We sell-out events. A powerful and impactful statement. It is what every company/organisation wants. We have successfully complete events for Fermanagh Art Club, Wilde Dining, Trad Under the Trees, Culture Night, and have secured sold-out status for them. But is this enough?
What makes for a great event, or better yet what makes for a great sold-out event? If an event is sold-out does this guarantee that future events will follow suit, or that retention of audience is a given. It is unfortunately the way of the world, that events can be a smash, a sold-out extravaganza, and yet the after-math doesn’t lead to anything. Are we as businesses, communities and other groups leveraging successful events to ensure future sales, customer retention and build our brands?
What this means for you:
If your answer to these questions is no, or I am not sure, then it is likely you are not using events to their fullest potential. Events – unless very specialised (and/or well marketed – which yours will be) are essentially nameless, full capacity, in and out, thanks for coming, take my money, come again and goodbye. Of course, all this works if you are Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift and other mega superstars, who can guarantee we will come back time and time again, even if the only truly magical part of the event is the concert itself.
You are getting the idea. As businesses, groups or communities we don’t have superstar power locked down as the celebs of this world. In our opinion, that is with how it should be. Yes, events like multiple sold-out concerts are all well and good but some of the experience is really that enjoyable, aside from those few hours during the event. The endless refreshing of the booking screen on Ticketmaster, the queuing, the walking, the waiting, the over-priced accommodation – we don’t really want to remember it. Yet, the concert itself is emblazoned in our memories for life.
Offering good customer experience:
We had a thought, in this day and age with digital consuming our lives, is it still the user experience which is valued highest of all? We think it is, and the facts prove it. Companies that lead in customer experience outperform laggards by nearly 80%. (Forbes, 2019). It is the customer experience that makes people come back for more. So, what does that mean for you? Extra work – sure. Or, you could be very smart and contact us. But, it also means that people want to be in it for the long-haul. They want an experience which will keep them loyal.
In saying all this it is important there are a few things that need to be looked at beyond the event itself:
Why am I running this event? What do I want to gain from it? (NO, running an event for the sake of running an event, isn’t going to cut it!)
How did the customer feel when they saw the event promoted?
How easy was it to purchase tickets?
How did they feel about the circumstances surrounding the event? Did they have accommodation to pay for? Did they travel far? How did you as a company make this as easy as possible?
How did they feel when they got to the venue?
How are you going to follow up with the audience? Or, are you going to follow up? (YES, you are!)
Why would they come back to another event, how do you keep them interested until next time?
How do you upsell to them?
Why/How will the audience remember this event? Why would they be your ambassador?
How has the event enhanced your brand reputation?
How can we ensure that the next event is an even better success? (That’s in all aspects!).
In conclusion, unless you are the Beyonce of the business world and have absolutely no problem selling out events, whatever the circumstances around the event and, or have a HUGE budget. Then you are going to have to work a little harder. If effectively answering the questions above and struggling to work in your business and organise an event, is enough to scare even the most hardened and seasoned businesses, then please feel free to contact us.