Event Marketing Ideas

How to pick ideas that fit

An idea is only good if your audience will see it and act on it. Ask three questions before you commit to one.

Where does my audience already pay attention? What do I want them to do next? Can my team finish it before the date? If the answer to any is unclear, choose a simpler idea.

Before the event: ideas that bring registrations

This is where most of the work belongs. Registration grows when people have a clear reason to come and an easy way to sign up.

• 1. Announce the speakers one at a time

  Post one speaker per day with a short line on what they will cover. Each post gives you a fresh reason to share the page.

• 2. Give a speaker a share kit

  Send each speaker a short message, an image and the registration link. Speakers know people you do not.

• 3. Write one useful article on the event topic

  Answer a question your audience asks, then point to the event as the place to go deeper.

• 4. Run a tiered invitation

  Invite past attendees first, then partners, then the wider list. Each wave can use different wording.

  Event invitation email template

• 5. Offer a referral nudge

  Ask registrants to bring a colleague, and make it a single click for them to share the page.

• 6. Partner with a group your audience trusts

  Ask an association, a community or a sponsor to share the event with their members.

• 7. Build a page that sells the event

  One page with the date, who it is for, the agenda and a clear sign-up button.

  Event landing page guide

During the event: ideas that spread the word

Attendees are your best marketers while the event is live. Give them easy things to share.

• 8. Pick one hashtag and show it everywhere

  Put it on the screen, the badge holder and the schedule, and use it yourself.

• 9. Create a photo spot

  A simple backdrop with the event name and hashtag gives people a picture worth posting.

• 10. Share quote cards from sessions

  Have one person listen for good lines and turn them into short posts during the talk.

• 11. Run a live poll

  Ask the room a question and share the answer. It gives you content and keeps people engaged.

• 12. Use the event app for announcements

  Tell attendees about the next session, the evening event or a sponsor offer through the app.

  Event mobile app

• 13. Give sponsors a moment to be useful

  A short, helpful session or a demo tells attendees something and gives the sponsor a reason to promote the event.

After the event: ideas that keep the audience

The event ends, but the work you did can keep paying off. These ideas turn one event into the start of the next.

• 14. Send a thank-you with the key takeaways

  Short, useful and sent within a day or two.

  Event follow-up email

• 15. Publish a highlights post

  Photos, three lessons and a link to the next event or a sign-up list.

• 16. Release recordings or slides

  Give registrants first access, then share more widely if the speakers agree.

• 17. Ask attendees for a short quote

  Ask permission before you publish anything. Use real words only, never made-up ones.

  Post-event survey

• 18. Open an early-interest list for next time

  Add a sign-up on the thank-you page so your next launch starts with a ready audience.

A simple way to start this week

Choose one idea from each stage and write it into your plan with an owner and a date.

1. 1

   Write your goal in one line

   For example: 200 registrations by the week before the event. Use your own number.

2. 2

   Choose three ideas

   One before, one during, one after.

3. 3

   Name an owner and a date for each

   An idea with no name beside it will not happen.

4. 4

   Check results after a week

   Look at which links brought registrations and do more of what worked.

Where Eventdex fits

Eventdex's pages describe registration pages with free, paid or donation-based tickets, customizable email templates, an event mobile app and analytics. Eventdex's pages do not describe running social posts or paid ads for you, so plan those in the tools you already use.

• Compare more approaches

  A longer list of promotion approaches and a tool-by-tool view.

  Event promotion ideas

• Put it in a plan

  Turn chosen ideas into a schedule and a budget.

  Event marketing plan