3 Tips For Hosting Your First Event

If you’re thinking of hosting your first event, webinar or challenge; whether that’s virtually or in-person, theres some things you need to know.

Today, I want to tell you about 3 tips to help you when hosting your first event!

Tip 1: Engagement Is As Important As Value

A critical element of any event is giving value. You have to make it your audiences worthwhile turning up. That goes without saying.

But what is much less known, is the importance of engagement.

You have to give tonnes of value, content and learning… but in an engaging way.

You don’t want to just give so much content in a boring way. You’re not lecturing at university!

You need to engage with your audience – get them engaged, interacting with you and others. Get them involved, make it more about doing and not just sitting and listening.

This is so important because even if people turn up – there’s no guarantee they’ll stick around.

People will end up leaving if they’re not engaged with you, your audience and your content.

Tip 2: Audience First. Event Second.

If you have a great idea of an event you can host, STOP.

A mistake people often make on their first events is creating the event first, and then trying to get their audience to sign up and come along.

Sometimes it can work, but often not.

Instead you need to consider your audience first – what kind of event they want. How they want it.

Heck, you can even ASK THEM.

THEN create an event that fits them.

Never the other way around.

Tip 3: Accept That Not Everybody Will Turn Up

Whether you’re hosting an in-person event or a virtual event, for free or for a fee, the first thing you need to know may come as a bit of a shock.

Not everybody who signups up – whether for free or for a fee – will turn up. That’s just how it is.

And even if they do turn up, there’s no guarantee they’ll stick around (more on that soon).

Why is this important to know? Because many first time event hosts don’t take this into account.

They hire a room with a capacity for 100 people, and get 100 people to sign up.

And then half don’t turn up.

It’s nothing personal. Things happen. Life is busy. Things crop up.

You need to understand this to ensure you can maximise your event.

And yeah sure, you also don’t want to end up at the other end and have too many people attend – more than you have room for.

But in my experience of event marketing, you’re much more likely to empty seats than more people to fill them.

So I’m sorry to say, but you have to accept that and prepare accordingly. Get over-subscribed and your first event will not be your last!

Take care,

Dan