It’s conference season!
For peer-to-peer event professionals, the return of autumn also means conference season is back. Last week, our team spoke at two conferences: Raise – The Event Fundraising Conference and Peer-to-Peer World. Both were virtual, bringing together bright minds in the non-profit event fundraising space to share lessons and insights from the past 18 months. Here are some highlights from our presentations.
Combining Live and Hybrid Experiences is Here to Stay
On the first day of the Raise conference, Jillian Schranz, our Director of Business Development,, presented Event 360’s take on the changing landscape and how the combination of live event experiences with hybrid options (often fueled by new emerging technologies) are going to be key for peer-to-peer events for the foreseeable future. Three key takeaways from the presentation include:
- Live events will continue to rely on smart event planning. By manipulating site elements like time and space to optimize volume or congestion on-event, and including contactless options for registration and donation, live events can be held safely.
- Innovative technology enhances the event experience. Crucial to both live events and hybrid options, our case study focused on our 5x5K FOR GOOD event. We discussed how digital check-in and a digital route enhanced the live experience while our LIVE virtual broadcast through Charge Running energized and connected our participants joining from home.
- Fostering connection is key to participant engagement. Whether in-person or at home, participants want to feel connected to their community. Our team showcased examples of in-app interaction, multi-sensory event kits, and responsive texting that can turn ordinary experiences into extraordinary moments.
Email Communications Workshop: Timing and Segmentation
Last Friday, Joann Collins, our Senior Copywriter, joined the team at Susan G. Komen to present an hour’s worth of incredible content related to email communications for peer-to-peer event programs. In this session, Joann covered both timing and segmentation for email campaigns and the ways this varies for four different types of programs: Fundraising, Awareness, High Commitment and Activity-Based. For each event type, Joann shared a complex matrix of timing and segmentation. Her suggestions for timing strategy were based on three levers:
- When to start: When to begin communicating to both registered and non-registered audiences.
- When to shift the message: When should you move your focus from recruitment to participant engagement and support.
- Frequency: How often to email based on event type, participant type, special deadlines and segmentation.
If your team currently produces a peer-to-peer event series and needs to take a step back and revamp your email strategy, you can check out this session here. If you missed the Peer-to-Peer World conference last Friday, there are still three more Fridays left in the conference to attend (did we mention it’s free?).
Our team at Event 360 will be closing out the final week of the conference when Jillian Schranz takes the virtual stage to discuss the return to live events. In this session, we’ll dive deep into strategies and tactics to reengage participants, navigate shifting jurisdictional guidelines, and optimize the event experience. Join us!
