attracted a record number of applications across company stages in the United States. The winners were selected by a panel of judges comprised of top tech founders, investors, and industry experts. The companies were evaluated based on growth, the strength of the technology product or service, impact on the industry, and commitment to customer success.

Boomset’s intuitive turnkey system is the all-in-one solution continues to increase value at events while creating exciting live experiences. “Boomset is the ultimate best-in-class event technology to save event planners time and increase value at events,” says Monica Wolyniec, Marketing at Boomset. "#TheBoomsetWay is truly fostering meaningful event experiences all over the globe; it’s simply fantastic to acknowledge our amazing team behind the product, who works day-in and day-out toward to develop the easiest user experience possible. We’re growing in features, functionality, and events serviced worldwide - 2020 is undoubtedly going to be the most exciting year yet.”

“The 2020 Software Companies to Watch award winners represent some of the most innovative products and services that businesses are using to propel growth,” said Eugene Vyborov, Chief Technology Officer of YayPay and presiding judge of The Startup Weekly’s Founders to Watch award panel. “Today’s software and technology ecosystem is incredibly competitive and it’s no easy feat to offer differentiated value to the marketplace.”

About Boomset Boomset is the easiest all-in-one event management solution on the market. Boomset solves the challenges event professionals face to complete a successful event lifecycle with an award-winning customizable event automation platform of apps and services. Automate manual efforts and create better event experiences with Boomset's for event registration, self-check-in, on-demand (color) badge printing, facial recognition, session management, RFID tracking, lead retrieval, gamification, on-site services and more.

For more information, visit boomset.com.

About The Startup Weekly The Startup Weekly is a leading independent source of news, insights, interviews, and awards for business builders across all sectors of the economy. The company’s media contributors include founders, business executives, investors, and other thought leaders. The Startup Weekly is committed to establishing a community for those pursuing entrepreneurial excellence.

Boomset is a finalist in two categories: Best Interaction Technology, the first prize awarded to the team in 2019, and People’s Choice for Technology. (All categories and finalists can be found here.)

Image of Denton’s 2018 using Boomset RFID Automation, winner of Best Interaction Technology Eventex 2019

An impressive 444 entries from 39 countries around the world competed to make it on the prestigious list. The competition recognizes excellence in every aspect of the event industry - from events and experiences to event technology, suppliers, venues, and destinations.

We’d like to thank take a moment once again to express our gratitude to our clients, community and the creative crowd that make up our “Boomies” for this achievement. The winners will be announced on 26 March 2020 - stay tuned!

1. How will guests register for the event?

While you’re conducting research about various types of event software, put yourself in your guests’ shoes to imagine which registration method will best appeal to your audience. 

How guests register for an event is highly dependent on the audience and type of event itself. For instance, you may need software that allows for:

• Online registration. Online pre-registration is a great way to get your supporters excited and committed to your event. Plus, it allows your nonprofit to get a headcount for potential space requirements or food orders. 

• On-site registration. If you will allow walk-ins to your event, as many fundraising events do, you’ll need a kiosk or method of collecting on-site registrations. If you choose to offer both on-site and online registration, look for event software that allows you to check-in pre-registrants and sign up new registrants at the same welcome kiosk. 

• Signature collection. If your event requires a waiver or signature of any type, look for an event registration software that easily makes signing a part of the registration process. Waivers help organizations better track who has yet to sign as they check-in. 

• Session registration. Nonprofits who host informative conferences and large events may benefit from looking into session registration technology. This software allows you to better plan the event so speakers’ times do not overlap. Plus, you can track how many attendees go to each session. 

• Badge printing. If you want to up your nonprofit’s registration game, you can print badges. Badges help make your event more secure. Plus, QR codes printed on the badges help your organization gather more information about your attendees. 

It’s helpful to find a single event software solution that offers all of these features that your nonprofit needs for your upcoming event. This prevents your organization from needing to invest in several, unconnected software solutions. 

Ahem...if you´re looking for said all-in-one solution head HERE!

When everything is available through one or two different yet integrated software solutions, you can easily collect the important data that you’re tracking about your various event attendees in order to transfer to your CRM. 

2. Who is your target audience?

Depending on the type of event your nonprofit is hosting, you likely have particular target audiences you want to attend.

This is especially important to think about when it comes to the various planning and marketing options your nonprofit must analyze and decide upon to tailor the event to the needs of this audience. 

Before you begin planning your event, be sure to first establish the target audience you want to reach. 

Start by looking through your donor software at the various profiles and group segments that you’ve established. Which of these segments apply to your goals and target audience? Consider for instance, if your nonprofit’s goal is to:

• Steward major donor prospects. Check-in on the donor tracking feature of your CRM to see where certain donors are in the process of major giving. You may consider inviting supporters who are currently in the cultivation stage. Or for a larger event, you may invite everyone in the identification through giving stages. 

• Provide opportunities to members. If your nonprofit has a membership program, you may be hosting a special event that is targeted directly to those who pay membership fees. Use your donor software to generate an up-to-date list of members to invite. 

• Raise awareness in the community. Maybe your event is more open to the community, but you want to ensure you have a strong supporter presence there. Use location features or filters to be sure you invite locals to attend the event. 

When you know your target audience, you can start thinking about how you will best appeal to them through your software solutions. 

For instance, major prospects may appreciate a more high-tech check-in progress maybe with Facial Recognition, color badges printed instantly and QR codes paired with a personal handwritten invite. However, for a community-oriented event that is open to the public, you may opt for an easy online registration process and a less technical check-in. 

Considering your audience through each step of your event will help your nonprofit better reach your goals, whether that goal is to raise money, boost awareness, or steward supporters. 

3. How will you promote the event?

When it comes to promoting your event, you’ll also need to conduct some audience analysis. You’ll need to consider the message and platform that are most likely to resonate with your supporters. Then, appeal to those supporters appropriately.

Email is the most commonly used communication tool between nonprofits and supporters. Check your email open rates and click-through rates to see which demographics and segments of supporters engage best with email communication. Then, craft a message toward those supporters. 

Of course, you can craft multiple emails to appeal to each segment of supporters you have in your donor database as well. But remember that you also have other platforms you can use to appeal to various groups of supporters. For instance:

• Post to social media. You can set up automatic posts to publish from all of your social media accounts at the same time with a fundraising CRM. You can learn more about this marketing automation for nonprofits with Salsa’s guide on the matter. 

• Add the event to calendars. Add your upcoming event to local calendars in the community as well as the event calendar on your website. With this method, you’ll reach active community members as well as those actively engaging on your website. 

• Start a crowdfunding campaign. Crowdfunding or peer-to-peer fundraising can help bring people’s attention to your upcoming event while simultaneously raising money for the cause. Ask people to donate and register at the same time!

Before you dive into these great ideas, be sure to define which audience you’re targeting with each message. This will help you reach the broadest range of people. Consider the marketing functionality of your current software arsenal, then carefully select event software that offers the other promotion functionality that you really need. 

If you’re still looking for inspiration, here are  four great event examples and the techniques they used to draw in attendees.   

4. What is your event budget?

Before your nonprofit makes an investment in software, it’s important to first consider any budgetary restrictions you may have. 

First: We recommend listing out the various functions you want from your ideal software selection. This gives you a broad understanding of the types of things to look for. It also helps keep you from getting distracted by the attractive bells and whistles of solutions when they don’t have the core functionality you need. 

Next: Divide the items on your list into “needs” and “wants” columns. This will help you better understand what that core functionality is. Plus, if you do find yourself constrained by your budget, you may be able to choose a lighter weight solution that has all of your “needs” and most of your “wants” rather than considering them all completely necessary. 

Finally: Ask for demos of the software you take an interest in. Ask for a price quote during the demo. Be sure to confirm that the price you’re told also includes the cost of tax and any implementation fees. Remember that it’s usually less expensive to opt for one to two comprehensive solutions than to mix and match multiple to fit your needs. 

It is sorely tempting to invest in all of the greatest gadgets with the best tech trends. And while this tech can make your event stand out from the crowd, it’s also important to first recognize how much your organization values these latest trends. 

For instance, a conference a nonprofit holds about technology will likely hold these gadgets in higher regard than your local animal shelter’s fundraising auction. 

5. What other fundraising activities will you incorporate?

While there are various types of events that nonprofits may choose to host (and a variety of reasons to host each type), one of the most common events that nonprofits choose to host is a fundraising event. 

Fundraising events are specifically designed and planned with the intention of raising more money than it takes to plan the event. 

This usually means that there are a lot of fundraising opportunities before the event as well as during that provide engaging opportunities for supporters to give. Bonfire provides a comprehensive list of top fundraising ideas for nonprofits to use in their day-to-day campaigns or as a part of a larger fundraising event. Some of these incredible ideas include:

• A t-shirt fundraiser

• Peer-to-peer fundraising

• Bake sales

• A 50/50 raffle

• Text-to-give 

• A balloon raffle

• A food truck partnership

• Matching gifts

• And more!

The great news is that you’re not limited to just one fundraising idea at events! 

Your nonprofit has the opportunity to get creative and incorporate as many of these winning fundraising activities as you’d like to most effectively raise money from your supporters. Plus, with software that incorporates gamification tools (Have you gone to boomset.com yet?!), your supporters will even find these fun. 

Plan out what types of fundraising activities you want to incorporate into your event. Then you can find software that will fill the needs of those activities in addition to the general event planning needs of your organization. 

There are many considerations your nonprofit must take into account before choosing an effective nonprofit event software solution that will fit all of your needs. Be sure to use this list as a checklist before you sign any contracts or make a final investment. 

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1. Evaluate your nonprofit’s software needs.

You may be tempted to dive headfirst into the worlds of constituent relationship management and digital event planning software when beginning preparation for your event-- it’s certainly exciting! However, before even considering purchasing a new set of tools, you should first evaluate your nonprofit’s software needs. As it should serve as the foundation of your whole tech toolkit, start by making sure your database is up to par. 

Just as each nonprofit is different, so are the CRM options available to help support your event planning goals. It’s important that you evaluate exactly which features your organization needs in order to find the perfect fit. According to CharityEngine’s nonprofit CRM guide, there are five considerations to make before choosing your CRM:

• Conduct a tech audit defining what technology your organization already has, the cost of owning it, and the functionality it carries. Use this to identify any holes in your current lineup.

• Prioritize your needs by considering which missing elements are most pressing. Make a list of the features that will adequately fill those needs.

• Start researching various CRM options by consulting other nonprofits that conduct similar work to yours and reading the reviews on trustworthy tech blogs. 

• Ask for a demonstration, during which you should ask many questions to make sure you’re investing wisely!

Finally, after completing your research, choose the perfect CRM.

Carefully evaluating your nonprofit’s needs and completing thorough research on the various software options will ensure that you make an investment that will benefit your nonprofit for years to come. 

2. Choose a fully-functional CRM for more efficient actions.

During your research, you probably noticed a few key features to look for in a CRM, such as payment processing, online fundraising, and communications management abilities. 

Each of these functions will be essential for digital event planning. Choosing a CRM that offers all of these abilities will help to streamline operations. Instead of having multiple applications and spreadsheets documenting these processes, you’ll be able to handle it all within one software!

A CRM is meant to function as one centralized database that contains information on all interactions with your nonprofit. Investing in a fully-functional CRM now will help you plan better events as you generate more organized, actionable data year after year.

And if you have different systems that you prefer and like working with, opt for one that communicates well via an integration.

3. Collect donations digitally with online fundraising options.

Donations are the driving force of nonprofit organizations, and you want to make it as easy as possible for donors to give at your event.

By choosing a management software that allows for online fundraising, you can make the donation process as easy as one-click. There are a few online fundraising features you should look for in your fundraising and event management tools:

• One-click giving. This enables donors to make repeated gifts without having to fill out their contact information each time. 

• Mobile-friendly design. Earlier this year, 48.71% of online traffic came from mobile sources such as tablets and smartphones. Since then, this number has steadily hovered around the 50% mark. Optimizing your website to appear as well-designed and functional on mobile as it does on desktop ensures no donor is deterred.

• Familiar branding. Customizing the design of your online fundraising platform to reflect the visual identity of your nonprofit helps to build donor trust.

• Automatically updated payment information. When a donor uses a new credit card to make a donation, your integrated CRM should be able to add that card to the donor’s existing record to automatically update their profile. 

• Secure processing of donations. Look for a PCI-certified provider, which means that they’ve been tested by an outside party to ensure security. Another classification to look out for is PCI-compliant, which means they’ve completed this security testing in-house. 

Reduced processing costs. Using an internal processing system rather than billing all donation and payment processing out-of-house significantly reduces the costs associated with the process. 

With more and more people using credit/debit cards to donate, employing a CRM that easily processes digital transactions is sure to be helpful to donors at your upcoming event. 

Bonus! If you’re planning to sell t-shirts, water bottles or any other type of merchandise to commemorate your event, consider saving time and money by making an online inventory available for those who weren’t able to pick it up during the event. 

4. Communicate with donors quickly and through multiple channels.

The key to successful digital event planning is strong marketing in the weeks leading up to the event! Both communicating with potential attendees before the event and following up with gratitude afterward is essential for success. 

Luckily, just as you can choose donor management software that offers streamlined online fundraising and payment processing, you can also choose one that can help you manage donor communications effectively.

Whether using personalized email campaigns (that automatically populate the donor’s name and other details from their engagement profile), direct mail marketing (which, when combined with digital strategies, tends to yield strong results), or automated messages (sent immediately to donors upon completion of an action)-- your CRM should be able to help you accomplish it all when promoting your event. 

Another good option is to capitalize on social media marketing, whether as your primary advertising force or to supplement your more traditional methods. It’s cost-effective, easy-to-scale, and has near-immediate results!

5. Optimize your attendee-facing software. 

It’s important to remember that, while your end goal may be to raise funds for your organization, another crucial reason you’re planning an event is to host a group of people. At the end of the day, you want to make sure to be a good host-- and that starts with having easy-to-navigate processes for your attendees!

Look for fundraising and event planning software that includes plenty of intuitive attendee management features. Many of these processes directly affect the donor, and you want to make sure they’re optimized for a positive experience.

There are a few key components to remember to ensure the donor leaves your event with a 5-star review:

• A simplified registration process allowing you to gather all needed information without taking too much of your donor’s time. Think of this from the start and even when they arrive onsite.

• An automatic electronic ticketing system eliminating the need for paper tickets.

• A secure payment processing system so donors can feel comfortable contributing to your cause. 

While you should definitely be focused on your event’s core goal, whether that’s fundraising, gaining recognition for your nonprofit, or something else, remember that providing an excellent attendee experience is an essential part of achieving any of those goals! 

Doing so will ensure that everyone involved gains value from your event. From their check-in experience to their interaction with any donors or sponsors, make it memorable and easy!

6. Work smarter, not harder with donor analytics.

There are approximately 1.8 million events (conventions, conferences, congresses, trade shows, exhibitions, incentive events, corporate/business meetings-- the list goes on) held each year, totaling around 205 million total attendees, according to statistics from Events Industry Council.

That is a lot of events targeting a lot of attendees. You might be wondering, how can you stand out when there are so many events to compete against?

It’s easy-- by narrowing the audience you’re looking to target, dividing that audience into segments, and tailoring your marketing to target them accordingly. Each of these steps can be accomplished with a bit of donor research.

Donor analytics looks at data you gather on past contributors and gives you insight on trends in your donor base, such as capacity, to give and affinity for doing so. Once you gather this information, you can use it to make decisions on how to best market and operate your event to engage your key segments. A wide range of questions regarding your event can be answered by donor analytics:

• What age range should you expect at the event? Can you tailor activities accordingly?

• How much should you charge for tickets? Event merchandise?

• Are there any opportunities for major gift donations or corporate partnerships?

• How do your donors prefer to be marketed to?

The list can go on! For more information on how these insights can help in your next event, check out DonorSearch’s guide to donor analytics. 

7. Collect data from the event for future planning. 

After your event, you should collect and store all relevant data gained through the process to use for future event planning. 

Data can be the difference between less-than-stellar attendance and a sold-out event, and your most recent event has generated a ton of it!

On the day of your event, you probably learned what worked and what didn’t--from activities offered and speakers hired to food options provided and hours of operation. In addition, data can give you valuable, quantifiable insights into who attended your event, how much they donated, and how they preferred to do so.

This information is valuable in preparing for your next event as it allows you to optimize future planning to fit the donors that you now know are also event attendees. Once again, your CRM will be an essential asset in storing and evaluating this data. 

Concluding Thoughts

Planning an event that will both entertain guests and help you reach your goals is no small task, but using a digital approach can certainly help!

When you begin planning for your next event, consider implementing these 7 digital strategies. Both giving you insight on your donor base and streamlining the process for all involved, these tech-based tips are sure to improve the planning of your next event. 

Take Advantage of Technology Millennials are comfortable around technology. Incorporating it into your events can give them a great impression. Consider offering tech-immersive experiences like cashless payments. With the tap of their wristband or badge, these attendees can purchase merchandise or redeem event-branded items, for instance. Cashless payments will help to reduce long lines as well as provide a much more effective and interactive way for your attendees to participate at your event.   Make It Interactive Speaking of participation, why not kick-off your event with interactive activities right from the start? For example, you could have your guests check themselves in using self-check-in kiosks at entry. Pair this with facial recognition and use this feature for access control or even lead capture! The more interactive, the higher the chance your millennial crowd will take to the networks and share their experience.>Photo via Pxhere Give It Meaning More and more often, millennials are choosing to attend events that promote good causes. One way to promote some positivity is by donating a portion of event fees to a charitable organization. If you choose to do this, ensure it’s for a cause that millennials (and your target attendee audience in particular) are likely to support. Popular charities among millennials include those who support climate action and education.

Also, sustainability is important to everyone - not just millennials! Try to avoid using too much single-use plastic and ensure there are proper recycling facilities at your event. On-demand printing is another more sustainable option that can reduce wasted paper/materials and keep your event budget and time on target. (You can even print in COLOR!)

Make the Education Attractive to Your Audience If there will be guest speakers at your event, ensure that some of the topics they cover are appropriate and interesting to a millennial audience. Your options are virtually limitless. However, it’s important to make sure that speakers' takes on these topics (as well as your other sessions) aren’t going to be offensive or controversial. You might like to start off by mentioning a few current events if you can tie them into your event’s purpose.

Photo via Boomset Instagram

Decorate in an Instagram-Worthy Manner

These days, ‘Instagram-worthy’ venues are more important than ever. Millennials love to share what they’re doing on social media when it looks good, so your decorations need to be worth sharing. Your guests will essentially give you free advertising if you manage to incorporate your logo into your decorations.

Suggest a hashtag for your guests to use on social media, and work with your technology (like item redemption functionality) to offer prizes. This will encourage guests who might not otherwise post anything to get involved.

Offer Freebies

Stress about housing and satisfactory job conditions are common concerns for many, especially among the millennial group. This means that free items are always appreciated! To offer freebies at your event, you might like to consider collaborating with local businesses. (However you can further reduce the plastic and make it more sustainable, the better!)

Depending on the type of event, you may instead like to offer prizes throughout the night. Freebies don’t have to be physical objects – you can choose to give away ‘virtual gift bags’. Virtual gift bags can include gift cards, access to exclusive content, and competition entries. (Your attendees can use their wristband or badge to redeem items here, too!) 

Concluding Thoughts Attracting millennials to your event is all about catering to their interests and expectations. Tick all your boxes when planning (look into investing in event insurance, too). You’ll be ready to host a secure, millennial-friendly event. Guest Author Bio: Freelance writer Cloe Matheson from New Zealand enjoys writing for amazing sites and blogs with a focus on a range of topics from career and travel to business events. Next to writing, one of her biggest passions is traveling. Read more of her work on her blog, Cloe's Writings.

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Start your event with the right event tech stack for your tech-savvy attendees - or not. Choose user-friendly solutions, always:

One thing is learning how to collect (meaningful) data and another is how you are going to use it. It's nice to have the ability to gather insights on your events but what counts is how you'll use that data to make them better each and every time.

What does this look like pre-event, onsite, and post-event?

How does one even begin and what are the "right" solutions at hand when it comes to building an event technology stack?

We broke it down with our friends at Attendease, a direct integration with the Boomset platform. As Attendease is an event management and automation platform that helps elite marketing and events teams run repeatable and scalable on-brand events, Boomset complements their platform well when it comes to a stellar entry and onsite experience.

Our teams sat down to discuss how #eventprofs can modernize their current event planning and execution processes. Start with just a few of these simple suggestions on how to go digital - along with some neat real-life examples.

Learn how to provide a remarkable attendee experience - listen to our talk by clicking below:

We are thrilled to be an official "honoree" and there's more on the horizon when it comes to #TheBoomsetWay. Have a look at what Inc. and our very CEO have to say about this honored recognition. 

Thank you to our team, our customers, partners, family, friends, the #eventprofs community...and so many more. It's truly an honor to be part of this year's #Inc5000 list.

So, how can you make sure your event is memorable for your guests? Here are some of the top event trends to think about:

Image courtesy of Time Out

Be immersive

The last thing you want when a guest comes to your event is for them to be bored and look like they’re on the point of leaving. You want them to be wowed, and the easiest way to do this is by making your event immersive. (And starting with your event entry is a perfect way!)

This can be done in a number of ways. Some people like to take people on a ‘journey’ during events, via related storytelling or décor, whereas others prefer more of an interactive approach, incorporating uniquely-designed games and activities (more on that later). Whether you take inspiration from a fun themed venue, such as Ballie Ballerson, or a slightly barmier themed event, like the well-known Gingerline, being immersive will definitely keep your event in the forefront of guests’ minds.

Image courtesy of DesignMyNight

Incorporate games

Another fun way of engaging your guests can come from incorporating games and activities into your events. You may have already noticed that more and more ping pong bars and crazy golf clubs, such as Bristol’s Kongs of King Street and London’s Plonk Golf, are popping up all over the UK, so why not take a leaf out of their book?

Everyone loves a bit of friendly competition, so adding easy-to-use games could be a great way of guaranteeing your guests have an entertaining time at your event.

Image courtesy of The Independent

Utilize the vegan food movement

Love it or hate it, veganism is a food trend that is here to stay. It seems to be pretty much everywhere these days, with over 300,000 people recently taking part in this year’s Veganuary – an event encouraging a vegan diet throughout January.

Leading news magazine The Economist also predicted late last year that 2019 would be ‘the year of the vegan’, so why not use that to your advantage for your event catering or its growing popularity within your event design?

Image courtesy of Natural History Museum

Think about health and wellbeing

Another trend that has been consistently growing year on year is the rise of events focused on health and fitness. Whether it be fitness classes like Pilates, yoga or Zumba, or healthy food and drink launches, such as Lean Cuisine’s #WeighThis campaign, the events industry loves the health and wellbeing bubble. It’s tried and tested, relevant to everyone, and highly marketable – what’s not to like?

Image courtesy of Go Dine Digital

Posting on the ‘Gram

Talking of marketability, social media is your best friend. While organising the most amazing event may be great, making sure that it’s also being seen and heard about is arguably as important. There’s no better way of doing this than through social media, and the photo-sharing app Instagram in particular. The much-loved software is a great way of spreading news and images of your event, helping it to be seen by the masses.

So, how can you use it? For starters, you want to make your event as photogenic as possible, giving your guests something worth sharing an image of. Next, you should encourage them to link their images to your brand’s Instagram account, potentially featuring a specific hashtag solely dedicated to your event. This will help ensure that your brand is clearly visible online. #greatplan

Terrific technology

Technology has come a long way over the years, so why not use it to your advantage?

Live streaming is a great option for guests who are unable to attend your event, as it still involves them in the shenanigans. It also makes it look like you’ve gone the extra mile to keep them involved, which will keep you in their good books.

Event management and on-demand entry solutions, like Boomset, also make it much easier for you to plan a great event - before, during and after it takes place. Beyond session and schedule management, see who’s coming, and avoid check-in queues from forming, while adding a more engaging AND time-saving experience.

Image courtesy of Best Venues London

Party all day, sleep all night

Source: Best Venues London (Image caption: Warehouse 89 in East London is close to two tube stations, making it easy for guests to commute to and back from.)

Ease is another big thing to consider when organising an event. You have to think about it practically from a guest’s point of view: are they really going to want to come to an event that’s difficult to get to transport-wise and location-wise? Or, is there anything you could do to make it easier for them, such as arranging transport or accommodation options?

Just because you have to combine a place to party with a place to stay doesn’t mean you have to hold back on style. Take a look at The Royal Court Hotel in London for instance. It’s a fabulous venue for all sorts of events, with hotel rooms available right above the event function rooms. It’s a perfect place for ensuring your guests can have a great time, without the need for a night-time curfew.

Image courtesy of Oxfam Apps

Get sustainable and eco-friendly

Another big trend for this year is sustainability, which goes hand-in-hand with being eco-friendly. It’s all about keeping that carbon footprint as low as possible, whether that be through waste management, using local produce, reducing guest transport fees or sending digital invites.

With research finding that over a third of all food produced globally goes to waste, events with initiatives to combat food waste are also a big win-win. Think about partnering up with a food donation program to help your event reduce what’s being thrown away.

Guest Author Bio: Dakota Murphey has been working as a professional content writer for over 10 years. She enjoys writing extensively about anything event and business-related, and has done so for a number of established companies in the industry.

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Make the interaction easy and the post-event follow-up better for your exhibitors and attendees with the Boomset Lead Retrieval app. See how it works:

FOCUS YOUR CONTENT ON THE EVENT

SEO doesn’t mean that you should focus all of your efforts on engines alone. In fact, the more you devote your attention to your readers and potential guests of your events, the greater your chances are of kick-starting a good word-of-mouth chain that you can always benefit from. Moreover, search engines such as Google will recognize a brand that invests time and effort into producing content that’s not stuffed with keywords but built to provide value to its readers.

Make sure that you build your event-friendly content in the months prior to the event, since that will be the only way to gain the traction you need and deserve through vivid content. Spark engagement and more people will be talking and looking forward to the event in no time! Have you organized solid events before? Use reviews from those to remind people of your previous experiences and get them to sign up as early as possible.

THINK LOCAL THOUGHTS

Although more businesses have started using live streaming as a way to include people from all over the globe in their local events, your primary target are still those that come from the region where the event is held. Let’s take Asia as a perfect example of a thriving and highly populated area where brands compete for the attention of truly impressive numbers of people, while they also find themselves competing with many brands with similar offers.

In such a brand-competitive environment, using local SEO in Hong Kong and the surrounding regions has become the key ingredient in raising awareness of business events, product launches and the like, and the only way to stay truly visible. It has become of vital importance to apply the best localized SEO practices that are specific to the region in order to reap the rewards.

UTILIZE YOUR INFLUENCER BONDS

As more people turn to celebrities and social stars for advice and suggestions, it’s only natural for businesses to strive to build better relationships with them as well. With a proven track record of high social media consumption, being promoted by powerful influencers in the US means almost instant success for your events as well. If they plan to head out to the event as well, all the better for your brand!

However, much like your overall bond with them, it’s key to work on this particular campaign on a more long-term basis. You should use more than just one or two promotional posts, but create an entire approach for strategic timing and keyword-optimized posts, and let them get their creative juices flowing to inform their followers on your progress, during the event, as well as their impressions afterward.

SPREAD THE WORD WITH VARIOUS CHANNELS

Every event deserves its own event, and while this may feel like a cumbersome task for smaller companies looking to promote themselves, it’s the only way to fully utilize your online presence. What better way to optimize your digital presentation than to build a dedicated one for your event? This is a surefire way to get more attention, and search engines appreciate such specificity as well, not to mention your followers on social media who will be notified of the event, and their responses will trigger more interest.

Keep promoting on your website as well, but if you have any relationships with other websites, businesses, or bloggers, you can post guest posts, offer interviews to magazines and use other “spread the word” tactics that will help your event spread its wings for more exposure in search engines.

USE YOUR EMAIL CAMPAIGNS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

Finally, do you have subscribers, whether for your blog or your services? Utilize your email lists to spread the word. However, in addition to merely sending out invites or even offering discounts for early RSVPs, you should include social links to the events, encourage shares, kick-start a contest, and embed all your social buttons into your email template for offering more information.

Some of the simplest, yet powerful SEO methods will have an impressive reach when it comes to promoting your event. Make sure to keep these essential tips in mind and you will ensure that your events get the proper exposure they need!

Guest Author Bio: Emma is a digital marketer and blogger from Sydney. After getting a marketing degree she started working with Australian startups on business and marketing development. Emma writes for many relevant, industry related online publications and does a job of an Executive Editor at Bizzmark blog and a guest lecturer at Melbourne University. Interested in marketing, startups and latest business trends.

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Interested in sharing your insight about the latest tech, trends and event industry news?

NEW: Add an Exhibitor on the Web Platform

Gone are the days of adding and managing multiple users! Now, organizers can add exhibitors directly via the web platform and allow their exhibitors to take care of the rest. On your event dashboard, you'll see the “Add Exhibitor” option under the Lead Retrieval section on the menu bar:

Once an exhibitor contact’s info is added, you can click into each individual to view more details like their license status, leads they’ve scanned, and their unique QR code identifier in the new Manage Exhibitors view. They can use that unique QR code to validate the license and log into the Lead Retrieval app as a guest. The Lead Retrieval settings on the web also now host a new public purchase link. (This is where your exhibitors can purchase their licenses online, without having to go to the app!) Get familiar with these updates and more in the video below:

NEW: Guest Login on the Lead Retrieval App

No Boomset account? No problem!

Exhibitors can opt to continue their Boomset Lead Retrieval experience by logging in as a guest on the app. This makes it fast, easy, and an account-free experience - should they prefer - on event day.

 This new feature grants immediate access to the dashboard of the event they’re currently participating in - no event selection or filtering required.



Watch the video below to learn about how logging into the Lead Retrieval app as a guest works:

No Need To Wait: Give Your App An Update Please update your device to the most recent version of the Lead Retrieval app. Search for "Boomset," then select "the green app" and proceed with the most recent version in your app store: iOS: v2.9.6 in the App Store Android: v2.9.8 in the Google Play Store

Have an upcoming event and using our Lead Retrieval feature? Perhaps you're looking for more information or want to ask additional questions about the new lead retrieval changes? Let's talk about it!

Overseas Opportunities Depending on the industry, you might find many of these details will practically work themselves out... just as likely, you may find yourself scrambling to make the pieces fit. Regardless of your situation, going in with a detailed plan from the start will make all the difference between a successful corporate event overseas, and a less efficient one. 1. Most companies choose to host their corporate events overseas is to induce a deeper connection with their clients and employees alike. Everyone likes a vacation, and an overseas event is a great way to give the attendees that feeling of zen and/or fun... and they'll associate those positive feelings with the organization. 2. Soaking up the local culture is also a big draw for a lot of companies seeking to host an event. They choose to host overseas so as to immerse their clientele in an exotic and culturally diverse environment. 3. Many organizations cater to specific cultures and ethnicities, of which there may be large communities in their immediate principality. By planning a corporate event overseas, not only can companies reach out to that audience on a larger scale, but they will also be able to learn more about target audiences’ wants and needs. 4. From putting staff to the test to scooping up tons of networking opportunities, hosting a corporate event overseas provides many opportunities for success.

When hosting a corporate event overseas... ... You'll immediately be faced with a set of challenges to overcome. Don't let this hold you back. Lean into it, learn from these tips, and do your due diligence in your own research, too, and you'll find facing these issues to be much less stressful. Pick the right location! Location certainly is the pinnacle of your event. You'll want a place that's immediately desirous to those your target audience. Some say to avoid little-known locations. On the other hand, if you market it the right way and you have a solid reason for the location in mind, it’s up to your discretion when all is said and done. You know your clients better than anyone else. Stay away from areas that have difficult terrain to navigate and/or are fairly isolated. Consider areas which are home to international airports and/or coastal regions for a change in scenery. After you've chosen your location, you'll need to become familiar with the local culture. Understanding the unique customs and social practices will greatly increase your chances of successfully incorporating the local resource companies into your event. Be sure to thoroughly explain all of the expected cultural differences and how to handle any discrepancies that may arise with your team and your guests. Get educated on the legal issues involved with traveling. You'll want to initiate an efficient, coherent, and accurate process for your guests to understand exactly what they'll need to travel. Prepare for the unexpected  - and don't let it ruin the event. #Eventprofs know that for every problem there is a solution. When you're managing an event of this (international) caliber, you're going to face your fair share of unexpected happenings throughout. Hold fast to your plan and make decisions accordingly. Keep any cultural differences in mind at times to diffuse any situations with locals. Don't forget to check, double-check, and triple-check your to-do list! Below are some things to consider for your overseas event’s to-do list. 1. Make sure your event appeals to your target audience. Provide items of interest and actionable events for the attendees to take part in to increase their interest in your brand or company. Give them something to go home talking about! 2. Include other businesses in your event. Consider using local resources and companies for your entertainment, catering, and event set-up needs. If you can, utilize remote workers to make the process run even more smoothly! The things you can accomplish in one video conference call might astound you. 3. As with the location, picking the right day and time is going to be tantamount to the success of your event. Become familiar with local holidays and such, which might have an adverse effect on traffic the day of your event. 4. Most importantly, when you host an event overseas, grab that contact info! A lot of times, your attendees will be coming from all over the world so it will become imperative to keep on top of acquiring their information to keep your company in their thoughts (and their inboxes!) With all this information, coupled with your own, independent research, you're ready to begin your overseas event planning. Cover all the angles and don't forget to actually enjoy yourself at some point. You deserve it!

Guest Author Bio: Jasmine Williams covers the good and the bad of today's business and marketing. When she’s not being all serious and busy, she’s usually hunched over a book or dancing in the kitchen, trying hard to maintain rhythm, and delivering some fine cooking (her family says so).

Like what you read? Have something to share about the event industry or technology?

A New Look

Enjoy a new, colorful look to the dashboard and navigate throughout the app easier than ever before. The simple display provides an overview of the lead capture activity, along with more organized tabs for easy access to information.

Data Consent

Whether being GDPR-compliant or simply having an additional security feature, the new Data Consent page is ideal for obtaining additional consent to captured information. This feature visually states the purpose and permission levels of data collection to justify future communication with those being scanned by an exhibitor or sponsor. If selected for use, this page will appear immediately after scanning a lead.

Qualifiers

Though every exhibitor or sponsor participates at an event in the hopes to generate more business or expand their network, everyone has different means in reaching their target ROI. The new qualifiers feature are customizable questions that can be used as valuable, more targeted data points to further “qualify” a lead in the follow-up process.

These questions can be asked in a variety of ways, like multiple choice, fill-in boxes, or a rating scale, and are meant to collect the information needed not only faster but more interactive with the attendee. The qualifier experience can be completely customizable to each unique exhibiting business or brand and will appear after scanning a lead or after the Data Consent screen if this option is included by the organizer.

Both the Data Consent page and qualifiers are optional. The event organizer - not the exhibitor or sponsor - is responsible for opting into these features.

Watch this clip for a brief introduction to these new features and the new Lead Retrieval app experience:

No Need To Wait: Give Your App An Update

Please update your device to the most recent version of the Lead Retrieval app. Search for Boomset, then select the most recent version in your app store:

iOS: v2.8.34 in the App Store

Android: v11.11.15 in the Google Play Store

If you need support, are looking for more information, or would like to ask additional questions about the new lead retrieval changes, please contact a Boomset account manager or email [email protected].

View the entire Boomset Lead Retrieval app experience here:

REFINERY29 & 29ROOMS

Refinery29 is a lifestyle and culture brand based in the US, and as part of their strategy, they regularly run 29Rooms. This is an annual celebration of arts and culture, featuring interactive exhibits, unusual artwork and, of course, a few celebrities too.

The event consists of 29 different rooms, with each one decorated according to a theme that changes each year. Past themes have included “Powered By People” and “Turn It Into Art”, and each one is a vibrant, diverse celebration that draws thousands of visitors every year. This year’s event featured a recreation of a millennial teenager’s bedroom (complete with working Nintendo 64), a swing made purely out of swirling fabric, and a station where visitors could really register to vote.

Takeaway tip: Refinery29’s diverse and interactive events provide a glittering backdrop for some strong marketing. The way to really grab your attendees is by offering an interactive experience that gets them involved. If you’re going to create an interactive event though, it’s important that it fits in with your overall brand. 

Relevancy is key when it comes to creating events, and it’ll pay off in the long run by capturing attention and bolstering your reputation for creativity and innovation.

FACEBOOK IQ LIVE

A few years ago, social media giant Facebook launched Facebook IQ, a customer research tool that lets brands and agencies get a better insight into their audiences. To promote the tool, they launched the Facebook IQ Live tour, heading around the country to give users an insight into consumer behavior.

With any other company, this might seem like a tame event, but not so for Facebook. Rather than simply giving dry speeches and lectures on its product, Facebook created an engaging, dynamic experience for their attendees. Statistics and figures were turned into immersive installations to help deliver statistics and messages. It even featured a dance troupe, as well as an Instagram Cafe and a guest appearance from comedian Aziz Ansari. Takeaway tip: Facebook IQ is proof that even the most uninspiring event niche can be turned into an engaging, immersive experience. Anyone can deliver dry, tepid lectures, but it won’t stay with your audience. To really make it memorable, you need to step out of the mainstream. Get creative with your event and think of new ways to deliver information. 

Even simply adding in physical elements can be enough to make things memorable — set up an installation and pepper it with branded merchandise for people to take.

MOZCON

MozCon is a three-day digital marketing conference in Washington, established by SaaS brand Moz. It covers everything from SEO tips to client relations, and it’s something of a mecca for the industry. As you might expect from a digital marketing event, this is a conference like no other.

As well as lights, music, costumed characters, and lots to see, the conference is also innovative in its use of technology too. To keep the conference affordable and available to all, Moz leverages technology in a variety of ways. For example, Moz uses check-in technology and apps to obtain real-time data throughout the year to calculate how many attendees to expect, allowing crucial logistical decisions to be made ahead of time.

Takeaway tip: With such an array of useful technology at your fingertips, you’d be remiss if you didn’t make use of it for your next event. Self-service check-in kiosks can save your guests time queueing and save you money on staff. Lead retrieval technology, too, can quantify your event attendance with real-time reporting.

Not only will technology speed up your queues and save you time and hassle, but it’ll keep your guests happy, too. (Tap into Boomset to find the best-fitted event technology to make life easier and your event experiences greater!)

DAVID LLOYD & NAPERCISE

The British sports and leisure brand, David Lloyd, runs a string of high-end gyms and health clubs, offering tennis, squash, swimming pools and more for its discerning customers. To boost signups for its racquet club, the brand created a one-off class for the general public to try a new exercise called ‘napercise’...

Marketed as the solution to new parents’ sleep troubles, the exercise itself actually consisted of simply climbing into bed and getting a good night’s sleep. Of course, the class itself was intended as a gentle satire of popular exercise classes, but the message was clear (and effective): David Lloyd cares about its customers' health and wellbeing.

Takeaway tip: The reason David Lloyd’s event is so successful is that it acknowledges — and addresses — its customers’ desire for health and wellbeing. It’s a fine example of how targeted marketing can work with real-world events.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Create events that cater to your customers’ needs. These will compel guests to engage with your brand because they stand to gain something from it, giving you a chance to generate leads in a natural, organic way. When it comes to event marketing, there are plenty of approaches you can adopt. Identify your goals early on and craft a creative event that meets those goals, while keeping your guests hooked at the same time. Guest Author Bio: Patrick Foster is lead writer and editor at Ecommerce Tips, where he shares his years of experience in the ecommerce industry with aspiring entrepreneurs. From marketing to branding, Ecommerce Tips has it all. Check out the latest news on Twitter @myecommercetips.

There are tons of possibilities to automate your events from entry and beyond. Start by building your event technology stack as YOU see it fit for your objectives:

Read this success story on how Boomset and Zebra partnered together to create an amazing event experience for #FlipMyFunnel's B2B marketing, sales, and customer success attendees.