Browsing Posts of Author »Kim Estep

SEO for events in 2019

December 3rd, 2018 @ Kim Estep

SEO

The internet landscape continues to make drastic changes as new technologies are developed, artificial intelligence (AI) is implemented and social media expands beyond its existing boundaries. For event organizers, these changes may be as worrisome as a thunderstorm in Australia (unless, of course, you’re actually in Australia). My point is that your event’s sponsors and attendees are using the internet to search for events to sponsor and attend. How will they find yours?

Google’s algorithm is the main reason marketing on social media is exploding right now. Google’s algorithm is making it impossible for new websites to reach page one, which means no free organic traffic. So, after learning that gaining free organic traffic from Google search is not really an option, how do you plan on getting customers to your website?”

In the above quote from Austin Lawson, it’s clear that Google controls the vast majority of your customers’ search results. It is the 800-pound gorilla. Maybe you don’t worry about search engine results for your events, using email marketing instead. But if you’re like us, the majority of your customers are using Gmail accounts, which are still controlled by Google. In other words: Comply or die.

What is search engine optimization (SEO) and why should you care?

To think about SEO for events in 2019, start by appreciating that the amount of content being created on the world wide web every day is greater than 2.5 quintillion bytes. Google processes over 40,000 searches a second. Yes, a second. In a vast sea of information, how will your conference website be found? And how will it make a great impression so your members, customers and sponsors want to open their wallets and pay for your live content rather than another conference?

Here are a few tips to make sure your event is displayed by search engines:

Use the same domain name (in other words, the website address before the .com or .org) for your event every year. You’ll earn domain authority because Google weighs domains that have been in existence for a period of time. If you make up new domains for every new event, you’ll be at the bottom of the search pile when a potential attendee runs a search.
Describe your event at the very top of the event home page and use meta tags on your event pages if you have more than one page. Why? Because if you aren’t writing your own meta tags and telling Google what content is important, the search engines will scan all of your copy on the pages and determine what they think the purpose of the page is.

Search Engine Watch says, “…meta tags offer more details about your site to search engines and website visitors who encounter your site in the [search engine results]. They can be optimized to highlight the most important elements of your content and make your website stand out in search results.”

How could this go wrong?

online marketing Imagine a situation where a capital markets conference is confused with a conference for grocers. The search engine could see “market” and just assume it’s a retail store when in reality the capital markets refer to inter-bank lending and such. The grocery conferences will be intermixed with finance conferences because the word “market” was ill-appropriated.

Thirdly, you may want to consider listing your conference or trade show on an event listing site. You see, backlinks are another way Google and other search engines decide whether a website is reputable. Over time, they’ve come to determine that sites that are referred to have clout and authority. If your event is listed on Convention Nation, for example, you’ll earn a free backlink back to your site. And by re-linking back to us (for example, “proudly listed on Convention Nation”), you’ll share the referral authority.

Staying up to date on modern search engine tactics is time-consuming and frustrating, but it’s the best way to attract your customers, your attendees and your sponsors who are using search engines to see what other people are doing.

RELATED STORY: Twitter event marketing 101

If you’d like to discuss ways your event can be matched with Convention Nation attendee members, feel free to set up a call. We’ll discuss how your event is best marketed to our audience and make some suggestions. The goal is to increase your attendee satisfaction score so you can win more sponsorships.

The post SEO for events in 2019 appeared first on Plan Your Meetings @ Meeting Professionals International.

Category : Blog and Industry News

Fall fun: Six after-hours event activities

October 22nd, 2018 @ Kim Estep

spooky cat

Great meeting planners always have the best interests of their attendees at heart. However, many fall short of creating a truly memorable experience by leaving attendees hanging at the end of the day (no Halloween pun intended). Often, event attendees are not local and don’t have anything to do at night after the event wraps up. This void can be particularly noticeable for events held in cities that can’t rely on their tourist attractions to entertain guests.

Go the extra mile for your attendees and plan fun, local, after-hours activities for them to enjoy. These are great bonding experiences for all involved, and lead to lasting connections.

In Connecticut, where I am located, there are so many fall activities going on that it got me thinking about seasonal activities set the perfect stage for localized, unique after-hours experiences for conference attendees and exhibitors. These offer the perfect opportunity to take customers out after hours without going to a bar or club, can be packaged into VIP-branded admissions for your group, and create memories that attendees will keep talking about long after they return home.

The following focuses on after-hours activities in New England in the fall because that’s where I’m located, but these types of activities can cross over into any location and season. Here are a few of my favorites.

Frightening, unforgettable memories at haunted houses

Create lasting memories (or nightmares) by being terrified together. “Haunts,” as we call them in New England, are abundant in the fall leading up to Halloween. There is no better way to bond with your colleagues than by screaming and jumping in terror together. One of my favorites is Fright Fest at Six Flags New England. Only 20 minutes from the Mass Mutual Convention Center in Springfield, Mass., and 30 minutes from the Connecticut Convention Center, this famous attraction is open until 9 p.m. during the week and 11 p.m. on the weekend. This activity will definitely leave an impression on attendees, sponsors and others who love new experiences!

Hay is not just for horses

Hay rides make for a unique after-hours activity for which everyone can get on board. They are perfect for a small group and promote engagement and participation through their close quarters. Sitting side by side with your customers and colleagues for the duration of the ride can be great for business. Nobody will want to fall off of this wagon!

Hit the wine trail

There are many vineyards in New England that offer wine tasting and wine pairing menus with fine-dining cuisine. Take a group to one of Connecticut’s 24 vineyards just for tasting, or treat them with a chef-inspired dinner that features local ingredients. This is an intimate dining experience guests will appreciate. Information can be found at the Connecticut Wine Trail website.

RELATED STORY: Can holiday stress be a good thing?

Zip-lining after dark

That’s right, it’s a thing. This may be just as terrifying as the haunted house, but possibly more rewarding at the end. There are several zip-lining adventure parks in Connecticut that will have your group soaring through the trees. Take your group to one of the Halloween-themed zip-lining adventures for extra after-hours exhilaration. Glide through the trees at night while bonding with your team.

Get lost in a corn maze

This is the perfect activity to ditch your group of troublemakers from the conference. OK, maybe don’t do that, but it is a great networking activity that your attendees are sure to enjoy. Bring flashlights, form teams and see who can find their way through the corn maze the fastest. Just be sure everyone makes it back to the bus at the end of the night. One of my favorites is at Sonny’s Place because you can cover more than one activity if you like. Your guests can move onto a hay ride or mini-golf after they conquer the maze.

Sunset dinner cruises

If all this fright has your group ready for some R&R, head to the coast for a sunset dinner cruise. There are also lobster dinner cruises where your event guests can dive into the local cuisine. Most of the cruises last about two hours and are a unique, locally themed way to provide a private dining experience for your after-hours group.

It is well worth the investment to plan after-hours events for your guests. The bonding and memories that personalized activities produce just can’t be achieved in traditional bars and restaurants. Go the extra mile to plan something special, and show your guests you are committed to providing them with a memorable experience.

RELATED STORY: Christmas event décor ideas using new tech

The post Fall fun: Six after-hours event activities appeared first on Plan Your Meetings @ Meeting Professionals International.

Category : Blog and Industry News

Trade show etiquette: Confessions of a self-proclaimed suitcaser

October 1st, 2018 @ Kim Estep

man with suitcase

Two years ago, my startup team and I were looking for events to attend to get the word out about our company. We settled on two events that charged no registration fee for attendees, thinking we’d save much of our meagre marketing budget by walking the trade show floor and handing out literature about our company. We thought we’d do after-hours networking in the bars and hotels surrounding the convention center, and we created t-shirts that advertised our fledgling brand.

None of us was a member of the event industry before creating the new company, so we had no idea how harmful our practices were to the event planners. In fact, it took another year or two before one of us happened upon an article that made us cringe. We had been suitcasing—but we had no idea that was a prohibited practice.

Some of us had been attending trade shows and conferences for years. Some were veteran suitcasers. Not one of us had ever heard that it was prohibited or unethical. Had we missed the fine print in the registration form? Maybe we had. But can you blame us? Who reads that stuff anyway? We’d heard about events, had decided to put ourselves out there to hustle some sales and branding awareness for our startup, or our company was going to fail. We didn’t have a budget for a booth and even if we had, our company was too young and immature to do formal presentations to customers. We were still in the “market research” phase of development. The value of the booth couldn’t be calculated. And we’d never been kicked out of an event for soliciting outside a booth, so we didn’t know it was wrong.

But we are much more aware now. I suppose awareness is the first step in any behavior change, and please know that we’ve changed our behavior. We’ll affirm, though, that we had no idea how harmful our tactics were—and no exhibitors called us out on our actions. I suspect that many others are in the same position. They continue to attend shows as registered attendees because the cost of exhibiting is too expensive or the idea of standing behind a booth all day doesn’t sit well with them.

RELATED STORY: Trade shows: 5 top tips for new planners

trade show general I have a recommendation. I think organizers should consider a new kind of hybrid registration that allows non-booth-renters to engage in marketing and solicitation, but in a limited fashion. Maybe allow them in the hall to solicit only at predefined hours. Maybe restrict their access to educational sessions. don’t hire them as speakers or only let them speak at one session. Definitely restrict advertising for them on the event website and in marketing collateral, and don’t list them as exhibitors in your directory. Print their marketing material as part of the package, and maybe limit how much they can pass out. And maybe by describing this hybrid registration on your form, you’ll help to create awareness and understanding. You’ll more easily telegraph the value of your meeting, and you may even raise some additional revenue. And the end result will be a mutual understanding between you, the organizer, and the industry participants who are your future five-figure customers.

We don’t think being a bad cop will achieve the results you look for. If other hotels are willing to host hospitality events for unofficial exhibitors, I suggest you let them. If those events earn higher attendance levels than your official event, learn from them. Marketers are going to do whatever they can to make the most of their marketing spend—and they’re going to discover channels that you haven’t even considered. Market yourselves as partners, though, and you’ll win their trust and loyalty. And that means you may have many more official exhibitors in the future.

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