Top 7 ways to increase event registrations to your conference

Everything is planned for your event – speakers, schedule, catering, and location. All you have left to do is start registering attendees to your event and this is not an easy task. You have to make your event stand out in the crowd and convince people to spend money on registrations. Therefore, here are some proven tactics to increase your sales, especially when you’re using the right event registration software.

1. Set up your pricing strategy

Before setting a price for your event registration, take time to research what other prices are on the market. Don’t go way over the average price, even if you’re planning for an wonderful event and you have great speakers and a diverse schedule. Also, don’t go too low, because that will position your event as a low quality one. A good idea is to have a high, but affordable price, and offer some discounts, every now and then.

2. Early bird or last minute event registrations

Set a date until attendees can register at a lower cost. This way, you encourage potential attendees to register to your events sooner, so they can receive a better pricing. One other tip is selling last minute registration, at a great cost, but make sure you do this very close to the event. Don’t start the last minute campaign too early, because you will discourage people registering in advance, in the future. A good idea is to sell last minute registrations two or maximum three days prior to your event.

3. Reach out to former attendees

If your event is recurrent a good way to build a strong attendee base is to announce the event to your former attendees. If they attended once in the past and they’ve enjoyed the experience, they are more likely to register again. To increase your chances, you can offer them a discount or a special gift – for example, you can give them free access to a special conference during your event or maybe access to a welcome-drink with the speakers. It’s up to you how you choose to reward them for their loyalty.

4. Ask for help from partners

Ask your partners to promote your event. They don’t have to do anything complicated: Facebook posts are a great way to engage their audience. Imagine that: if you have 10 partners for your events and they all share it on social media, 10 different communities will find out about your event, so your chances of people buying tickets increase greatly.

5. Fuel sales with employee contests

So you plan an event and have a team of, let’s say, 15 people working on this project. Challenge them. You can make a fun contest for the team: each of them can become an event ambassador and help with sales and registrations. The one with the most registrants brought on board will win a prize of your choice: a gym membership, a day at the spa or anything that you know your employees may want – of course, at a reasonable price. Or you can even hand out prizes with low costs: a free day or an work-at-home day, a better desk for the winner, a new chair or a new set of headphones. The point is to make it fun for the team and build up event awareness with the help of the people closest to the planning.

6. Go full digital with the perfect online tool

A good idea for handling registrations is going full digital. Use an online event registration software, such as Oveit. Oveit is a cloud tool that allows event organizers to manage events, registration data, customer relationship and cash flow. Oveit runs embedded on your website and implementation is as easy as copy and paste! You get multiple marketing options and an easy way of handling sales, managing your team and finances.

7. Distribute your message on Social Media

Your social media pages need to be constantly updated. You can post news about your event, live videos showing the preparations and short interviews with the speakers. You can also offer  some small (or larger) contests, where you an offer discount for the registrations, or advertise on social media, a good way to target your potential attendees.

November 4, 2016 Business events, Event management, Event professionals, Events No comments yet

Best board games events and conventions in the world

If you love playing board games, you have to know that there are some special gaming events in the world, where you can try new games, meet people that have the same hobby as you and buy the newest items on the market. Here are some events that take place in Europe, Asia, Australia and North America, that you might find interesting. All you have to do is pack your bags, buy your ticket and … roll the dice! 

Taipei Game Show – January, Taipei, Taiwan

taipei-game-show

Taipei Game Show is not only an international exhibit for gamers to experience innovative products, but also a great platform for business, networking and exchanging experiences in the game industry. Since the announcement for registration in late July, more than 130 companies and indie game developers from France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Russia, Singapore, the United States and more have registered for the B2B zone at Taipei Game Show 2016. Taipei Game Show 2017 is expected to reach more than 500,000 public visits and 3,000 trade visitors.

More info at: http://taipeigameshow.biz/

MeepleCon – March, Melbourne, Australia

Source - Meeplecon 2014

Source – Meeplecon 2014

MeepleCon is an annual board gaming event held in Melbourne, on the first weekend of December. It features new releases from the International Spieletage (held in Essen, Germany) as well as older games including those from Melbourne Meeples library.

MeepleCon is primarily an open library event where you can grab a game from the library, put it on the table and play. It also includes scheduled tournaments and special events.

More info at: http://con.meeples.org.au/

SaltCon – March, Utah, USA

Image source: SaltCON

Image source: SaltCON

The mission of SaltCON is “to bring people together with games.” The convention brings together exhibitors, prizes, game teachers, tournaments and a huge game library to try new games. At SaltCON, you can try board games, card games, party games, role playing games, dexterity games, miniatures games and more.

A Full Convention Adult Ticket is 50 US dollars and a 1 Day Adult Ticket costs 30 US dollars.

More info at: http://saltcon.com/

Fastaval – April, Hobro, Denmark

Fastaval is an annual gaming convention in Hobro, Denmark, with focus on role-playing games, live action role-playing games, board games, miniature war gaming and collectible card games. The first many years was held in or around Aarhus but the 2011 Fastaval was held in Silkeborg, while the conventions from 2012 to 2016 were held at Mariagerfjord Gymnasiet in Hobro.

The convention has been held on the long weekend of Easter since 1986, with the exception of 1988.

More info at: http://www.fastaval.dk/

Board games decathlon – October, Bucharest, Romania

This October, gamers in Bucharest can participate at a decathlon of board games that will last 10 hours! Participants will play ten of the most popular board games, such as Catan, Dixit, Activity, Saboteur, Jenga or Game of Thrones – Card Game.

All the funds raised will be used to develop the HOSPICE socio-medical center from Adunatii Copaceni, where children suffering from diseases with limited life prognosis are taken care of. The event addresses both board games enthusiasts, who can participate in the Decathlon competition for the grand prize trophy, as well as beginners, who have never tried board games.

Tickets can be purchased online on www.ove.ro, at the price of 9 euros for the official competition and 6 euros for the casual gaming area.

More info at: http://www.haveacigar.pub/decatlon/

Internationale Spieltage – October, Essen, Germany

Spieltage is the largest annual board game exhibit in the world. This year, the event will host more than 1,000 exhibitors from 50 nations.

The cool thing about this gaming convention is that they offer a shipping and packaging service. This means that if you attend the event and like 5 or 6 games, you don’t have to take them back home with you via plane and pay a lot of money for extra luggage. You have the option to ship your purchased games directly from the fairground to their homes.

A One-Day Ticket costs 13 euros and a Four-Day Ticket is 31 euros.

More info at: www.merz-verlag-en.com/

Lucca Comics and Games – October – November, Lucca, Italy

Lucca Comics & Games is the leading European festival dedicated to comics, games, movies and video games. With nearly 500,000 visitors in total, more than 40,000 square meters of exhibition space, 20 exhibitions, more than 500 events including meetings with authors and publishers, shows and concerts, the event is a must for gaming fans all over the world.

Lucca Comics & Games is held in the historic center of the ancient city of Lucca, a charming city rich in art and history in the heart of Tuscany. It takes place every year, at the end of October.

More info at: www.luccacomicsandgames.com/it/lcg/home/

Spielwies’n – November, Munich, Germany

Spielwies’n is a large board games fair and a showcase for new games and toys. Most of the producing companies have stands at the location, where you can get tutorials on how to play the new items and try playing it. At the end, you can buy the game, if you liked it.

Moreover, you can also take part in competitions. Don’t worry if you go alone – you will definitely find a game partner – thousands of fans from Germany and around the world attend this event.

The ticket is 27 euros for a three-day full access and there are also daily or family packages available.

More info at: www.freizeitspass-muenchen.de/messen/spielwiesn

October 12, 2016 Event management, Events, Festivals No comments yet

How to maximize event registrations and sales

One of the most important aspects to event business is the ticket sales. After all – that’s what makes it a business. Planners try different tactics in order to get the right people to register and attend their events. Of course, this is no easy job, considering that the industry is so competitive. There are many reasons to attend an event: to have a good time, to learn and network, to spend time with peers.

Oveit can help organizers optimize their sales with some interesting features that are available as soon as the account is created.

Real Time sales reports

First thing is first. When it comes to ticket sales, the best tool you need to have is a real time sales report. This is a vital tool, because you need to know at any time how many tickets were purchased up to that point and by whom. Oveit offers its customers various reports that give information regarding the number of tickets sold in a day, as well as the sums that were generated by the sales, split by events or ticket types.

issued-tickets

With these reports, the event planner can see at a glance whether the promotional campaigns are working and what their direct impact is on actual sales. If you plan a concert and decide to have a Facebook ad campaign for one week, you can see how that campaign affected the sales. If you observe that sales did not record a boost or an increase in numbers, then it is obvious that you need a shift in your promotional campaign. On the other hand, if you observe that the graphs are going sky high, it’s time to put some more money in that specific type of media, as it is clear that it’s working. This is viable for all other forms of marketing campaigns dedicated to promote your event and increase the number of tickets that are being sold.

Relevant customer data

It would be nice to get to know your attendees, wouldn’t it? With Oveit you can find out anything you want from your customers.

The form setup. You can choose from text, dropdown lists, email, dates and file uploads

The form setup. You can choose from text, dropdown lists, email, dates and file uploads

By enabling Oveit’s forms function, you can request any sort of information that is relevant for you. You can find out the attendees’ names, e-mails, positions in their companies, or even ask for their CVs. Why is this relevant for sales? Sales, in today’s world, is data. The more you know about your potential market, the better.

check-in

The check-in section. Search for attendees, edit their details and see order details.

Of course, it is important to ask the right questions to attendees. A large list of questions can go unanswered and the purchase flow is interrupted.

We recommend that you ask the customer her e-mail and basic data (name, company, position in the company), as these are the essentials. If you do this right, you will build up large data base collected and organized by Oveit, searchable and editable, which will always be available to you. You can also connect other applications you might have (for example a CRM) to our API and streamline data management. You will be able to see the customers’ activity and even reward your loyal customers at future events (for example with discount vouchers for loyal customers).

Active Media Partners

All events have media partners. Bigger events attract important media partners, but don’t worry if you plan a smaller event. You will definitely find media channels that are interested in your event. All you need to do is define your target audience and see where they get their news from. Once you have signed the media partnerships, you can use Oveit for something awesome: actively involve the media partners into ticket sales.

Copy, paste, embed and sell anywhere.

Copy, paste, embed and sell anywhere.

How? By using the embed function that Oveit has for every event, customers can purchase tickets directly from your media partner websites. The embed code functions just like any you would expect from an embed code and is compatible with any kind of website or screen resolution.

Customize the embed widget and make it fit your brand identity.

Customize the embed widget and make it fit your brand identity.

Your media partner just copies and pastes that code in the advertorial dedicated to your event. There you have it. Partners become sales channels. With this feature you can now have a full sales force directly from newspapers, online magazines or even blogs. You have full control over the data, at any time, so you know exactly who was the most prolific partner/seller.

The perfect check-out

The customer experience starts when the payment ends. This is the beginning of your customer relationship. She having a nice experience at the concert is entirely your job as an organizer.

Oveit can only help you with access management and all the other tools required for ticket sales. But even more, Oveit can help you stay in touch with your attendee. By keeping her attention and interest alive, she can become your loyal customer and will definitely attend to your future events.

A start to this new relationship between the planner and the attendee is the Oveit Check-out settings section that will enable you to send personalized e-mails to your attendees. By doing so, the customer will enjoy the attention you are offering her and be more receptive to anything you are doing or saying.

Also, you can create a small ‘Thank you’ page on your website so the customer will be redirected to it after ticket purchase. If you follow the previous advice and sell tickets directly from the media partners, this URL link is mandatory, as the customer can be redirected on your official website where she might find out more details about the event and about upcoming events.

October 10, 2016 Access management, Event management, Event professionals, Events No comments yet

How to network like a Pro at Events in 5 Easy Steps

Meeting people and making new friends: the key to every successful event out there. But for some of us more introverted types there is this fear of events, especially business ones, as meeting and engaging new people can be tiresome. Have you ever gone to a big event where you were supposed to promote your business or perhaps attract an investor and you felt like a tiny fish in an ocean full of people? I’m sure you did. We did too. It’s not just huge events … the same feeling can occur even after a conference or a dinner, when it’s time for “networking”.

networking-events

First of all, you have to know that when it comes to networking, some people got the natural skills, some don’t. It’s as simple as that. But that doesn’t mean that people that are shy or introvert cannot be skilled networkers.

OK, now let’s assume you are one of the people who are not comfortable when it comes to attend an event and start networking. Here are five tricks that will help you improve your networking skills and achieve what you want when you go to an event to meet people.

1. Get the right information

First thing’s first. When you plan on attending a new event – you have to be informed. And when we say informed, we don’t mean to know information about the event. Well, that is useful too, but first of all you have to try and find out who is going to be there.

Who are the people you want to talk to, what do they do and how do they look? Do you know someone who will be attending the event? Someone that might introduce you to others you may want to meet?

Let’s assume that you are going to a conference where you want to meet an important investor.You know that he is coming to the event (so that’s the first piece of information that you must have) but you don’t know anything else about him, except his position. So now it’s time for research: Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, anything works. This way, you can find out important details about the person you want to meet. Besides professional information, you might even find details about his personal life, such as hobbies. All of this information will help you get to know the person better, feel a little bit more confident and provide you with some good conversation subjects in case you get the chance to do that. Also, every major event has a dedicated app for networking. You might want to use this before the event starts so you can set up some good meetings with people you want to meet, leading to better event networking skills.

2. You and yourself

Networking is all about you. The more confident you are, the better your event networking skills will be. It’s pretty hard to start chatting with someone who is shy, introvert and reluctant to interact.

So, plan your event, locate your “targets” and follow the dress code. That’s pretty important. I know that sounds a bit rough but fitting in is a good choice when attending events. The difference you want to achieve is in your speech and attitude. Rather be known for your character and personality than your funky choice of styling.

Prepare some clean-looking business cards and don’t be shy to share them. Choose the right people and engage them before giving them the card. Nobody will remember your card unless they are interested in you.

3. Where are the drinks?

If you go to conferences or large events, make sure you know the location of the bar or cafeteria. That’s where people are relaxed and approachable. Many are attending the event to do exactly what you want to do, so don’t be shy to sit at a table with other people.

The drinks, sandwiches and cakes are a good way to break the ice and start a conversation… or if you’re a smoker, always be prepared to light someone’s cigarette. Who knows, maybe that person will be just the guy you need. And the best advice is that you must always be prepared to meet the people.

As a personal example, when we were networking to find people interested in Oveit, we happened to meet a potential investor on the airplane, sitting right next to us, as we were coming back from a major event. You never know whom you’re going to meet or whom you are going to talk to, so it’s for the best you are ready for it at all times.

4. Get the right business cards

Considering you do everything right, by the time the event finishes, you will have a lot of business cards. You might want to sort them out as soon as possible. I found out that using a pen to scribble some extra details on the business cards can help a lot.

You might remember all the details of everyone on the business cards from the event, but what’s going to happen in a couple of days? Memory can sometimes be a pain, so it’s best to avoid the problems by jotting down extra information about the people on the cards. And it might help to use different pockets to place the cards. For example, you could put the very important business cards in the right pocket. Simple and easy to do.

5. Follow up

The hard work comes when you have to follow up. You attended the event, you’ve met the right people, maybe a lot of them… but so did they. So, now it’s time to follow up and approach each and every one of the people you are interested in. Make sure to write effective and short e-mails.

Remind the person about the circumstances you interacted and be sure to remind him or her the information that got him to give you his business card in the first place. If you want to ask that person for something, don’t do it now. Ask him for an advice and meet up later. It’s the best follow up you can have.

However, beyond all the advice and tips that you might read online there is one thing and one thing only that will help improve your networking skills: Practice. Yes, this is the most important trick of them all. Go out there, attend as many events as you can and work on your event networking skills. You might not make it the first time, you might go horribly wrong the second time, but if you learn from your mistakes and continue being tenacious, you will definitely succeed. After all, “an ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching”.

September 20, 2016 Event management, Events No comments yet

A Short History of Magic Shows and Events

The world of magicians has been fascinating for both children and adults all around the world. Illusionism is known to be one of the oldest performing arts in the world and has dazzled the audience from generation to generation. Whether we are talking about the grand illusions of the 19th century, or about the spectacular shows of modern magicians, the magic shows have been around since 1845 when Jean Eugene Robert Houdin opened a magic theater in Paris. Considered by many to be the founding father of modern magic, Robert Houdin distinguished himself by the elegance and creativity of his shows and illusions.

The Houdini phenomenon

HarryHoudini1899Later on, at the beginning of the 20th century, the modern art of magic recorded a new important page in its history, as renowned show-man Harry Houdini created a world-wide phenomenon. His spectacular escapes fascinated millions around the world. Soon, Houdini became an international star. He developed a new style of magic, close-up magic. This style used different small objects such as coins, playing cards, scarves and ropes. With these items, the magician performed different tricks right in front of the audience, hence taking the illusion’s effect to a next level.

Throughout the 20th century, magic became more and more popular and many amateur illusionists started buying magic kits from the local department stores. Also, magic courses became available on a larger scale and the most famous was the ‘Tarbell Course in Magic’ which was an encyclopedia of magic written in eight volumes by Dr. Harlan Tarbell. As technology evolved and television became popular, the art of magic had to adapt. This led to another important moment in the history of Magic, the growth in popularity of David Copperfield.

How to make the Statue of Liberty vanish?

Considered by many aspiring magicians the “God” of Modern Magic, David Copperfield has amazed spectators from around the world with his impressive and original performances. You probably remember one of his best known performances: Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty vanish on live TV.

The Business of Magic Shows and Events

Nowadays, magic has become a profitable part of show business, as there are hundreds of TV shows, events and festivals dedicated to the art of magic.

Professional magicians are now part of associations and federations and here are two worth mentioning. The first is the International Brotherhood of Magicians which is the world’s largest magical organization with more than 13.000 members from 88 different countries. The other is FISM, the Federation Internationale des Societes Magiques, which is the international federation that brings together more than 95 magic societies from all over the world, representing over 50.000 magicians.

Every three years, FISM organizes the most important magic event in the world, The World Championships of Magic. The most recent Championship was held in 2015 in Rimini, Italy and the next one will be held in 2018 in Busan, South Korea.

Magic near the Carpathians

teatrul-magie

Source: The Theater of Magic

Though Europe has its fair share of magic shows and events, Eastern Europe has just started adopting this new type of events. In Romania, for example, the art of magic was barely known until a few decades ago. With just a couple of magicians that were known throughout the 20th century, magic was often associated with the world of circus. However, change started in 2008 when actor and magician Andrei Teasca returned from South Korea with a new concept: The Theater of Magic. Combining the art of illusionism with theater, the new concept became widely popular in Romania. With more than 70.000 spectators and over 50 different shows in the repertoire, the Theatre of Magic became the first Romanian organization to promote Magic as an art form. Through hard work and dedication, Andrei Teasca managed to establish the Federation of Magic which eventually was accepted as full member of FISM.

Founding the Harry Houdini Magic Festival, the Academy of Magic and now The Magician’s House (a place where everything is magic: bar, club, shop, shows), Andrei Teasca and his Theater of Magic continue working to develop the business side. As a result, Teasca’s disciple, Emil Dragan, became the first Romanian magician to participate at the World Championships of Magic in 2015 and his performance was appreciated at an international level.

Oveit is a proud partner of the Theatre of Magic and a great event registration software that helps the staff organize and coordinate events and shows, sell tickets and check in attendees at the entrance.

August 11, 2016 Event management, Event professionals, Events, Theater No comments yet