What happens after the events are over?

Your event may be over, but you still have work to do. In this article, we highlight things you should do now that the events are over. In fact, the post-event strategy is the most important element of the event planning process. Unfortunately, this is an area where many businesses fail. Research shows that 75% of leads never follow up after an event.

Say thank you within 24 hours

Sending thank you emails to attendees, vendors, speakers, and sponsors is the perfect way to show how much you appreciate their presence and support. A simple thank you is a great way to build trust between you and your attendee base. The personal touch is also an opportunity to build a long-term relationship with them. Most attendees don’t expect a thank you email or inbox. If you’re looking to get some extra points, it’s highly recommended to send a thank you email immediately after the event. The standard time frame for sending a thank you email is within 24 to 48 hours after the event.

Review with your team

After the event, take some time to talk about it with your team. Discuss what went well, what didn’t go as planned, and any lessons you can learn for future events. This will help everyone feel more confident in their roles and help you avoid making the same mistakes again.

Settle any outstanding invoices and other logistics

At the end of the event, check that all details are correct and that invoices have been paid for venue rental, catering, staff costs, etc. This will ensure a smooth transition for both you and the client.

Ask for attendee feedback

You’ve put all that time and effort into planning your event – ​​but how do you know if everyone enjoyed their time? It’s hard to determine exactly how your event went without asking for feedback from those who were there. That’s why you should send out a survey immediately after the events are over.

Post-event surveys are so important because they’re the key to gaining valuable insights into the attendee experience. Post-event surveys not only measure attendee satisfaction, they also help you understand areas that need improvement ahead of your next event. Negative feedback can be painful, but it’s essential to improving your event strategy in the long run. The information you gain from a survey can help your organization see the bigger picture and chart the results achieved during the conference or trade show.

Ask attendees for feedback on the date, location, speakers, session topics, vendors, and the overall atmosphere of the event. Ask for honest, constructive feedback on the content shared during the conference or trade show. Post-event surveys shouldn’t be too long; they should be direct and to the point.

Don’t forget to survey vendors, speakers, and sponsors! Their input is important, too. They’re the lifeblood of your event, and without them, it would be difficult to run a successful event.

Get a specific call to action

Now that you’ve sent out thank-you notes and surveyed attendees, it’s time to reach out with a strong call to action. What are the next steps in the journey you want them to take? Remember, your event planning communication process doesn’t stop the moment they walk out the door. Here are some examples of direct calls to action:

• Offer exclusive discounts and promotions if they register for your next event
• Encourage them to sign up for a free trial of your software
• Invite them to sign up for an exclusive online community where they can access content from a trade show or conference
• Let them chat with your sales team

You can use different messages to pique their interest, such as “Book a time to chat with us today” or “Join us at our next show.” Be creative and direct in your request.

How did the event go?

Now it’s time to measure the success of the event and the planning that went into it. Take a look at how many people RSVPed versus attended. How do these numbers compare to each other? Could you have done something differently to encourage more attendance? Another valuable step to take is to analyze your budget and whether or not you’ve met your allotted budget. Remember to measure the intangibles of success as well. Review your event goals and make sure you’ve achieved them. Did the event help you gain new customers as you intended? If not, ask yourself why and make any necessary improvements.

Analyze Performance

Now that you’ve gotten feedback from your survey results, it’s important to analyze the data after the event. The data can help you determine the impact and effectiveness of your event, and also help you make any performance changes for future events. Make sure you measure each survey response against your overall goals and objectives. This will help you when calculating ROI and presenting the results to your company. You can also benchmark future events with the new data you now have.

Important article on How to collect information after events

Keep the conversation going

The conversation doesn’t have to stop once the events are over. The key to planning a great event is keeping your brand top of mind for attendees. You want them to remember how great their experience was and ask their colleagues to come back next time. To keep attendees engaged all year long, continue to provide great content throughout the year. Host exclusive virtual events, keep your event app updated, offer exclusive discounts for other events, and repurpose event content. When people continue to talk about your event after it’s over, it’s a sure sign of success.

Post-Event Engagement

You should continue to reinforce value to attendees even after the event is over. Having multiple ways to communicate after the event will help you continue to build a relationship with your target audience and receive continuous feedback on the event lifecycle. You will have a better understanding of your target audience and will be able to plan more engaging events.

Read more about: How does the event evaluation process work?

Let’s move on to the next event

Remember that planning never stops. We can guess that now is the time to shift your focus to the next event you will organize. Use the valuable insights you gained from your previous events to plan a better event. Fix what didn’t work, spray more of what did and try new techniques to make each subsequent experience better than the previous one.

Alwofod organizes various events and secures the best meeting and conference halls in Saudi Arabia and the world. We also provide services related to securing meeting halls from providing appropriate presentation devices, managing organization and reception processes, providing the required materials, and others. Our experts provide our partners with what suits their needs for organizing various meetings, from regular or surprise meetings to conferences of various types. We are also proud to provide a variety of services that are indispensable for any event. You can learn about all our services from this link.