Your Event is Over. Now What?
WE TALK A LOT ABOUT EVENT PREPARATION AND EXECUTION BUT WE HAVEN'T YET COVERED THE TOPIC OF WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE BIG DAY(S). CONFERENCES, CORPORATE EVENTS, FUNDRAISERS—ALL OF THESE EVENTS HAVE SOME SIMILAR DETAILS TO ATTEND TO ONCE THE SHOW, AS THEY SAY, IS OVER.
HERE IS OUR CHECKLIST OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TACTICS TO TAKE AT THE END.
1. PAY YOUR VENDORS
This sounds pretty obvious, but worth a gentle "reminder," because, well... everyone appreciates getting paid on time. A good event partner will have your back and attend to every detail before and during the event—return the favor by taking care of any outstanding invoices asap.
2. SHOW YOUR GRATITUDE
Who doesn't love a little pat on the back or a simple, genuine "THANK YOU." If your event partners and staff went the extra mile, make sure you acknowledge their efforts with a kind word, a hand-written note, or a gift that expresses your gratitude. This is especially important if you plan to work with these folks again!
3. EVALUATE
While it's still fresh in your memory, take the time to assess and evaluate which aspects of your event were a huge success and which ones could use improvement. Ask your staff, vendors and partners for their input, and consider sending out a short post-event survey to attendees, speakers, and sponsors as well.
4. STAY CONNECTED
You probably put a lot of effort (and expense) into marketing and PR leading up to your event. But now what?
Keep engagement going by sharing (and encouraging others to share) content from your event such as videos, photos, slide presentations, tweets and more. Keep track of any social media posts using your event #hashtag, and take a moment to thank, acknowledge or respond to attendees.
A post-even video, photo or blog-style "recap" can be a great way to generate interest in future events and keep your audience engaged and connected in the meantime.
5. PLAN FOR THE FUTURE
It's never too soon to start planning for your next event! From securing the best venues to the best event partners, performers, speakers, caterers and more, it pays to start early. And why not take advantage of the fresh insights you've gained from #3 and #4 above?
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE SUGGEST YOU TAKE A MOMENT TO JUST BREATHE—OR TAKE A BREAK IN WHATEVER WAY FEELS BEST TO YOU. HOSTING A FIRST-CLASS EVENT CAN TAKE A LOT OF YOU. SO ENJOY THAT POST-EVENT R&R... YOU'VE EARNED IT!