Research shows that events can have a significant impact on your attendee’s opinion of your brand; 84% of event attendees have a positive opinion about a company, brand, or product after attending an event. This means you need to plan ahead and give your audience every opportunity to love you.
If your company hosts an event, your branding needs to be visible and enhance the attendees’ experience to have a positive association with the brand. To shape a positive experience around your brand, we’ve got a list of must-have elements that will wow your audience and increase your visibility.
1. An Event Website
This is the first touch-point for attendees where you have the opportunity to clearly communicate your brand and messaging. You’ll want the event website to adhere to your corporate style guide to associate it with your brand. You’ll also want your logo and important call to actions on the main page.
Need help creating an event website? Van Wagner makes it easy by offering attendee management software for a flexible registration system and automated event communication.
Related Link: 15 Live Event Hosting Tips by the Event Experts at Van Wagner
2. A Branded Email Marketing Campaign
Email is an effective marketing channel for event promotion. An email marketing campaign promotes your event as well as your brand using targeted messaging. You’ll want your logo and call to action within the messaging. You can also use the email campaign to remind and spotlight event sponsors, speakers, or activities. Weekly reminders teasing the event with new information leading up to the event creates excitement and anticipation. Creating sharable content may even increase attendance while having your early registrants help market the event. Be sure all elements are on-brand and have social sharing links.
3. An Event App
Many companies are creating apps to create an interactive element for their event. And as the pandemic continues to stifle large events, 59.4% of event marketers think that hosting a hybrid event will drive their future strategy. An event app may be critical to enable a hybrid experience.
The event app should have your logo and style guide driving the look and feel. Event apps can offer maps, schedules, live polls, and event communities to increase engagement. 88% of event attendees think that an event schedule is extremely important on an event app. And fortunately for event organizers, there are several third-party companies that can create the app for you.
4. Event Design
If there will be media at your event, you need to ensure that your logo and messaging are placed strategically around the event space to maximize exposure. For example, if you have a DJ at the event, your logo or messaging should be present around the DJ. If there is a stage, the logo should be visibly onstage. Any swag or tabletops should also incorporate your brand and messaging; leave no paper or pen unbranded. You may even consider chair covers in your brand color so that when guests enter the room, it’s a sea of your brands color. Ensure your speakers reinforce your branding by closing each speaker’s comments with the event brand tagline. The devil is in the details – make sure your details are all branded!
5. Event Booth
This can be a space at the event that showcases the product or a VIP area to enhance your clients’ and key relationships’ experience. How you use your booth will depend on the event’s purpose. But you do need to make sure the booth area is clearly identifiable with your logo, colors, and messaging.
Need to host a hybrid event? Contact Van Wagner to increase your audience reach and extend your engagement.
Related Link: Experience Event Planning Post COVID
6. A Branded Social Wall
If you want to incorporate social media buzz as part of your event strategy, you’ll want to have a social wall at the event where attendees can snap a picture or video. The social wall should have your logo or messaging incorporated in order for it to be recognizable when your guests take a picture. You’ll also want to ensure the wall is a fun, with a unique background that attendees will want to post on social media.
7. Banners And Posters
The most low-tech and traditional elements on our list, banners and posters are essential at events. These elements need to be near the entrance and around areas of interest during the event. These signs need to have your logo and messaging readable from a distance.
8. SWAG
Stuff We All Get (SWAG) is also another traditional and essential part of event marketing. You need to pick items to brand with your logo and messaging that people will want to have. What you give away at the event will primarily be driven by what the event is. Your SWAG should be personalized to cater to the attendee’s experience.
There are so many promotional products out there now that aren’t pens and t-shirts. Promotional products that can be used as part of the event also create an emotional connection between the branded product and the attendee’s experience, which they will connect with your brand later on.
9. Wearables
If you have employees and staff working the event, they should be in branded clothing. This helps attendees identify who can help them if they have questions and needs, reinforcing your brand’s identity.
10. Food and Drink
Another branding opportunity is on the food and drinks that you offer at the event. You can add your logo to the packaging or as part of the presentation of the food. This creates one more touch-point where the attendee can have a positive experience with your brand. So make sure the food is good.
Branding Needs to Be Consistent
Whether you choose one or all of these branding elements at your next event, you need to ensure that branding is consistent with all the elements. Adhere to your corporate style guide for fonts, colors, and logos. You’ll also want to ensure that messaging and branding are easily identifiable and legible.
Van Wagner specializes in virtual, hybrid, and in-person events. Their expertise can help you create a memorable and engaging event that will positively impact your attendees. Van Wagner offers broadcast-quality equipment, event stream, and experienced Producers to ensure a successful virtual or hybrid event.
Want expertise help hosting a virtual and hybrid event? Contact Van Wagner to speak with one of our consultants.
Related Link: The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your Virtual Trade Show for Success
