Every event keeps some sort of records. The process sued to capture information contained in records can become effective marketing tools.
Keeping Good Records
Record keeping in the events industry is not just about keeping receipts and paying accounts. Records are used for research and the success of an event lies on the keeping good records and using them properly.
Track Your Sales
Before a ticket is sold, make sure each ticket is tracked. Know who the ticket was sold to, how they found out about the event, which payment method they used to pay for the ticket and whether the event lived up to their expectations. A big ask for one little ticket! But it can be done.
How to Make Your Tickets Work as Marketing Tools
Every ticket (whether physical, online or complimentary) needs to be numbered. Each ticket should be assigned a name and if necessary, a code, depending on where it was sold and how it was paid for. Make sure a committee member is assigned to keep records. It is then their job to record and report on all this information.
Use Every Sales Point as a Way of Marketing Your Event
If the event has a website – post an ‘expression of interest’ form. Be cheeky and ask a few questions like ‘how did you hear about this event?’, ‘what topics are you interested in?’ and ‘have you attended this event before,’ prior to asking their name and email address. Wherever possible, use drop down menus – this helps standardize answers and will prompt the responder for an ‘appropriate’ answer.
Use Every Opportunity to Get More Information About Your Customer
When the tickets go on sale, email potential attendees and ask a few more questions; “Do you want SMS updates of who is on the bill?", “What payment method will you be using?”, “Do you need more information on travel to and from the event?” These questions are asked so in order to get to know attendees. This helps tailor events.
Keep Marketing Right Through the Event
During the event, volunteers or committee members can walk through the crowd and engage in conversation with attendees – what attendees like about the event, what they don’t, what has disappointed them and what they were pleasantly surprised with. Perhaps this research will find that that it wasn’t the event that disappointed people, but perhaps it was the weather or the fact that they couldn’t get a taxi home after the event.
Follow Your Sale Through After the Event
It’s also important to follow through with the ticket holder after the event. This gives attendees a reason to engage in feedback. Make the ticket a ‘lucky door prize’ or encourage attendees to log back onto the event website after the event. Treat the ticket holder like gold – keep communicating with attendees and therefore attendees stay engaged.
Keeping Good Records is Important to Events
Records such as attendee numbers, financial information and media mentions are useful not only for developing and evolving events, but are also used to apply for future event funding and grants.
Think of Attendees as Real People
Every single person that thinks about attending an event, attends an event or leaves in disgust is important. Make sure every opportunity is used to engage in conversation so events can can be improved each time.
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