8 Steps To Winning Repeat Attendees

Why Repeat Delegates Matter

• A 5% reduction in the customer defection rate can increase profits by 5 – 95% – Bain & Company.

• It costs 6–7 times more to acquire a new customer than retain an existing one – Bain & Company.

• The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60 – 70%.

The probability of selling to a new prospect is 5-20% – Marketing Metrics.

• A 2% increase in customer retention has the same effect as

decreasing costs by 10% – Leading on the Edge of Chaos, Emmet Murphy & Mark Murphy.

Here’s our 8-step guide for winning those repeat attendees – regardless of your budget!

1. Remind

• Send out a post-event report

• Invite past delegates to view the conference recordings

• Share photos and social proof of how great the event was

2. Involve

• Get feedback from your attendees, speakers and sponsors

• Pick up the phone, send a survey or use social channels

• Prove their opinions makes a difference with direct action

3. Recognise

• Make your past attendees feel special

• Send handwritten invitations, put on exclusive events or invite them to mentor new attendees

• For top tier influencers, invite them to join an advisory board

4. Reward

• Offer something of exclusive value, such as a special drinks reception or dinner

• Room upgrades, private transfers and tickets to local cultural events are other great ways to reward them

• Straightforward discounts can also be an effective means of retention

5. Communicate

• 365-days-a-year communication is key to building trust and loyalty

• Where possible, lead with non-sales content & communication like speaker interviews, guides and market insights

• It doesn’t have to be time consuming, a weekly newsletter that rounds up interesting industry news is better than nothing!

6. Consistency

• ‘If it aint broke, don’t fix it’ can work wonders for repeat events

• Repeat dates and locations can build expectations that prompt returning delegates

• Even repeat themes can work in your favour by not chasing fads, but focusing on what really matters

7. Freshness

• While consistency can play a key role in the success of an event, people won’t return if they don’t think there’s something new to discover

• Prominently show who will be new at your event, because network opportunities drive sales

• Where you have repeat themes, evolve them to cater for more advanced audiences who came last year

8. Deliver

• Nothing kills repeat business more than under-delivering on expectations and bad customer service.

• “A customer is 4 times more likely to defect to a competitor if the problem is service-related than price- or product-related – Bain & Company.”

• If you can surpass expectations on the day, then the chances of steps 1-7 being successful will increase dramatically!

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For a more in-depth guide to winning repeat conference attendees, check out the full post here.

For more great content focused on helping your events succeed, visit our blog: blog.eventbrite.co.uk

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