You already have the foundations for a successful corporate event organised. COVID-19 is giving you even more time to make sure your defined objectives, early planning, cost estimates and your publicity plan are all solid. But what’s going to take your event from ‘it was good’ to ‘can I book for next year?’ 

Here’s how to create an event plan beyond the usual considerations - helping you to push your events to achieve better attendance, increased engagement and more feedback from attendees. 

• Is Attendee Engagement Prioritised? 
• Do You Have Reliable WiFi? 

Is Attendee Engagement Prioritised? 

There are over 1.3 million business events held in the UK annually. What are you going to do to make sure yours is memorable? 

As more brands ditch mundane event formulas and adopt live experiences to engage with audiences and increase brand awareness, it’s clear those who don’t facilitate this will fall behind. Event engagement has been on everyone’s lips because of shifting perspectives in the industry and the ability to connect with attendees in unprecedented ways thanks to the use of technology.

In 2019, 53% of event professionals invested more in event tech than the previous year. Here are some simple yet effective ways to make the transition towards more integrated events. 

☑️ Leverage event WiFi to setup live Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds. By encouraging attendees to comment and using digital screens to display scrolling feeds of each comment as they come in, you’re not only creating anticipation but also ensuring greater exposure of your event. 

☑️ Can attendees pay easily? Mobile payments and contactless cards are making the use of cash at events a thing of the past. Make sure your attendees can make transactions simply with just the tap of their device. It might seem like a small consideration, but it can greatly impact how somebody feels about your event - especially if they’re unable to purchase a bottle of water or snack.

☑️ Factor tech into your budget. Numerous studies indicate that one of the biggest reasons events professionals don’t integrate new technologies is due to costs. This is a huge missed opportunity for growth and it can often be quick wins like strong WiFi that delivers the most value to attendees at corporate events. 

Notably, 39% of event professionals agree ‘engaging attendees’ is the most crucial element of a live event. Virtually reality (VR), Radio-frequency Identification (RFID), QR codes, interactive wayfinding, experiential marketing and immersive experiences are in high demand. That’s just to name a few of the tech currently proving strong drivers of attendance and ROI. 

However, they all have something in common - they need to run smoothly. So why leave attendees frustrated and switched off because of connectivity issues? 

Do You Have Reliable WiFi? 

A staggering 58% of planners indicate WiFi availability and performance negatively impact their events. You’ll already know how important it is that the WiFi network is reliable at all times at events. No matter how many visitors attend and regardless of the number of devices connected at any one time, the network must be unwavering. 

Here’s a checklist to ensure your WiFi is going to enhance, not hinder, your event. 

☑️ Greet attendees who log into your WiFi network for the first time. To leave an impression on each visitor, make sure your event WiFi service provider designs a splash page that utilises your branding and strengthens your identity. You can also include maps of the venue, schedules and speaker details which saves you opening your wallet for expensive printed materials. 

☑️ Use your login page for marketing. It’s free real estate to include highly relevant marketing, enticing discounts and important visitor information. You can also encourage social media sharing straight from the page, making it easier to harvest user-generated content for promoting your next event. 

☑️ Make sure you don’t neglect the outdoor areas visitors will use. It’s important that exterior access points and accompanying hardware is robust enough to keep your event online, regardless of weather conditions.

☑️ Guarantee security is a top priority.  With so many connected devices, there are obvious security concerns you (and your attendees) might have. There should be a content filtering process in place so all users can browse without issue. Also, ensure the likes of ISO27001 recognise your provider - it’s your data they’re working with.

☑️Opt for a provider that’s equipped to collect visitor data. Big data is king in every industry but this information is incredibly valuable to give you unrivalled insight into the behaviour of event attendees. Some providers will collate this data but then try and sell it back to you. Choose one that gives you ownership, allowing you to improve future visitor experience, and even traffic flow, without increasing costs.

Measuring the success of an event has always been a challenge but with intelligent analytics and data unlocked by a WiFi solution, it can be made easier. 

You don’t want to run the risk of implementing a network that’s not secure or one that doesn’t meet the needs of expectant visitors. By choosing the right WiFi supplier to work with, your post-event publicity can be seamless. Those that logged in to your WiFi can be targeted with relevant marketing, asking for feedback about the event and prompting them to register their interest for the next. 

It’s clear that just implementing a WiFi network isn’t enough. You need to make sure that the provider you choose deploys a network that’s robust, effective and resilient enough to keep up with the demands of even the busiest of events. 

How an Effective WiFi Platform Can Support Your Event 

In addition to uninterrupted access to the internet and coverage throughout the whole venue, you need a platform that can elevate your event even further and keep up with the evolving industry. 

See how you can enhance your event with WiFi now by downloading our guide. It offers more tips on improving your WiFi network and shows how an experienced supplier can help.

Download your free copy of the guide now using the link below.