Successful events start now, not with the first session.

Welcome! Pull up a chair. This is a comfortable place to reconnect, isn’t it? After all, creating community is what we, as event professionals, do! As important as logistics juggling, plan B making, and plan Z making are, the core of our work is community building.

So, unsurprisingly, the event prof Untethered community did not disappoint when we asked them for their best practices on how to engage an event audience from long before the event to well after it. Our Community Connection Chapter. summarizes their most insightful comments, from the big picture to the delicious, detailed tidbits. Peak inside the chapter now, as we share some of our Untethered attendees’ favorite ways of effectively building community going into an event.

Start early.

No matter how cool your event is, nothing beats the energy of anticipation. Think about how you felt in the days leading up to your birthday when you were a kid (maybe you still can’t sleep the night before!); all the texts you exchange with your friends before the rescheduled concert you finally get to go to now that you’re all vaccinated; even what it’s like moving through the workday before a promising dinner date. Harness what you know your attendees are feeling in the months, weeks, and days leading up to your event.

  • Host pre-event networking or “just for fun” meetups.
  • Engage attendees in a game (like a scavenger hunt) that starts before the event.
  • Start following VIP attendees before the event to share their journey to the big day.

Be inclusive.

Ask your audience in advance of the event how they prefer to engage. People have different learning and engagement styles: Some are auditory, some visual. Some like plenary sessions; others like small breakout sessions. But everyone appreciates being asked what they want (especially, and importantly, if you follow up by incorporating a variety of responses into the event). A pre-event poll or diverse series of creative asks is a sure-fire way to build community early.

Make tech work for you.

Regardless of whether your event will be in-person, virtual, or hybrid, make sure you use the connective power of technology to bring people together even before the event. Key to bringing your audience closer to you and to each other is meeting them where they are—and that’s usually on their laptop and phone. Plus, it’s estimated that 25 to 40 percent of the population identify as introverts. Have you noticed this past year how connecting virtually lessens the awkward social dances and small talk? Introverts and extroverts alike appreciate getting to the heart of the matter—the heart, after all, is where we connect.
An event is not one point in time. It’s a continuum that starts…whenever you want it to. We suggest you choose now. Learn more by downloading the Community Connection Chapter of the UNTETHERED Big Ideas Book.

 

 





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