Keeping the Conversation Going, Long After the Meeting
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
To a meeting planner, few things are worse than holding a top-notch event where all cylinders are firing only for it to fall flat once attendees are back in their everyday bubbles. When the back-to-normal, “how do I implement this information?” hits, it’s easy for conference attendees to fall back into the hustle and bustle of their everyday workflow without incorporating what they’ve learned. Staying connected can help offset this and create big wins for your meeting or association in the long run.
E-mail newsletters are a great tool for reminders and registration information; however, two-way conversation is what builds your community. Keeping the conversation going long after the event has taken place has multiple benefits, including creating a community of associates with whom to share ideas. It also reinforces your meeting’s worth as more than a once-a-year event.
For the business professional, LinkedIn is a go-to spot for those seeking networking opportunities and industry news. Consider creating a group specific to your meeting where attendees can share ideas and ask questions. The Group feature on Facebook is also an easy-to-use tool for networking and staying top-of-mind with your audience. Both of these platforms work well for posting links to conference materials, agendas and even destination information. In addition, consider creating a section on your website where speakers can load their presentations; then provide attendees with a password to access the information. As they have time, attendees can regroup and retrain on what they learned at your conference.
A monthly Twitter chat is another avenue to stay in touch with your audience. Invite your speakers back as moderators, and provide free conference registration to one participant each month. You could also offer a registration discount code to all Twitter participants.
