2020 events have seen huge disruption as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and face to face sales activities are unlikely to be returning any time soon. So how do businesses continue to create that personal connection with audiences at a distance?
As we adjust to a socially distanced working environment, many organisations have embraced online communications. During lockdown we have seen a boom in Zoom conference calls using the platform for business meetings, online webinars, team catch ups, quiz nights, virtual networking and keeping in touch with family. It’s become a staple to keep us connected to the wider outside world… other platforms are available.
As such, many event planners that had postponed events or that were hoping to go ahead later in the year are now looking at their options. To maintain traction and safeguard engagement with interested audiences, many are choosing to rapidly convert the format to a virtual event.
With a little creativity, some technology and re-organisation of logistics you have a virtual conference, for example. The delegates log in on the day and listen to your webinar series, plus take the opportunity to use break out rooms for networking. Most of the boxes are ticked and the goals of your event are still met, however that opportunity to create memorable moments, make your event stand out and gain repetitive brand impressions through event merchandise is lost.
A key part of attending any conference or exhibition is how it makes an attendee feel about themselves, their business role, how motivated they feel as a result, how enjoyable they found the experience – after all, attending an event is an experience. This overall feeling is created by the welcome coffee with tasty pastry, the event goody bag or notebook gift set issued on arrival, the lunch, the event giveaways obtained at each stand, the gala dinner and awards ceremony with delicious food, drink, socialising and entertainment. These are the parts that cannot be translated online so easily and it’s these elements that leave some of the strongest memories.
Promotional products or event gift packs are a great cost effective way to add an element of personal connection into the mix. Merchandise creates an emotional response, it triggers a subconscious reaction with stored memory to improve recall. By sending all attendees an event pack in the run up to the date, it reminds them to turn up and gives them something physical to connect them with other attendees. It makes them feel special and feel part of something bigger. What’s more, event partners achieve a longer term reach through the ongoing brand exposure of branded merchandise retained and used by attendees for months to come.
We have been working with a number of clients wanting to achieve this and here’s just some of the ideas…
- printed t shirts for all attendees to wear to the event, making them feel united and part of something bigger
- a welcome pack to be opened during the opening address containing practical promotional items, printed with the event branding and designed to make participation more comfortable. For example, a branded water bottle, a packet of biscuits, a promotional lipbalm and promotional mints or sweets.
- a goody bag containing an item from each event partner; a collection of the event swag that would have been available walking around the show along with literature, collated special offers and an event guide.
- a gift set as a lasting reminder of the event, for example a branded notebook and pen set, a wireless charger and tech safety kit, an individually personalised pen in presentation box, a personalised bottle of gin.
What sort of lasting leave behind do you want your event delegates to have? What will trigger recall for your audience personas? How do you want your attendees to feel on the day?
Our team of experts are on hand to offer tailored advice and make recommendations about which promo products and branded merch items best suit your event and audience. We can take the workload away from your team and handle the co-ordination of printed items, fulfilment of merchandise and printed materials into packs before distributing them to individual addresses provided to us by you. Rest assured we have experienced teams and fully GDPR compliant processes to ensure your event campaign is safe in our hands.
Get in touch today on 023 9235 4960, email your brief to [email protected] or fill in the contact form below and we’ll call you back.