Title:Top 10 Tips to Make Your Next Event a Success

Marketing:

1. Cohesive: Include all Facebook pages, event links, and important information on every e-mail or post about the event. This will help draw traffic to your website, and/or your Facebook page, allowing them to view other important information about your club. It also ensures that no matter where an alum goes (your website, the e-mail, or the Facebook page, etc.), they can access the event information.

2. Constituents: Is this an event that will only be interesting to young alumni? You might consider only inviting certain demographics to cut down on e-mail fatigue and ensure that the people who will attend are the ones who are reading your e-mail. If you do plan to invite everyone, think about tailoring the message to each market segment (young alumni, families, professionals). The Regional Engagement team can help ensure that the right e-mail goes to the right segment.

3. Content: Include any information that you really want attendees to know about your club in the marketing and promotion materials. Other upcoming events? Include them! Looking for new members? Be sure to include a link to the membership page.

At the Event:

4. Management: A couple best practices for your event can go a long way; Be sure to have at least one board member at the event early to troubleshoot, take registration, and answer any questions that attendees have about the club. If you can, allow some time for a welcome announcement from that board member so that people can put a face to who is planning such wonderful events! Also, take attendance. Even if the event is a happy hour, knowing who attended your event is valuable information for the club (ask us why!).

5. Membership: Every single event should include information on how someone can update their information and join the club.  Often, people will not have received the e-mail about the event (because their information is not updated), so having information or a laptop on hand so guests can update their information with us is helpful. Don’t want to bring a laptop? Collect business cards for a raffle and you can send the information to us-we will update their information for them! You may also want to hand out information about upcoming events.

6. Market your needs: Are you looking for more board volunteers? Hosts for upcoming events? Food and drink sponsors? Speakers at your next networking event? Share your needs with guests by providing a sheet for them to fill out or by announcing your needs during the welcome.

7. Media: Social, that is. Post, tweet, share live from the event. If it’s a large event, consider creating a hashtag for it (or if it’s a recurring event, like a monthly happy hour or networking event). This will help you capture everyone’s experience and give your club and events even more positive publicity!

After the event:

8. Send: A follow up with an e-mail to all registrants and attendees with a thank    you and next steps for anyone wishing to join the club, volunteer, or get further connected to Georgetown. Be sure to include a link to the website, a list of future events, and maybe a picture or two!

9. Survey: Consider creating a follow-up survey in surveymonkey or google forms to see what Hoyas in your area want to see from the club in the upcoming year. This is a great way to capture and streamline all the feedback and interest of local Hoyas. Include the link in your follow-up e-mail.

10. Submit: The events form here at the end of the month so that we can help you track your attendees and event numbers. This avoids work for you when filling out your annual report, and helps us better showcase the hard work you do!