An Event Planning and Marketing Guide - Increasing Event Attendance

When promoting trade shows, meeting or seminars to past customers, or repeat attendees, an event planner often encounter objections or reasons why these potential customers will not attend.  An event planner may learn of objections to registering during a promotional telephone call to a prospective attendee.  In other instances, advisory board members may express objections. Some event planners might use an online survey to determine why potential customers are not enrolling.  Other providers might ask their customer service representatives to keep a record of the most frequently stated objections.

To increase attendance at seminar and conferences, event planners must be aware of various objections to booking and must think of ways to overcome the objections.  In many instances, event planners will find that prospective attendees have registration objections in common.

To lift program attendance, event planners must overcome the nine most common objections.  Usually, an objective can be resolved by supplying sufficiently convincing information to prospective customers.  Convincing blocks of information are often called copy components; therefore, event planners need to consider creating certain copy components to overcoming the objections.

Let's look at the individual objections and at some of the unique copy components that might be used to switch a dubious prospect into a paying customer.

Objection #1: "The Event is not in the Scope of our Objectives"

Event planners relatively new to the seminar/conference business may encounter this objection. To build credibility, a provider might take the following steps:

• Establish a unique identity, such as an institute or center whereby a provider creates credibility.


• Establish an advisory board of the most important people in the community/industry.


• Get a credible co-sponsor or sponsors and list the sponsors at the web site and on promotional material.


• Provide a list of past participating organizations or associations.


• Use big-name speakers or co-chairs with photos at the web site and on the front of promotional brochures.


• Make sure the size of the direct-mail promotional package, paper quality, and color build credibility.


• Base the program on a best-selling publication.

Objection #2: "I do not believe I will Get Anything (Or Enough) Out of This Program"

• Collect and publish testimonials from attendees and from approving managers.


• Offer to provide names/phone numbers of past customers.


• Have a section titled "What you will miss by not attending."


• Mention that you will follow up after the program is over to answer any unanswered questions.


• Have a seminar title or conference theme that captures the key benefit of attending.

Objection #3: "These People Cannot Tell Me Anything I Do Not Already Know"

• On seminars, use recognizable faculty and stress their practical experience.


• On conferences, have representatives from key/well-known organizations as speakers and moderators.


• Offer to provide a list of job titles and organizations that have already registered.


• Include a pledge of satisfaction from the instructor or sponsor.


• Have a self-assessment at the web site or on the brochure so that the prospect will realize he/she needs to attend.


• Have a 100percent satisfaction or money-back guarantee listed at the web site and on the promotional materials.

Objection #4: "The Event Looks Comprehensive But it Will Not Help Me With the Problems I Have Today"

• Tell prospective customers that as soon as they book, they will be supplied an on-line questionnaire so that their specific questions will be addressed during the program.


• Include a detailed, blow-by-blow agenda... at least 30percent of a direct-mail brochure.


• List job titles of past attendees.


• Offer to provide names of past customers who are specialists in the field and encourage undecided prospects to call them.


• Use up-to-date terminology, such as "cutting edge," "new," "advanced," "latest," and "just-released research."

Objection #5: "The Event is Nice for Everyone Else, But it is Not Geared to My      Specific Needs: Most of it Will Be a Waste of My Time"

• At the web site and on promotional copy, list ten benefits prior attendees have taken away from the course.


• At the web site or on brochure copy say, "If you are not sure this seminar addresses your specific concerns, call or email an the speaker or conference chairperson for more course details."


• In the promotional copy, stress the interactive activities whereby attendees will share their specific concerns at the start of the course so that the program leader can address those concerns in the presentation.


• Provide "topic specific" round table networking sessions at lunch and have "50ideas in 50minutes"   sessions with all speakers at the end of the day.

Objection #6: "I Do Not Have Time to Attend"

• Offer multiple dates/locations of a seminar to give customers choices.


• Take an annual conference or expo and offer regional events rather than one national event.


• Provide an online, distance education, asynchronous learning option.


• Market videos, CDs, books, as well as papers and proceedings to prospects who do not want to attend.


• Note that the prospect will save time in the future if he/she attends now.

Objection #7: "I Cannot Afford to Go"

• Provide discounts for team attendance... "Send three, the fourth is free."


• Allow scholarships such as half price for not-for-profit attendees.


• Allow a "register now, pay later" option.


• Allow payment on the installment plan... half in this fiscal year and half in the next fiscal year.


• Make sure that the price fits the target audience, topic, competition and image in the marketplace.


• Offer discount for customers who register for several events at the same time.


• Create a certificate program and offer a sizable reduction in price for registering for the whole series.

Objection #8: "This Event is the Same Old Thing"

• Add new activities to the program, such as pre or post-conference workshops, plant visits, and hands-on training.


• Change the cover, layout, format of brochure and the web site from year to year to denote change.


• Change conference speakers from year to year.


• Change conference titles, topics, and themes each year.


• Use the word "new," "revised," and "updated" in the promotional appeals.

Objection #9: "The Event Location is Not at a Convenient Time or Place"

• Survey the market to find the best time and place.


• Have a strong in?house or customized training statement so there is an alternative to taking the public program.


• Improve access by providing complete transportation information, maps, and free limo service.


• Take the course on the road and offer sessions in locations convenient to prospective attendees.

After reviewing the objections and ways to overcome them, a event planner might ask...  "Which copy components should I use?" Owing to space limitations, not all of the copy components can be included in a direct mail brochure; therefore, a provider must prioritize the reasons or objections why prospective customers are not attending and include the appropriate information in the brochure and/or brochure and cover letter.  On the other hand, providers can elaborate at length on objections at the web site.

At the web site, event planner might have a navigational bar called "frequently asked questions."  Visitors clicking on this link could see a list of potential objections in the form of questions.  Following each question would be a suitable explanation or message to overcome the concern.

At the same time, event planner can have navigational bars devoted specifically to copy components that might overcome certain objections. Some of these navigational bars include links to (1) testimonials, (2) speakers, (3) who should attend, (4) a list of confirmed delegates, and other copy components that a provider feels are most important to getting people to book.

After establishing various navigational bars at the web site, a event planner might use web site analysis software to see which copy component seems to receive the most attention and produce the highest number of registrations. Copy components with very low viewing times could be replaced with other components that might have a greater influence on getting site visitors to book.

Getting people to book for seminars and conferences is a constant challenge. By knowing the common objections and how to overcome them, event planners can feel more confident about how to go about building attendance from prospective customers who might otherwise not attend.