What is the thing that takes an event from ordinary to extraordinary? Is there some secret to persuade people to attend your event and keep them coming back? It is all in the event branding.
With a smart and alluring event branding strategy, you will be able to wow the event attendees, event sponsors, and partners in 2021.
Want to learn how to get your own brand out there and host an event that wows a larger audience?
Keep reading!
What is Event Branding?
Let’s start from the basics – what is event branding? It is the process of capturing the essence of your company’s brand and then giving it the proper due in your marketing efforts & coordinated campaigns.
No matter what the type of event is, the event planning process is the same. You can do this through digital marketing channels and via onsite branding.
The event branding should reflect your company’s brand itself, but also needs to stand on its own. Similar to a business’s brand, event branding is made of several elements such as the logo, website, email campaigns, stage design, potential sponsors, etc.
Keep your branding recognizable and cohesive with the help of a thoughtful event strategy. Want to know the perfect event branding formula? Add a unique twist to your brand and you will have the perfect event brand on your hands!
Is Event Branding Necessary?
Whether your event is in-person or virtual, event branding is necessary to create an amazing, memorable, cohesive experience for the potential attendees. However, consistent experiences don’t occur randomly.
Rather, they are the result of persistent, thoughtful, and strong event branding. Let’s say that you go to an event, and look around. If you connect with the surroundings, you will be very likely to discuss it with others.
However, if you go to an event and you find it bland, it is very likely that you will forget about it yourself, let alone discuss it with someone else. Event management branding is what makes people come to your branded events and conferences again and again.
Jog your memory and think about the best event you have been to. It is very likely that you can picture the keynote speakers, the food, the people you met, the after-parties, etc. The way you brand an event shapes how the people involved remember the experience.
The idea is that when you attend an event that provides value, it can help generate leads, build credibility and loyalty, offer support, etc. If you provide a valuable experience, prospective attendees will be more willing to buy into your brand promise at that time, and then into your service or product.
The Very Best Event Branding Ideas & Elements
When it comes to a perfect experience, a combination of factors come together to give positive experiences to attendees. Let’s see what branding efforts and marketing materials drive attendee engagement and make user conferences a success.
Company Swag
You can’t go wrong with the branded accessories and apparel that you give to people who attend your event. Everyone loves free stuff and it is an exciting opportunity to make your event a must-attend event.
Branded company swag is the foundational element that gives you the opportunity to create brand awareness across the globe. There are lots of ideas that event marketers use for free promotional branding materials.
However, make sure that the promotional items you giveaway correlate with your brand. Don’t go with environmentally unfriendly plastic promotional items such as toys, pens, etc. Instead, consider the tone of the event and select merchandise that will remind the attendees of the positive event experience they had.
For instance, if the messaging of your event is inspirational and the company tone is relaxed, you should treat the attendees to branded calming herbal teas so that they will think about the onsite experience while having a relaxing cuppa.
Videos
We live in a digital world and spend most of our lives online. Videos and graphical content have a larger impact instead of a boring article or post with no visual stimulation. Create enticing videos both before and after the event.
The videos should strike a balance between event marketing, event recaps, emphasizing the brand’s values, highlighting speaker sessions, etc. A catchy video with attention-grabbing music and an alluring event tagline will keep the target audience hooked.
Event Apps
As we said, this is a technological age and there are apps for everything from audiobooks to booking plane tickets. The attendees of today not only actively look for an event app, but they also expect the mobile app to feature-rich content with high functionality to enhance their experience.
Event app is a channel that creates valuable opportunities in the events industry to get people excited about future events. The ultimate goal of an event app is to drive engagement, so make sure your app encourages app engagements that will in turn drive in-person actions later.
From multiple level surveys, key announcements, polls to schedules and event conversations & discussions board, a quality app should have a collection of elements that will result in a successful ROI.
Connect your mobile event app with your social media channels to increase engagement numbers. Share event-related content on the apps as part of your content marketing strategy. You can ask the people to fill a post-event survey regarding the positive event experience, and leave their info for future event registrations.
Overall Event Design
The first thing that the people will see when they attend your event is the design and event venue layout. Make sure that you incorporate the event’s brand into the set and stage design. Event personalization is very important.
For instance, if your event branding is circular, you should go with a circular stage design that will create a subconscious link between the attendees and your brand. If your event flows between different zones, rooms, break-outs, etc. ensure that the branding is used to help the people navigate their way around the venue.
As event planners, smartly incorporate branding elements into the event venue layouts while you are planning the event. Make sure that you go with consistent branding – from the company colors and email design logos to the posters and event swag & event lighting, all design elements should circle back to the event’s tone and message.
Social Media Wall
Instead of putting up banners and wallpapers on a blank wall, we suggest that you project a live feed of your event on social media platforms using innovative hashtags. If you have created an event hashtag, this will be even more effective and you will be able to keep an eye on what the people are saying about your co-branded events.
The guests can share pictures, Instagram stories, etc. using the conference hashtag and it will appear on the social wall in real-time. This will please the guests and will help spur interest from the public and industry giants, which is the ultimate goal.
Moreover, this helps in creative interactive experiences and positive association with the mini-events.
Event Branding Closing
What comes to your mind when you think of outdoor events? Services, colors, booths, promotional items, etc. do come to mind, but what else does? Aesthetics. Attitude. Personality. The way you deal with the customers, prospects, employees, partners, etc. all combine to make your exceptional event brand.
Whether you are going to host your own event, or are going to have a presence at an event someone else is hosting, you need to get your brand out there. Event branding matters.
Creating a unique, consistent event brand is about crafting a cohesive story that will resonate with your event audience and will encourage a positive attendee experience.
Hopefully, after reading this guide, you will be equipped with the creative branding ideas that you need about event branding in 2021 and beyond.
