In just a few days we celebrate Valentine’s Day. There will be wine, flowers and heart shaped boxes filled with chocolates for some. Kids will pass out Valentine’s Day cards to classmates and hold sugar laden school parties. Others may go out for a night on the town with friends and celebrate single-ness. Meeting planners will be planning meetings, because that’s what we do.
With this in mind, I thought I would share with you some ways you can show some love to attendees at your meeting – no matter what date it falls on.
- Surprise them with free love: Offer free valet parking, coat and luggage check, Wi-Fi or include a free basket of goodies in their hotel room. These extras will definitely make them feel the love.
- Home is where the heart is: Create home-y areas at your event with comfy networking spaces and areas for people to simply hang out and rest for a bit. Include charging stations so their phones can recharge, while they recharge.
- Service with a Smile: Make sure your event is staffed with people who put customer service first. A fun idea is to have staff line up at the exits of the final gathering and thank the attendees as they leave. Consider having them hand out a bit of swag (that includes the location and date of next year’s conference).
- Speaking of Swag: Make sure to have swag they will love, remember and use! Pens, key chains, and phone cases (too many different phones out there) are not amongst the most cherished items. You do not necessarily have to break the bank, but you do need to think swag-a-liscious! Cool “now” swag includes mobile phone chargers, well-designed t-shirts and reusable (BPA free) water bottles.
- Listen with your heart: Listen to feedback. If one person is thinking it, then the likelihood is that others are thinking it as well. Send out surveys after the event, you will gain valuable insight and a survey says you care.
- Social love: Make sure to have a # for your event, so everyone can take part in the conversation. On site social media staff is a wonderful option; they can take pictures/videos and immediately upload them to your social media. Staff can create online photo albums on the spot, as well as conduct real-time conversations. By using a video tool like Animoto, staff can easily create videos complete with music, style and pictures from the events for posting on social media. Videos can also serve as a way to celebrate the event and be shown at the final gathering. Repurpose it later for use in marketing future events
Just a few more ways to show, and hopefully, feel the love, from your attendees. Happy Valentine’s Day!
