Whether you want to network, drive sales, or build pipeline for your business, events are where the action is. In order to drive business and fulfill the purpose of the event, the requirements of the attendees need to be fulfilled successfully. Attendee experience has a significant impact on the success of the event which is why it is important to ensure that they are taken care of. Although each attendee will have his/her own agenda and purpose, they can be grouped based on certain characteristics and initiating communication will have to be tailored to suit their unique purpose.
Given below are some of the popular types of attendees planners will most likely encounter at their events.
The Social Butterfly
Networking is their middle name and you will generally find them hovering around or actively participating in every group discussion or think tank that suits their purpose. They thrive in social settings, whether formal or informal, and an opportunity to network is not missed. These individuals are at your event solely to build meaningful connections and relationships that will help further not just their business but also their career.
The best way to cater to their needs is to ensure that these attendees are synced up with those that can contribute to their agenda significantly. Adding them to private groups on social media platforms that can help them connect with others prior to the event would aid their cause significantly.
The Novice
An event can be overwhelming for some, more so for those who are attending for the first time. Every individual’s first time at an event will be a different experience for them. These attendees are generally looking to learn something new and soak up any information they can get their hands on without getting overwhelmed by the novelty of their surroundings.
Organizing fun ice-breaker sessions with other attendees in creative meeting spaces, providing information that they are specifically looking for can help these attendees fulfill their purpose while being at ease in their new environment.
The Inspiration/Creativity Seeker
These attendees have one agenda – to be inspired and creatively stimulated. They are most likely to attend as many keynotes and product demos as they can in order to draw as much inspiration and creativity as possible Fostering meaningful connections while gaining a new perspective is their purpose and if creativity is thrown into the mix then all the better. Knowledge is not enough for them as these attendees look for a creative spark.
Event organizers need to ensure that these attendees are exposed to unique, immersive content preferably in creative meeting spaces and that they interact with highly motivated individuals who they can help them achieve their business or personal goals.
The Knowledge Seeker
Attendees who come solely to seek more knowledge and gain new insights are fairly common at most events. These scholars come from different backgrounds, with varied agendas, and their sole purpose is to look for further information and opportunities that will help them and their company to grow.
Speakers and conferences that will aid in their quest are what will resonate with them. One way for organizers to ensure that these attendees’ requirements are catered to is by conducting surveys prior to the event to understand their agenda. Unique meeting set-up and tailored content can really help these attendees fulfill their mission.
The Introvert
These are attendees that will be most overwhelmed at any event. The ones who attend reluctantly to fulfill work obligations. Unlike those who crave social interactions, introverts are usually awkward at making small talk and would prefer fulfilling their agenda or purpose without having to interact more than required and then take their leave. There are also those that are highly interested in the event agenda but would prefer experiencing the event at their own pace. In such cases, it is important to ensure that attendees know what to expect in the event by providing them with information regarding the schedule, location and so on. Organizing structured sessions for networking will also be immensely helpful to these attendees.
Considering there are different types of attendees that take part in events and trade shows, event planners should ensure most, if not all their expectations are taken care of. Personalizing the experience for as many personas as possible is necessary to fulfill event expectations and in turn, result in a successful event.
