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Five tips for running a small business event

Five tips for running a small business event
Enterprise Nation
Enterprise NationEnterprise Nation

Posted: Wed 7th Jan 2015

Mark Walker (@jfdimark) from Eventbrite shares top tips on how to run a successful event.

Q: First off, can you tell us how Eventbrite started as a business?

A: Eventbrite started in 2006 when access to ticketing technology was expensive and complicated which meant it was available only to the biggest and wealthiest events. Our founders - Julia and Kevin Hartz and Renaud Visage - saw there was a need for event organisers big and small to have access to this essential tool for their events, and so Eventbrite was born. We've since sold more than 200 million tickets, and reached over £2billion in revenues for event organisers.

Q. How can small businesses use Eventbrite to grow?

A: Small businesses use events as an effective sales and marketing tool. They can use Eventbrite to ensure their prospective customers have a seamless, enjoyable event experience whether running a product launch, networking event, a conference, or any kind of event!

Q. What can small businesses learn about their audience and customers by using the tool?

A: We've got a great suite of analytics tools that will help businesses understand their audience and customers. We can show which marketing channels have been most effective (great for tracking ROI), where in the world people are attending from, and with our custom questions, businesses can ask anything they want to know from their attendees.

Q. What kind of events attracts the most respondents?

A: There's no one event format that attracts the largest audiences, but the one common factor amongst all successful events is a focus on the customer. Great event organisers understand why people would want to attend their event, clearly communicate those benefits in their marketing, and consistently deliver a good experience on the day.

Q. What trends have you seen in the events people are hosting?

A: The trend we most clearly see is that people are using events more and more. A recent study we conducted showed that Millennials (those in their 20s and 30s) care more about experiences than material possessions. Live events are one way of providing experiences to people of all ages, so we're seeing the demand - and supply - of events just continue to grow strongly.

Q: What are your five top tips for advertising and hosting a fantastic event?

  1. Know your customer or attendee

  2. Translate that into a strong value proposition to use in your marketing campaigns

  3. Understand which channels are most effective for marketing your event and only focus on those

  4. Encourage those who've registered to attend your event to share their plans on social media, and with friends and family

  5. Deliver on your promises and beat attendees' expectations

Enterprise Nation
Enterprise NationEnterprise Nation
Enterprise Nation has helped thousands of people start and grow their businesses. Led by founder, Emma Jones CBE, Enterprise Nation connects you to the resources and expertise to help you succeed.

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