To make your event a success, it is important to communicate well with your visitors. Through the right communication, you ensure that the target group feels addressed and is triggered to go to your event. But how do you ensure that your event communication is on point? Using event communication software? Sure, but there's more!

A good start is half the work

Communication is an extremely important part of making your event a success. That is why it is wise to think carefully about the way of communicating with the target group during the event planning. Because you already think about this before the event, you create peace of mind for yourself and you communicate using the same tone of voice. One day you are happier and write a very nice text; the next day you experience writer's block.

To ensure that you communicate with the same tone of voice, you can use a communication plan. The communication plan ensures that you have clear guidelines that the communication must meet.

Event communication plan

Event communication without a plan is your best guarantee for a bumpy trajectory full of annoyances for both the participants and yourself as the event manager. Creating the communication plan for your event consists of a number of practical steps.

Short introduction

You start by writing a short introduction. In this introduction, you outline the framework of the communication plan for your event. Write a short text about the event and especially why you are organizing the event. Why is your event important and what does it add?

Analysis

To arrive at a communication objective, it is useful to analyze the various factors. Think about:

  • What is the timeline of your event?
  • Who is the target group? Do they have resistance, do they have a high or low level of knowledge, what interests the target group, on which channels are they active?

By asking yourself these questions, you will have a better idea of the time schedule and who your target audience actually is.

Communication target

The communication goal is a derivative of the objective of the event. What do you want to achieve with the event? From this point of view, you formulate a communication goal. It is likely that different target groups will come to your event. Think, for example, of VIPs, sponsors, employees of a company or interested parties. Each target group will have to have its own communication goal.

For example, you will want to ensure that the sponsors also want to sponsor the next edition, you will especially want to give your employees a nice day and enthuse interested people to take a course or training. Each target group must therefore have its own communication goal.

You formulate the communication goals on the basis of the change in knowledge, attitude and behaviour. It is important to really get under the skin of the target group. This gives you a much better insight into the wishes and requirements of the target group. Which event communication will trigger the target group to achieve the goal?

This a fascinating and necessary thought exercise that leads to a communication plan for your event.

Event communication is also a strategy

Because you now have a lot of information per target group, it is time to write the communication strategy. In this strategy, you indicate in broad terms how you intend to achieve the communication goal and why. The strategy forms the justification for the communication plan. To arrive at a good communication strategy, it is advisable to answer the following questions:

  • How do you approach the target group? Are you going to actively approach the target group or do you choose to let the target group come to you?
  • What degree of openness is desirable and possible? Which elements can you communicate to the target group and which topics can you withhold (a little longer)?
  • What is the tone of voice? How do you address the target group? You can choose to address the target group formally or informally. It is also important to think about the words you use. And especially the difficulty of the words.
  • Which channels do you use? Is your target audience mainly on social media? Then it is wise to reach the target group through this channel. Other possible channels are: verbal, by letter or a combination.
  • Do you want to use different types of communication? As indicated earlier, it makes sense to work with different groups, but this is not necessary. Do you approach the target group en masse, in groups, individually or through intermediaries?
  • Who will you collaborate with? During the entire organization, you will work with different parties. Is it important to involve them in the communication? You can also think of other parties such as TV, radio or newspaper.
  • What priorities do you set? What should be paid attention to first?
  • What is global planning? Do you choose to send an invitation once or are there multiple contact moments? Think for example of an invitation, reminder, general information, thank you for participation and evaluation.

These are all elements that play a role in determining smooth event communication.

Event communication has a message

Since you now have a lot of information about the target group and the way you are going to address and reach it, it is time to formulate the core message. The core message indicates the essence of the communication content. Determine for yourself what information the target group needs to receive in order to achieve the communication objective.

You can then split the core into sub-messages. The messages that are important for each target group.

Event communication through multiple channels

To get the message to the target groups, there is a choice of different channels. The choice of channels strongly depends on the target group. What channels are they active on? In addition, you will have to look for a balance between effectiveness and efficiency: do you achieve the objective with the chosen channel and is this achieved with the smallest possible effort of time and money? Otherwise, the event communication still misses the target.

Multiple channels are used for most events. For example, e-mails are sent to existing customers and sponsors, an advertisement is used on social media or TV or flyers are distributed in neighbourhoods where the target group lives. Research the right way of communicating with the target group for your own event, keeping effectiveness and efficiency in mind.

Planning

In order to arrive at a good communication strategy, it is wise to do clear planning. The planning provides an overview and gives you clarity about when to use which channel. During planning you will have to think carefully about the number of contact moments when you will use this and through which channel.

Organisation

Deploying a particular channel takes time. For example, you will have to approach a printer or write a catchy email. But who will actually do what? Make it clear in your planning who is responsible for what. This will prevent you from starting to work out your communication too late.

Evaluation

An evaluation is often thought of as an evaluation afterwards after the event has taken place. But it is certainly advisable to also evaluate halfway through the communication. That way you still have options to make adjustments and still achieve the goals.

A final evaluation is of course always important. Has the objective been achieved? Did enough people come to the event? What were the best channels? And so on.

Tip for event communication

There are so many possibilities in the field of event communication. To improve your event communication, we recommend that you use an event communication plan. A small (time) investment that will certainly benefit the further course.

Did you know that there is also software for the implementation of this communication plan? Take a look at Halito!, an event communication software that understands the needs of event managers like no other. With Halito!'s software, you manage event communication and registration from 1 clear platform. You adopt your own house style throughout the communication and can personalize everything. Think of communication tools such as an event website, registration forms, SMS, mailing campaigns and event evaluation.

Are you curious whether Halito! is the right event communication software? Request a conversation with us!