How to ensure George Clooney and other VIP participants get 5-star event experiences
What do Bill Gates, Henry Kissinger and George Clooney all have in common? They’ve all attended an event and used Grip recently.
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An Event Networking App is the perfect tool to make your attendees network fast and efficiently. High adoption among attendees is crucial if you want to successfully use an event networking app like Grip at your event. Through the hundreds of events that we've worked with we have learned a thing or two about how to promote the app that we would like to share with you.Besides an networking app being able to increase attendee engagement they're also fantastic tools for gaining deeper insight into your attendees. However it all starts with getting high adoption, follow the steps below to achieve just that!
The majority of your attendees will check your website before the event. Positioning the App under “Attending Attendees” can help you get a better adoption rate.You can use the images we provide in the "Marketing Pack" and add short description explaining the benefits of the App. We will also provide you with a smart marketing link to provide to your attendees, so they can download the app quickly.Informative blurb:Write a short, informative blurb for your website that clearly answers the question: “Why should they download the networking app?” by describing the benefits of the app.Benefits of Grip for attendees:
Make it easy to download the App:At Grip we will provide you with a smart marketing link that will send attendees straight into your event on the app without the need to enter a reference code or password. We're seeing significantly less drop-off from click to joining of the event because of our smart marketing links.
Promotion packAt Grip we will provide you with designed promo banners to place on your website. This will generate excitement about your event letting your attendees know that they can network with each other before, during, and after the event.
A large part of downloads to our apps come from emails and for many organizers it is the preferred way to communicate with their attendees. Used effectively, it can drive a significant number of people to your app in a short period of time. We suggest a two-step approach to introduce networking at your event:Email Your VIP & Influencers FirstGet your VIPs on the app first to encourage others to join. Ask speakers and exhibitors to send pre-event social media posts to their followers, fans and connections to announce the app and encourage downloads. Before, during and after the event. Speakers can connect with other speakers, influencers and attendees.Email the rest of your attendeesLeverage the high-profile people that have already joined the app to attract more attendees to join. An example text could be to use an image of one of the speakers or VIPs in your email or mention their name. It creates urgency for the attendee to join and has a significant improvement on your app downloads.
When your Event inside the Grip App or your event networking app is ready to be downloaded, make announcements on social media ensuring you convey the right tone of voice on each platform:Linkedin & FacebookAdd a post and upload screenshots to Facebook to promote the fun and engaging aspects of your event networking app, speaking in a more casual tone of voice to get people excited. Choose images from your “Marketing Pack” that clearly display your app to give people a sense of what is coming up. Don’t forget to include your smart marketing link to make the app accessible.
Twitter & InstagramAt least one month prior to your event, start sending out tweets to your followers and continue to tweet with different messages at least 3 times per week leading up to your event. Leverage your event’s hashtags and Grip hashtags for keywords so that anyone who does a search will find your tweet. Telling them that they can network before the event this will also increase attendee satisfaction.Grip handle & hashtags:
Making sure your staff knows everything about the networking app seems trivial, however, they are at the forefront of the event. Making sure they are advocate of the app and you will be sure to have a successful networking event.Host a mobile app support booth and create a networking bar where attendees can meet and share business contacts near the coffee and food stand is usually a good place. Place support staff at phone charging hotspots throughout the conference centre to help people who might ordinarily shy away from new technologies or might need some extra help. Giving your support staff recognizable shirts will help them stand out from the crowd – sending a clear message about your commitment to customer service at your event.Staff advocate:
To gain maximum visibility on-site at your event, create banners and tabletop signs that reinforce the messages you’ve already sent out through email, social media and the web.Announce the mobile app in as few words as possible and clearly show how to download it. Use bold imagery that catches the eye and try varying your messages on different banners and signs throughout the conference centre.Place your tabletop signs and banners by the registration area to greet attendees as they arrive and ensure that banners are located throughout the event centre in highly visible areas. Make sure to have tabletop signs for all keynote sessions, breakouts and social gatherings.
During your welcome reception, have your keynote speaker generate excitement about the mobile app in his/her presentation. Make sure your speaker gives attendees a sneak preview of the app and clearly displays a link for attendees to download it.
Monitor the app adoption in your Grip dashboard and promote the app accordingly. We can also provide you with a list of who has already joined the event. Sending emails only to the people that haven't joined the app yet.
