Source: Royal Cliff Beach Resort
If you’re hosting or attending a conference, it is an excellent form of promotion for your brand. But you’re probably wondering what else you can do to get your business seen while you’re there. If you’re the host, you’re obviously going to get a bit more attention than others. However, people might be more likely to recognize the name of the conference than the brand behind it. And if you’re only attending the conference, whether as a speaker or a guest, you’re going to find it harder to get noticed. Conferences can be fantastic places to promote your brand, but you have to know what you’re doing. Try the following suggestions to get your name out there.
Brand the Conference
If it’s your conference, you have to make sure you brand it with your business as much as possible. Don’t make it all about self-promotion. But don’t let people go home wondering who was behind the conference either. Ensure that you have your name or logo on relevant materials. That might mean putting it on programs, leaflets, and even food and drink menus. You should also think about the banners and posters you put up around the conference. You might not have a whole poster dedicated to your brand, but your logo could be in the corner. Think about putting your mark on various signage. It could just be a sign pointing people toward the reception area or labeling a room.
Prepare Materials to Hand Out
Giving people something they can take home with them is always a good idea. Whether you’re hosting the conference, giving a talk or running a booth, you can prepare materials for people to use. You can create useful papers for attendees to look over while you give a presentation. Or it could be something they can use when they get back to the office. You could provide them with a white paper or an interesting case study they can keep. If you’re hosting the conference, you could even give people branded notebooks or paper so they can take notes at each of the talks they attend.
Host Your Own Talk
Conference hosts shouldn’t just leave the speaking up to hired speakers. You’re in charge of the schedule, so why not put your own talk in there? Just be careful not to create something that just promotes your brand. It still needs to be on an interesting topic that attendees can enjoy, just like everyone else’s. Since you’re hosting the conference, you presumably can come up with something appropriate. If you don’t want to take up a long slot on the schedule, even a commencement speech to welcome everyone is a good idea. Just remember to mention to your brand.
Free Stuff
Whether you’re hosting, speaking or attending a conference, promotional materials are a great idea. Handing them out for free gives people something to take home and keep. If you’re the conference host, you could consider putting together a package of materials. Everyone could get a tote bag with a mug, pen, keyring and other items. Have a look at the Motivators website to find some ideas. You might want to avoid some of the typical promotional items and go for something a bit different. Mix up the branding on your materials so some are for the conference and some for your main brand. If you’re a speaker or have a booth at the conference, you could still give out some promo materials.
Get Involved with Social Media
You can’t avoid using social media if you want your business to be modern and connected. You will probably use it to promote the event beforehand, but don’t forget to do it when you’re there too. Everyone should use it at a conference, whether you’re hosting or just attending. If there’s a hashtag to use on Twitter or a Facebook event page, make sure you use it. Or create them if you’re the one hosting the conference. You can use social media to share photos and observations. A lot of people use Twitter to share quotes from the talks they listen to that they find impactful.
Hold Social Events
Conferences shouldn’t just be about moving from one talk to another. People want time to catch a break and talk about what they’ve been learning. Opportunities to socialize are essential, so don’t forget to consider them at any conference. You don’t have to be the one hosting the conference to make the most of social events. Other attendees could enquire about hosting something or sponsoring an event. Even if you just attend the social parts of the conference, you can use them as a chance to promote your brand. Of course, no one wants you to go on and on about yourself. But you’ll have opportunities to mention your brand and what you do.
Set Up Fun Things to Do Between Talks
Social events don’t have to be the only things to do between talks. There are other fun things you could have set up too. For example, you could have a branded photo booth that people can use whenever they want. The photos could also print out with a small version of your logo in the corner, or perhaps even get posted to social media. Think about doing something that could be associated with your brand. Your product doesn’t necessarily have to be something fun and exciting. You can still find a way to tie in an entertaining concept.
Host a Conference Podcast
Recording a podcast is another way to get your conference experience online. Whether you’re a host or an attendee, you can create an audio experience to share with others. You could set up some interviews and get some guests to join in. You might be able to live stream some parts or perhaps edit and upload your material later.
Conferences are excellent places for promoting your brand. It doesn’t matter in what capacity you are there. Make the most of your experience by finding a range of ways to subtly get your name seen and heard.
