As one of the industry leaders in the hospitality and entertainment industry, we’ve analyzed growing trends that helped us analyze what your event attendees expect in the future. With most regulations easing off across the globe, you can start planning ahead by adopting a few best practices that would define the “new normal”. 

Few Best Practices Event Planners Should Learn For The Post COVID-19 Era:

1. Safety First

It is highly unlikely that you’re organizing events amidst the lockdown unless you took the virtual route to host your events. Now, when you plan your upcoming events, make sure you start off with a smaller audience to maintain adequate social distancing norms. 85 % of survey data states that attendees would only attend an event if social distancing norms are followed with a provision of safety kits on site. 

2. Inform Your Attendees

Communication is key during the COVID era. Whether your event is happening next month or three months later, it’s your responsibility to inform your attendees proactively. Through our event ticketing platform, you can integrate Mailchimp to keep your lines of communication going. Our own COVID Resources for Event Presenters was instrumental for many event presenters on our platform to take timely, well-informed decisions. 

3. Use Survey & Questionnaires

A well-designed survey or questionnaire is key to unlocking your future event planning strategy. Think about what your target audience expects out of the post-pandemic situation and questions which you need answers to that will help you plan better for the upcoming months. 

Learn more about 3 Types of Surveys to Improve Your Event Planning. 

4. Maintain Your Cash Flow

We understand how many event planners and hospitality venues have suffered a huge blow to their revenue streams and investments. Cut down your operational costs and marketing spends to help sustain your business longer. Also, look for optimally priced platforms to assist your automation needs. We launched our existing suite of services as a part of our Assistance & Recovery Program for Native American Casinos to help them on their road to recovery. 

For all our event presenters and hospitality venues looking to organize their upcoming events can utilize our…

 COVID-19 Recovery Offer 

OFFER – FLAT 40% Off on our service fees up to 31st December 2020 on all events created before 15th June 2020

SIGN UP TO AVAIL OFFER 

(Our ticketing fees are invoiced to you on the 2nd of the next month, allowing enhanced cash flow management during this critical period)

The post Best Practises Event Planners Should Learn For The Post COVID-19 Era appeared first on Yapsody.

At the time of making this career choice, you probably pictured yourself bowing on stage at the end of the show, in front of three thousand spectators, while they applaud the spectacular show you or your enterprise put on. In reality, well, it happens more often in your dream. 

Here’s presenting an event presenter’s 8 worst nightmares.

1. Never Ending Queues: You’ve managed to get a Hollywood A-lister to perform in your city and you just announced you’re selling tickets outside the venue gates on the coming Friday night. Next thing you know, fans have already started to camp at the door so they can get hands on your tickets first. Sure, this is a great sign – you’re event is going to sell out for sure! But, do you really want to put your attendees through the experience of waiting in lines in the scorching heat, rubbing shoulders? More importantly, do you want to be sitting there all day selling tickets and disappoint fans towards the end of the line? We didn’t think so either. 

What you need to do: Use Yapsody’s online event ticket store and let fans skip the queue. Sell tickets online without having to deal with any person. People wanting to buy your tickets can check the number of seats remaining in real time, so you won’t leave anyone disappointed.

2. High Ticketing Fees: You’ve decided to take the smarter way out and sell tickets online instead. But now you browse through multiple websites and come across the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever seen – ‘$2 fee for every ticket sold.’ Your tickets only cost $8! The event management spirits welcome you into nightmare number 2 – the one where they rain fire all over your finances. 

What you need to do: With Yapsody, you have two solutions. Yapsody’s ticketing fee is extremely low, you wouldn’t mind paying it. In the case that you do, you have the option to pass on the ticketing fee to your ticket purchaser. Again, it’s so low, they won’t mind paying either. Additionally, we’re also running Holiday Season deals so you can avail another 25% off on your ticketing fees.

3. Unsupportive Customer Support: A nightmare common to humans of all the segments of demographics – poor customer support is something we all dread. Having to deal with a higher number of stakeholders than other people, event presenters have it the worst. While you strive to give your attendees the best experience during, before and after the event, you need your stakeholders to cooperate with you. If they don’t, your nightmare also becomes your attendees nightmare (we’re talking late refunds.)

What you need to do: Use a ticketing system you know provides the best-in-class support. Customer support is our USP – we are literally available 24/7. Each presenter that has shared their experience with Yapsody has ONLY good things to say about our customer support. Whether it’s your ticket purchaser or yourself, reach out to Yapsody for a query (in our capacity) and we’ll happily provide you with just the resolution you need. 

4. Bouncer Brawls: This one’s a popular nightmare. We’ve seen it in the movies and in person – somebody conveniently “forgets” to bring a ticket they never purchased and walks in with a face like they obviously have a ticket. The usher stops them to check the ticket and, well, you know the drill. While one fake attendee is detected, there may be 10 that go unnoticed.

What you need to do: Don’t let this happen, obviously. Using Yapsody’s online ticketing system, you get access a mobile application called YapScan that lets you scan your attendee’s tickets. Validate tickets quicker and identify fake tickets in an instant.

5. Empty Seats: This one’s the greatest of all nightmares. While most of the other issues generally pop up when the sales numbers are too high and there is too much to deal with, this one is a sign of an unsuccessful event – a nightmare than can make the presenter question his career choice. The unfortunate incident often happens because the event wasn’t promoted using the right techniques and at the right time. 

What you need to do: Yapsody’s online ticketing system is integrated with all the promotional tools you’ll need to publicize your event far and wide, or to the designated area of your choice. Our MailChimp integration, SEO tools, social media sharing tools, and campaign tracking ability using Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel will help boost your ticket sales. If marketing is not your forte, leave it to us! We’ll list your event as a premium listing and publish your event on our social media platforms that you can simply share with a click.

6. Seating Confusion – How often have you found yourself acting like an intermediary between two people fighting for a seat? We’re guessing, plenty. When you sell tickets to a general admission event, giving attendees seats on a first come first serve basis, you make yourself vulnerable to complaints about attendees reserving seats by placing their shopping bags or popcorn on it. Yes, this is a nightmare you want to avoid at all costs.

What you need to do: When there is a possibility of the above mentioned actions to occur, always go for a reserved seating system. Yapsody’s online ticketing system gives you the ability to sell reserved seat tickets, so attendees wanting to save the best seat in the house can do so without fighting for it and involving you in it. 

7. Currency Not Supported: Is your local currency not as popular as the US Dollar? Do you find yourself looking up uber cool softwares you’d want to try but shut the tabs soon after you read a little note at the bottom saying ‘Accepts US Dollars only’? This one nightmare almost makes you upset about where you’re located and collecting payments online becomes close to impossible. Without collecting payments in advance, you take the risk of paying other event stakeholders from your own pockets, without  any estimate of how many people will actually purchase your tickets – truly a nightmare!

What you need to do: Leave this one to us. Yapsody supports 150+ currencies from around the world, so you can collect payments, no matter where you’re located. Relax, we’ve got you covered. 

8. Oh-So-Basic Tickets: Let’s assume you’re hosting a Princess themed party for the little girls in your community. You’re selling tickets to an event the girls are looking forward to. The parent hands over the ticket to the highly enthusiastic child and they have a look at it but are not as excited as they should be. Why must that be? Take a guess – your tickets looked as if they were passes to a conference about ‘how to deal with finances’ – white, black and boring fonts. While this is not a dealbreaker, your tickets can make or break a ticket buyers perception about your event.

What you need to do: Make use of Yapsody’s ticket customization feature. Whether you’re hosting a professional conference on leadership or a kid’s party, customize your ticket to set the tone for your event and get your attendees eager to attend it. 

It takes plenty to put on a successful show, a superhero ability of sorts. While things may have gone haywire the last time you organized an event, know that there are always solutions – whether it is in the form of humans or softwares to make sure you have it in control the next time you present a show. At Yapsody, we’ve fit our system with every possible feature to make sure nothing goes wrong at your event and you never have to have a nightmare again. Go on, sign up with Yapsody and see your nightmare switch to a daydream turned reality.

The post An Event Presenter’s Worst Nightmares – A Halloween Special appeared first on Yapsody.

Customer is always the King; your attendees are King for your event. Make them feel special, wanted, and value them as they made adjustment with their tight schedule to attend your event. So, they definitely deserve a royal treatment. And moreover, the success of your event is directly proportional to their satisfaction level.

Well, how do you let your event attendees know you are out there for them? Let’s begin with some uncomplicated steps.

Sweep into Technology World

Today, world runs on technology where everything happens at just one click. So, why not bring in event-based technology for your event? Have a seamless event technology in place, with which the attendees can do a lot many things. Implementing technologies such as event ticketing platform event apps, right barcodes on name badges, and using Near-Field Communication (NFC) will aid in gathering detailed information about your attendees, ultimately ensuring a perfect service to them not only before or during the event, but also after the event.

A Grand Welcome

When attendees land at the city, make sure that their arrival experience is something they will never forget. Don’t make them start looking for cabs or some other transport mode. Make sure they reach the hotel or venue hassle-free by providing them pick-up facility. While registering, include a pick-up and drop option on the event app. Not everyone will opt for this, but whosoever really needs it will go for it.

Smooth and Easy Registration

After a grand welcome, the next thing you must ensure that they go through a smooth and easy event registration process. Having an onsite technology and support staffs to welcome, and a quick registration process will give you big thumbs up. Accurate QR codes on name badges make it easy for event planners to provide efficient service. Their belongings such as bags, jackets, and other stuffs can also be taken care of using this barcode system. Plus, each participant can build a network by scanning each other’s barcode badges with their smartphones and exchange electronic business card.

Food Care

Good food can make anyone happy and since they are your attendees, you need to be even more careful. Be attentive to their likes, dislikes, and food they are allergic to. It will be easy to treat them properly if you take note of their food requirements while registering on the app.

One-stop Information Store

Installing an NFC touch wall at the event venue or handing out NFC equipped badges or wristbands help attendees collect all the event related materials. It works as a one-stop information store at just a tap. Also, event participants with NFC-enabled phones can transfer any informative piece with each other. It is secure, trustworthy and convenient to use.

Now that you get ideas on how to take care of your attendees, go give them a memorable experience.

The post Best Way to Win your Event Attendees Online appeared first on Yapsody.

1. Got A Secret?
Let your attendees in on little secrets to get them talking. If your event is a product launch, click pictures of your product and watch as your followers try to guess what it is and what it does. Plus, the fact that the story will destroy itself after 24 hours leaves it all to the memory and serves as a more interesting challenge.

2. What Happens Backstage?
As much as attendees want to enjoy the event, they also wouldn’t mind knowing what happens behind the scenes. Keep updating them about the venue, click pictures and videos of your team working on something, or simply chilling together. Remember to keep it funny and engaging.

3. You Should Do It, Too!
Being the event planner, it’s your job to keep posting stories before and during the event. But, if you find ways to make your audience do it, too, they’ll be indirectly promoting your event. One way to encourage them would be to have photo booths with funky props at the venue, or have entertaining performances during the breaks.

4. Tell Their Tale.
While Instagram Stories is a way to broadcast a message to the entire community, making it a little personal could actually make you a favorite among your followers. For example, post a picture asking people to comment their queries, and respond to these queries by uploading a 10 second clip in your story along with the username of your guest and the question they’ve asked. That way, they’ll want to view your story if their question was picked.

5. Peekaboo!
Curiosity is the best marketing tool, they say. Use this to your advantage by not revealing all details about your event all at once. For example, if you’re having a performance by a celebrity or a speech by a renowned personality, just drop in hints about them in your stories. You could put up blurred images, or rhyming clues, or even quotes by these people to intrigue your attendees. Maybe you could also announce a small reward for anyone who guesses it right!
Whatever little games these platforms are trying to play within themselves is not your concern. For you, as an event planner, this is yet another promotional tool to use to market your own event. The fact that you need to consider is that using this will help you reach out to a bigger audience in better ways, maybe, and that’s all.

The post The Event Planner’s Guide to Instagram Stories appeared first on Yapsody.

First and foremost, if you think that as an event planner, it lies in your hands and yours only to lead your event into the realms of greatness, you are wrong at your very first step into the path. Of course, your skills and qualities matter, but what matters more than anything else is your ability to bind your team together and use their skills and qualities in an optimal manner. You need to understand that only pushing your limits won’t work if your team isn’t looking forward to giving a more-than-average performance.

So how do you accomplish this? It’s actually simple – by following the following!

CHANGE IS CONSTANT

Old is Gold, no doubt, but what if the world today needs Platinum? With so many technological advancements happening in every sphere of life, Event Management hasn’t been deprived of this evolution. As an event presenter, you have to take conscious efforts to stay in this tech-loop, be aware of everything that’s new so that A, you are able to host your event efficiently and B, you appeal to this generation easily.

But, changes come with challenges, and there will be times when you might feel the urge to shun these new measures and stick to the older ways. Or, you embracing these changes readily might lead to conflicts within your team who might not be finding it comfortable to move so fast along with time. You have to be patient and accept these challenges by keeping an open mind. Don’t fear criticism and appreciate advices and opinions, because this will help you build relationships in the industry (which is absolutely vital for event organizers to flourish) and you’ll be practically getting ideas handed out to you on a silver plate.

MAGIC HAPPENS OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE

I’ve come across this picture a little too many times and, being the firm believer in magic that I am, this has always left me in awe and since it supports my point, I’d love sharing it with you.

Where the Magic Happens – Your Comfort Zone

In a nutshell, if you really want your event to turn out amazing, you HAVE to think out of the box and come up with something unconventional. People often mistake this part to be very difficult for someone as “normal” as them, but believe me, it’s actually not. All you have to do is look back at all the events you’ve created and attended and gather ideas from them. Peek into your own interests and those of your team members and colleagues to come up with something that’s unique and appealing. Incorporate funky themes that you and your potential audience might relate to – classic literature set in modern times, video games, TV shows, famous movies, and so on – into your booths and backdrops to create an everlasting effect on the minds of your attendees.

LOVE WHAT YOU DO

Event Management is certainly not a profession that one might choose under compulsion, so obviously, event presenters are doing what they love. But, do they love every part of what comes in the package of their profession?

Again, how your event turns out will largely depend on your team, so make sure that you appreciate their efforts and love them for all that they’re doing. When you select a team, see to it that they share your visions and goals, and their way of work is similar to yours, if not exactly the same. Your job is to keep them motivated so that they don’t give up when times get rough, which is not likely to happen if your team is strong. Basically, Love is the parent emotion. If you love your team, every other positive emotion will eventually follow and drive you and your team.

GIVE YOURSELF TIME

When you are always a part of the frenzy, things tend to get blurred at times and you might lose yourself. In order to hold on to your sanity, remind yourself to take a little break every day, no matter how busy your work keeps you. You can always find time to take a small step back and just relax, maybe go for a walk or enjoy a good meal with someone you love. Sometimes, in order to figure out where the pieces are falling apart, you need to see the picture from afar.

LEARN AND GROW

Organizing a great event is definitely not a piece of cake, and your team may have to go overboard with all the preparations and brainstorming. But, many a times, some things may not go as planned and you’ll find yourself and your team in a very low position. At that moment, you need to generate positive vibes and lift everyone up, and if you have an enthusiastic team, it’ll be easy for all of you to learn from your mistakes and grow out of it into something a lot bigger, and of course, greater.

The post Tips on How To Make Your Event Successful appeared first on Yapsody.