The Event Follow-up: Why it's Critical to Success after Attending an Event

Have you ever planned a successful event, only to realize that you didn't follow up with attendees or sponsors afterward? The follow-up is just as important as the event itself, as it allows you to gauge the success of the event, thank attendees and sponsors, and gather feedback for future events. In this blog post, we'll explore the importance of follow-up and share tips on how to make the most of it. Don't miss out on the opportunity to make the most of your event by neglecting the follow-up.

As a vendor, attending events is an opportunity to showcase your product or service and make valuable connections. But what happens after an event ends? Don't miss out on the chance to leverage the relationships you've built-- check out our blog to learn how you can follow up to make a lasting impression!

Why is it important to Follow up

Following up after an event is an important part of the process. It can help you evaluate the success of your efforts and improve upon them in the future. It is not only beneficial for you, but also for the event organizers who may be looking to develop collaborative relationships with you. With this in mind, it's essential to craft well-written follow-up emails and letters that convey your appreciation and demonstrate continued interest in the event and the connections you made during the event.

This guide will walk you through how to write a professional follow-up email or letter after an event. It will outline what should be included in your message and provide tips on how to make it effective and personalize it without taking too much time. By following these steps, you’ll ensure that your post-event communication conveys your gratitude for the opportunity and expresses your commitment to a successful working relationship going forward.

Gathering feedback: The follow-up is an opportunity to gather feedback from attendees and sponsors about the event. This feedback can be used to improve future events and ensure that they are meeting the needs of the audience.

1. Building relationships: Following up with attendees and sponsors allows you to continue building relationships with them. This can lead to repeat attendance and sponsorship, as well as potential new business opportunities.

2. Measuring success: The follow-up allows you to measure the success of the event by tracking attendance, sponsorships, and feedback. This information can be used to make data-driven decisions about future events.

3. Showing appreciation: Following up with attendees and sponsors is a way to show appreciation for their participation and support. This can lead to increased loyalty and positive word-of-mouth for your business.

4. Staying top of mind: Following up with attendees and sponsors ensures that your business stays top of mind for them. This can be especially important if you are planning future events or launching new products or services.

To avoid forgetting to follow up, consider setting reminders in your calendar, creating a follow-up task list, or even assigning a team member to be responsible for follow-up tasks. Another way is to automate the process using CRM software that can track and automate follow-up tasks.

Before the event - Plan ahead for how you will follow up

Planning ahead for how you will follow up after an event is essential to ensure that the process is efficient and effective. Here are a few ways you can plan ahead for follow-up:

1. Create a follow-up schedule: Before the event, create a schedule outlining when and how you will follow up with attendees and sponsors. This will help ensure that you don't miss any important deadlines or opportunities.

2. Prepare follow-up materials: Collect any materials you will need for follow-up, such as contact information, event highlights, and feedback forms. Having these materials ready in advance will make the follow-up process more efficient.

3. Assign tasks and responsibilities: Assign specific tasks and responsibilities to team members to ensure that all follow-up tasks are covered. This can include tasks such as sending thank-you emails, scheduling follow-up meetings and collecting feedback.

4. Use automation tools: Use automation tools such as CRM software to schedule follow-up tasks and reminders. This can save a lot of time and ensure that all tasks are completed on schedule.

5. Set goals for follow-up: Set specific goals for what you want to achieve with the follow-up, such as gathering a certain amount of feedback, scheduling a certain number of follow-up meetings, or securing a certain number of repeat attendees or sponsors.

6. Evaluate the process: After the follow-up process is complete, take some time to evaluate how it went. Identify what worked well and what could be improved for future events.

By planning ahead for follow-up, you can ensure that the process is efficient, effective, and well-organized. This will help you to achieve your goals and make the most of the event.

During the event - Collect interest and contact information

Collecting interest and contact information from attendees and sponsors is essential for the follow-up process to be successful. This information allows you to stay in touch with the individuals who have shown interest in your event or business, and build relationships with them. Without this information, you will miss out on the opportunity to nurture these relationships and achieve your follow-up goals.

Having accurate and up-to-date contact information is also essential for effective communication. By having the correct email addresses, phone numbers, and other contact details, you can ensure that your follow-up messages and communications reach the right people.

Additionally, understanding the interests and preferences of attendees and sponsors will allow you to tailor your follow-up communications and offers to their specific needs and interests. This will increase the chances of them engaging with your follow-up messages and taking action.

In summary, collecting interest and contact information is essential for the follow-up process to be successful. It allows you to stay in touch with attendees and sponsors, build relationships, and tailor your follow-up communications to their specific needs and interests.

Here are a few ways to do this:

1. Use registration forms: Include a section on registration forms for attendees and sponsors to provide their contact information and areas of interest. This can include information such as name, email, phone number, and any specific areas of interest related to your event or business.

2. Use event apps or software: Many event apps or software now include a feature to collect attendee information, as well as their interests, and preferences, and allow them to update their information. This can make it easy to track and organize information for follow-up.

3. Collect business cards: During the event, make sure to collect business cards from attendees and sponsors. These cards can be used to gather contact information for follow-up.

4. Use social media: Utilize social media to connect with attendees and sponsors after the event. Many social media platforms allow you to message people directly, and you can also collect their contact information through direct messages. Be sure to promote any positive feedback or reviews you receive across your social media channels. Having these types of comments readily available on your website helps establish credibility and encourages others who may have similar needs as those in attendance at the event.

5. Follow up with attendees and sponsors: After the event, make sure to follow up with attendees and sponsors, and ask them if they would like to be added to your mailing list or be contacted in the future.

By collecting interest and contact information, you can ensure that you have the necessary information to follow up with attendees and sponsors effectively. This will help you to stay in touch with them, build relationships, and achieve your follow-up goals.

After the event - Create your response

Following an event or trade show, it’s important to contact the people you meet in a timely manner. Achieving success from exhibiting at an event doesn’t happen on its own. Following up with prospects and existing customers is essential to get the most out of your event experience — make sure you prioritize this action and keep it top of mind!

When writing a follow-up email or letter after an event, it's important to be professional and courteous. Here are some tips to help you write a professional follow-up message:

1. Start with a greeting: Begin your message with a professional greeting, such as "Dear [Name]" or "Hello [Name]."
2. Express gratitude: Express your appreciation for the recipient's attendance or sponsorship at the event. Thank them for their support and let them know how much their presence was valued.
3. Provide event highlights: Provide a brief overview of the event, highlighting any notable moments or successes. This will remind the recipient of their experience and the value of the event.
4. Gather feedback: Ask for feedback about the event, whether it's positive or constructive. This will give you valuable insights on how to improve future events.
5. Include any relevant materials: Include any relevant materials such as photos, videos, or presentations from the event.
6. Close professionally: Close your message with a professional closing, such as "Best regards," and include your contact information.
7. Lastly, make sure to proofread your email before sending it.
   
   

Here's an example of a follow-up email after an event:

Subject: Thank you for attending our event

Dear [Name],

I hope this email finds you well. On behalf of the [event name] team, I wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you for attending our event last week. Your presence and support made the event a huge success, and we couldn't have done it without you.

The event was a great success, we were able to [insert event highlights]. We truly appreciate your support and hope you had a great time.

We would love to hear your feedback about the event, whether it's positive or constructive. This feedback will help us improve future events and ensure that they meet the needs of our attendees.

In case you haven't had a chance to see it yet, we have attached some pictures and videos from the event.

Once again, thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you at our next event.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

[Your Contact Information]

Analyzing Results

Gathering data after an event is crucial for tracking vendor success and ensuring future events are even more successful. Organizers and vendors can gain valuable insights by analyzing the results of an event, which can inform decisions around budgeting, marketing strategies, and product offerings.

The first step to analyzing results is to review attendee feedback by asking attendees how they heard about the event and their overall satisfaction with the experience. Next, track lead generation information such as potential leads generated through direct contact with customers or any discounts granted in exchange for contact information from customers throughout the course of the event.

Once all feedback has been collected, measure the total ROI for your investment at this particular event by taking into account costs associated with production, vendor fees, and total sales made both during and following the event. Be sure to also review non-financial returns such as increased brand visibility or new contacts made from connecting with other vendors.

Finally, create a summary report that provides a snapshot of all these measures combined along with recommendations for the next steps to improve upon any areas where performance could have been further optimized. This will help set up plans and goals while helping everyone involved stay on track toward future success.

Reflection and Planning Ahead

In summary, following up after an event is crucial for vendors to gain insights, reflect on their performance, and plan for the future. Successful vendors take the time to reflect on their strategies and analyze their sales results to identify what worked well and what could be improved. When planning for future events, vendors should research the location, demographics, and competitors to tailor their strategies and product displays to attract potential buyers. Additionally, seeking feedback from past customers and considering their buying trends can also help in creating a more successful plan for future events. By taking the time to reflect and plan ahead, vendors can lay the groundwork for ongoing success in their business.

Conclusion - Bonus tips!

Below are some bonus tips for successful post-event follow-up:

• Reach out to those you met during the event within 48 hours. After the initial contact, continue communication tastefully and regularly. It is important to let people know that you remembered them and appreciated their attention by following up.

• Use personalized emails to each contact with what interested them in your product or service as well as any mutual connections if applicable. Whether sending emails or making personal calls, make sure that you are adding value with what you are sending/saying instead of just repeating yourself or pitching a sales pitch again.

• For those who requested more information, keep your word and prepare materials such as brochures or proposals; depending on their needs, try providing useful contacts in your network that may be able to help them further.

• Look for opportunities to stay connected by quarterly emails, social media messages, or attending events together in order to stay top of mind for beneficial future deals.

Following these tips for successful post-event follow-up and getting organized ahead of time, it will allow for easy communication back and forth for all parties involved after a networking affair has passed!