Its finally time to start sharing your event. All your speakers, vendors and talent are confirmed and you’re ready to go. A general rule of thumb for event marketing is to share your event on multiple platforms for more exposure. The more eyes that see it, they higher the likelihood of attending your event.
Just one small issue, your flyer looks great on Eventbrite but its cut off on Facebook events, Linkedin Events, and just about every other platform you can think of. You’re stuck having to sacrifice which part of the flyer is more appealing to crop.
With all that work you put in, you shouldn’t be stuck trying to fix your flyers at the last minute. Thats why we created this Event Marketing Cheat Sheet. An easy guide to help you share your flyers and event marketing assets across multiple platforms.
Size matters with events and its easier to provide your designer with all the dimensions they need to create “ready-to-use” assets instead of “ready-to-fix” assets. This sheet list dimensions for all the important images you’ll need to share your event anywhere.
Sidenote: There are resizing platforms you can use as well that will help you get your graphics ready (but you’ll still need this cheat sheet!). Try Snappa orCanva Pro to quickly resize your graphics.
Vendorspace members canlog into download a free copy (Or join Vendorspace for free here!)
There’s no doubt technology plays a huge role in running a business. With millions of apps creating business hacks, choosing the right ones can be overwhelming. Here are a few that stand out:
When you’re a business owner, juggling social media can be a lot. Remembering to post on all your accounts may be a bit tedious but luckily Hootsuite provides a solution to schedule and automatically post your content. Instead of hoping from Twitter to Instagram, simply add all your accounts in their dashboard and schedule for the day, week or even month! Their free plan is perfect for small business owners.
Canva is the perfect tool for easily creating designs for all your business needs. Their stunning templates save you a ton of time; all you have to do is replace the text and designs are yours! Create a Facebook ad, company brochure or even a powerpoint presentation in minutes. Its a free must have for any business owner.
Long gone are the days where you have to print a contract, sign, then scan and send back to your client. That used to be such a cumbersome process especially if you didn’t have a printer or scanner handy. Now, there’s Docusign – an app that allows you to electronically manage your contracts and agreements. Simply upload the document and add the recipients email to sign or complete the document fields. This is a huge timesaver for any business and it also saves trees 🙂
Now that you have an easier way to sign documents, how about an easier way to scan them? Scanbot is a neat tool that you can download on your phone to professionally scan any document. Easy to use and super quick! Scan all your most important docs from receipts to reports from anywhere so long as you have this app.
We don’t know how the world will operate after the pandemic but we do know it’s important for every business to adapt a contactless payment system. Square allows you to do just that even if you don’t have brick and mortar. Their readers can be used on any device to take credit card information so you can sell your product or service on the go.
Email automation and management has never been easier. If you are developing a community or simply want to keep in contact with your customers, then Mailchimp is a must-have. Upload and organize all your email contacts into one place and mass send newsletters, greetings, and more. The best part is they offer a free plan for up to 2000 email contacts; the perfect tool to help communicate with your audience. The drag-and-drop feature makes it easy to create beautiful templates even if you don’t have a degree in graphic design.
Who would have ever predicted that video conferencing would be the main form of communication in 2020. Whether you like it or not, it is. The best thing you can do for your business is adjust to the times and get a Zoom account so you can keep in touch with your clients as needed. Zoom is a great solution for conducting online webinars to discuss your product or service, client meetings to demonstrate your strategies or even virtual so you can stay connected with your community.
As a small business owner, you’re micro-managing a lot of projects. Having a solution that helps you list and organize each stage of your project will be the best thing that ever happened to your business. Trello does just that. Create your boards, manage tasks, add deadlines, and even assign co-workers or employees to certain projects. Easily plan your social media campaign with others or list all the people and resources needed for your next launch. Trello is very flexible and even offers a free plan to get you started in no time.
Staying on top of your taxes as a small business is very important but you don’t have to be an accounting expert to keep your books together. With Quickbooks, you can sync the software with your business account to keep a log of all your expenses and income. It saves you so much time than running through account statements like before. You can even use the tool for payroll. An all in one financial system to empower any business.
With everyone working from home, it might be a little difficult to stay focused. RescueTime allows you to automatically track how much time you spend on websites, apps, and documents to improve productivity. Imagine having this tool for your employees. It’s a great way to understand how many hours are being spent where so you can analyze whether it’s the best use of time. Rescue your time to run a more efficient business.
On the next episode of The Checklist, we had the opportunity to talk to Olivia F. Scott of Omerge Alliances about how to sustain brand experience in the virtual space.
As a marketing strategist with 26 years of experience in marketing and public relations, Olivia has an extensive background with Essencefest and companies like Live Nation, VIBE Magazine, and Carol’s Daughter.
In this episode, we discussed:
How event marketing has been affected
How to maintain brand consistency online and offline
What brand partnerships will look like in the future
Listen to the full episode here:
About Olivia F. Scott
Olivia F. Scott is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Omerge Alliances, an integrated marketing management consultancy. Delivering brand strategy, marketing planning, media buying & wellness experience brand solutions, Omerge’s current and previous clients include ESSENCE Festival, ESSENCE, Media Storm, IMAN Cosmetics, Andre Walker Hair, BRWL Studios, Urban Skin Rx, among others.
Olivia has served as an Adjunct Professor since 2009, teaching a range of classes including Competitive Strategy, Media Management, Events Marketing and Partnership Marketing courses at New York University and Institute of Audio Research. Olivia has also been served as an expert marketing witness for Morgan & Morgan Law Firm identifying unethical marketing practices in the beauty industry.
Olivia’s professional experiences include serving as Chief Marketing Officer, Carol’s Daughter; Associate Publisher/Head of Marketing, VIBE Magazine; Vice President, Alliances, Live Nation; Director of Partnership Marketing, iN DEMAND TV, in addition to account management roles at DDB, Leo Burnett, Ogilvy, Draft and Frankel agencies.
Olivia has led strategy for wellness & entertainment experiences for ESSENCE Festival since 2014, and also creates community & workplace wellness experiences via her Freedom At The Mat platform. Olivia earned a Bachelor’s of Journalism from University of Missouri-Columbia, and a Master’s of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. She resides in Harlem, NYC and New Orleans.
About Omerge Alliances
With grace, leadership & respect, Omerge Alliances leads their beauty, health and wellness brand clients through the marketing management process, providing services such as: live & virtual experiential strategy & event creation; direct-to-consumer advertising, including Google AdWords & Facebook/Instagram ads; marketing strategy & media planning; and influencer marketing.
Here at Vendorspace, we’re committed to supporting vendors and organizers during these uncertain times. While the event industry is still trying to find new ways to host events, we strongly encourage our members to adhere to safety regulations by WHO, CDC, and federal and local governments.
Although there are a lot of cancellations and adjustments to our everyday gatherings, we want you to stay inspired with creative ways you can still do events virtually. Our goal is to serve as a resource to connect you with unique virtual event opportunities and gigs, as well as find virtual event services to make your next online event the talk of the internet!
Things to remember:
When you find a virtual event or gig, ask as many questions as you need to before committing. This is new for all of us and we want you to feel comfortable participating in your online event.
Research the platform that will be used. There’s nothing worse than finding out the technology the event is using is not compatible with your set up. Research and make sure you can still provide quality service with no glitches.
For organizers, try something new by adding a vendor to your virtual event. We don’t know when this pandemic might end so let’s spice up our virtual events and support our local businesses. Supporting vendors now goes a long way to making sure they are available post-COVID to support your in-person event. Consider a host, singer, entertainer, decorator, audio/visual production or DJ for your next event.
We will continue to update this post with resources for planning virtual and socially-distant events and ways vendors can get involved. Check back regularly for new posts.
Event Assistance
Our team is on standby to help with your event needs. Please send us a message if you need additional assistance or have any questions or feedback for improving your experience with Vendorspace.
Live events will come back stronger than ever, we just have to work smarter until then.
This episode, we had the opportunity to talk to Michael Sabani of Swoogo Virtual regarding the status of events and how companies nowadays are adjusting to virtual/hybrid events.
With over 10 years of experience in event tech and product marketing, he shares his thoughts on the integration of virtual events and discusses how companies are currently adapting to these changes.
In this episode, we discussed:
The need for virtual events
Why innovation in event tech is important
Why hybrid events are the future
Listen to the full episode here:
About Michael Sabani
A former Disney Cast Member, Michael has a passion for creating amazing customer experiences from the first moment they interact with a product to the last. With almost a decade developing, marketing, and supporting both virtual meeting and event software under his belt, Michael has taken on the role of Director of Swoogo Virtual and is focused on delivering a personalized, exceptional experience to prospects, customers, and anyone who encounters the Swoogo brand. From developing and managing his own 501(c)(3) nonprofit to editing his own Star Wars prequel cut, Michael is never afraid to roll up his sleeves to create something awesome— an attitude he applies daily in the event tech space.
About Swoogo
Hearty technology, lightweight package. Swoogo combines serious event software with a platform designed for regular humans and a price structure built for modern events. What’s not to love? They specialize in: Event Registration ▪ Event Websites ▪ Event Software ▪ Event Apps ▪ Event Marketing ▪ Event Planning ▪ Event Management
On the next episode of The Checklist, we spoke with Curt Johnson of Four Moon Productions, about “How To Pivot As A Vendor.” He broke down his experience with his company pivoting early in the game and how it has helped them stay afloat.
In this episode, we discussed:
The future of events and how it will impact vendors
The ups and downs of pivoting into the digital world as a vendor
Tips to transition into virtual events
Listen to the full episode here:
About Curt Johnson
Curt Johnson is a native of Omaha, Nebraska. He relocated to Las Vegas where he began his career in events as a driver transporting production equipment. Twenty years later, after working in various positions in the A/V field, he currently serves as the National Sales Director for Four Moon Productions. Using his knowledge of all facets of the corporate production industry, he assists his clients with meeting their needs big or small. He has developed and produced many groundbreaking events touting locations around the globe with thousands of attendees, managing everything from break out rooms to general sessions and each small detail in between. Bringing his talents to the tech space, Curt has had the pleasure of partnering with Four Moon’s host of clients among them Zoom, Blavity, Great Place to Work, and Afrotech to name a few. In his spare time Curt enjoys dancing, quality time with family, and anything that involves great food.
About Four Moon Productions
Four Moon Productions is a full-service audio/visual production company. From set design and content creation to streaming and everything in between, Four Moon is a one-stop solution for live corporate events. Four Moon is a completely mobile production company, servicing all corners of the globe. Learn more at: https://www.fourmoon.com/
Who said you couldn’t capture your memories during online events? They don’t all have to be participants passively looking at a screen for hours. Now you can memorialize the moments with an awesome photo company that services virtual events, in addition to other events.
Built for virtual marketing campaigns, webinars, trainings, keynotes, and more, Outsnapped outpaces its competition by adapting to the times and taking advantage of a growing need in the events industry. Featuring everything from snap still photos, animated GIFs, boomerang looping videos, and customizable overlays, your photos are instantly sharable via email, text, and your favorite social media platform.
The best part is that you don’t need to download an app on your phone to use it! It can work directly from your mobile device or computer.
Gone are the days of stuffing generic pens, stress balls, pen pads into plastic bags for hours. Most event attendees do not care for them past the event itself and they can take up so much time to prepare. Go digital instead!
Fanomena allows you to include important information about the event, upload PDFs and include rich media, such as videos and integration with Google maps. You can also create coupons and discount vouchers to be used at different times.
The best part is that you can send your marketing material privately to registered attendees or create a public link which can be shared widely.
Teambuilding is essential for team success and playing games is essential to teambuilding. When you can’t play games together in-person, try them online with The GoGame.
The GoGame sits at the intersection of technology, exploration, and creativity. After 10 years in the business, they have perfected games such as hunting for clues Amazing-Race style and shooting 80s-style music videos that engage everyone from marketers and lawyers to engineers and teachers.
The best part is that when you book with them you are assigned a Game Producer who helps organize your game and the best method to administer it.
As you can see by this list, there are many ways to engage online vendors at your next event. Try out one of our suggestions or let us know of another that you recommend.
We’re so excited to introduce our new podcast, The Checklist, where we talk with event experts about the state of event culture and tips to elevate your next event.
On our first episode, we spoke with Enovia Bedford of Vettdeck, about “How To Attract Money To Your Events.” She broke down the do’s and don’ts of exploring sponsorship with the current state of events and how that applies to attracting money for your online events.
In this episode, we discussed:
The most important things to include in your sponsorship deck
The best time to approach a sponsor (considering the sponsorship cycle)
How to find the right brands to work with for your event
Listen to the full episode here. Other ways to listen: Youtube | Soundcloud | iTunes
You can learn more about Enovia by following her on Instagram: @novey.b @vettdeck
About Vettdeck
Vettdeck is a sponsorship matching platform that simplifies and streamlines the sponsorship process for event organizers and brands. Visit them online at: www.vettdeck.com
Human beings are social creatures, thus the value of face-to-face interaction can never be diminished. However, in the times of Corona and the digital revolution, virtual events are becoming just as important – and business savvy – as the traditional in-person interaction.
But with so many companies employing this strategy, how can you make your virtual event stand out?
Here are some suggestions:
Add vendors to your event
There is nothing like a vendor to add spice to an already tasty event palate. Including a comedian or singer into your schedule can break up monotonous areas of your programming and even invite a new audience to support your event. Moreover, virtual vendors are often more cost-friendly than hiring them in-person. At the same time, you wouldn’t necessarily have to cut back on your profits if the event is marketed well with a lot of attendees. This scenario can be a major win for your company.
Try virtual games.
We are never too old to play games. In fact, according to Science Daily, video games can help to improve mental cognition in people of all ages, from youngsters to the elderly. But what does this mean for your virtual event? Well, for one, gaming is fun! It’s a great way to keep your audience engaged and enjoying themselves. Also, gaming can be used as a marketing tool for your company, positioned as an analogy for your particular theme. Lastly, gaming is another way to add a vendor to your event (see #1 for these benefits). Some gaming companies have gone virtual and offer bingo and other games to play over Zoom and webinar platforms. Find a game that suits your audience and have fun!
Use Video Production
Along with the digital revolution came huge advances in media production tools. Use this to your advantage in your virtual event. When people can literally shoot videos from their phones nowadays, there is no reason why you can’t find creative video footage to add to your event. Video, like games, help to keep your audience engaged and can break up monotonous moments. In addition, video marketing is becoming the norm in business, thus customers are not only used to seeing videos but even expect it. Try hiring a video marketing specialist or editor for ideas on which videos would be best to include in your program.
Do a #Challenge
Who can forget the #IceBucketChallenge of 2015 or the #DontRushChallenge currently sweeping the web? These internet phenomenons are entertaining, amusing, and so wide-spread that even celebrities join in and national news organizations cover them. Wouldn’t you like to get free publicity from a celebrity or national news organization? Of course you would. So start a challenge either before, during, or after your event to get people talking and sharing your message.
These are just a few ways to make your virtual events great. With new events popping up everyday, you should try some of them to see which fits your style or needs. You never know, CNN or Brad Pitt could end up promoting your event.
Tell us some of your ideas to make virtual events great in the comments below.
