Outdoor Events & Advance Ticket Sales

I had the pleasure of attending a very nice fund raising dinner over the weekend. The one challenge I experienced was finding information on the event at the organization's web site. Unbeknown to me the organization recently renamed their event.

The organization could have made the user experience significantly easier by posting a simple event link on their home page. Instead the information was buried on a difficult to find secondary page.  If you are holding a public event for your company make it simple for people to find information.

Consider some of the following suggestions:

• Display a prominent event link from your company's home page
• Have good directions to your event with maps
• Suggest parking areas for your event and where people shouldn't park
• Offer people the ability to purchase tickets online
• Comprehensive contact information
• Building a web site that creates excitement for the event

If your event takes place every year keep the same web address and site running all year long.  Some companies choose to date their event web address, e.g. whateverairshow2006.com.  Try not to do this.  This hurts your online branding and event search optimization efforts.

Consider registering and hosting a separate web site for your event.  Domain registration and hosting have become very inexpensive.  One of our client's operates a microbrewery and restaurant.  They have a web site to support the microbrewery and restaurant.  Each year they conduct a large brew fest.  Next year we're going to encourage them to maintain a separate web site to support their event.  Keeping a separate event page from your company web site helps you focus on specific user target markets and event goals.

There are significantly more suggestions for online event marketing.  Hopefully some of these brief points get you thinking and headed in the right direction.

Want to get more great info? Check out the articles below:

• Why Well Planned Events Fail
• How to Get Them To Your Event
  
• Getting Them to Buy Tickets Early
• Turn Your Event Into an Experience
• Leveraging Your Sponsor's Digital Resources

• The Event Promotion System - Get Free Event Promotion & Event Marketing Video Training