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event planning guide

The Event Planning Guide: 9 Easy Steps to a Sold-Out Event in 2020

Face to face networking and socialization is an important part of today’s marketing especially since otherwise it is mostly done through social media. Hosting an event is a great way to help people to connect in a welcoming environment.  

As an event host, you have many responsibilities to make sure that you’re event is a hit. There are plenty of ways that you can market your event to make sure that it is sold out. 

Keep reading for our event planning guide where we will give you nine easy steps to follow to make sure that your event is sold out in 2020. 

1. Set Your Timeline

Planning an event can be a lot of work so you need to figure out exactly how much you need to get done in a certain amount of time. Obviously, the first step is to decide on the day of your event. Once that’s taken care of then you can get to planning the rest. 

Make a list of all the big stuff you will need to get done and try to give yourself goals on when you should achieve those things. This way you will have time set aside to get everything done and won’t be rushing at the last minute.

2. Select the Perfect Venue

When your goal is to host a sold-out event you need to make sure that your venue can hold everyone comfortably. No one enjoys walking around a venue shoulder to shoulder and not being able to stop and chat with someone. 

There are many things you should keep in mind when you’re selecting a venue. As we mentioned above, your first priority should be making sure that the size of the venue will hold all of your guests. You should also make sure that there are accommodations around the venue for out of town guests to stay at. Make sure that the venue is convenient for everyone to get to. 

3. Stick to Your Budget

When you’re making your timeline you should also be making your budget. Sometimes with large events, it is easy for them to get out of hand with every little expense adding up. Always make sure that you’re keeping your budget in mind when making a purchase. 

You should also have an emergency fund for your event in case an extra expense or cost needs to be made. We aren’t always perfect so having a bit of leeway can help when creating your budget.  

4. Stay Organized

One of the most important tips you should follow is to stay organized from the start of planning the event all the way to when the event is finished. Staying organized is sometimes tough especially if you have a lot on your plate. Make sure that you’re taking extra time to document everything and keep all of your event staff in the loop to any big changes. 

5. Sell Tickets for Your Event

Selling tickets for your event through an online registration software will make your life so much easier. This software is great to help you keep track of how many tickets have been sold so you know how many people will be at your event. It is also a good way to accept payments from guests as well as pass off any extra fees to them if need be such as the credit card processing fee. 

Online registration software is great for networking events, fundraising, social events, or conferences. Using this type of software can also help you to send updates through email to all the people attending your event as well as helping you check people in at the event when they arrive. 

6. Create an Event Website

Another great way to get people interested in your event is to create an event website. This is the perfect place to put it all out there and explain your event in the best way possible. 

You can also use your event website to stay organized and help to keep event-goers in the loop. Make sure to put any important information about parking or hotels on your website so it is easy to find. 

7. Promote Your Event

Marketing in today’s technological world has become so much easier especially thanks to social media. There are awesome ways you can promote your event through Instagram, Facebook, or even Twitter. Social media makes it easy for you to engage with potential event guests and advertise your plans for the event to them. 

When advertising your event on social media make sure to make shareable content about your event. Shareable content is content that your followers will want to share with their own followers. This is a great way to get some free advertising and encourage more people to attend your event. 

8. Send Personalized Invitations

Another way to get more people to come to your event is by sending out personalized invitations. You can do this through email or even by sending out paper invitations in the mail. Make sure to include a specific call to action that will help to persuade their decision to come. 

9. Stay Engaged With Event Goers

You may think that once you’ve made the ticket sale that you’re job is done but you should continue to market to your audience. You want to get your event-goers excited and enthusiastic about coming to your event. Keep making content that revolves around your event. 

Try to occasionally send out emails to ticket holders reminding them of all the fun they have to look forward to at your event. You can also introduce special guests and activities as it gets closer to the event. On the other hand, make sure you’re not spamming emails or social media with posts because that can get annoying. 

Event Planning Guide

Everyone knows that it can be quite difficult to successfully plan a sold-out event. You can use our event planning guide, tips, and tricks to make your event the best it can be!  

Make sure to check out Eventzilla to help you with your registration software and ticket sales. We look forward to hearing from you about your next big event!

Eventzilla Team

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