Content, networking and exhibitors aren’t enough to keep delegates engaged these days - they want to be stimulated and entertained.
But trends and gimmicks can often be hit and miss. Some attendees may love the 360 photobooth or a free pair of socks, but a truly engaging activation will consider the common interests of the people in the room.
And so, there is no set list of gifts and games that should be included at every event, but there are some things to consider to ensure you get it right at yours…
Personalisation with purpose
From Boomers to Gen Z, it’s human nature to enjoy something personalised. People want to feel special, or want to gift a loved one with something specifically tailored for them.
There are so many things that can be personalised, from t-shirts to luggage tags. But it’s also about trying to understand the people in the room. And while this may seem obvious, sometimes gifting can really miss the mark.
For example, at a running event your initial thought might be that a customisable water bottle would be suited to the demographic - but serious runners don’t use water bottles when running, and probably have a more expensive ‘favourite bottle’ that they already use in the gym.
So it’s about creating something that’s truly engaging but also on-brand and of-interest. For example at a recent global software conference in London we had a branded British phonebox (to give delegates a taste of the destination) with an AI limerick-creating machine inside - this was both on-brand and of-interest. Every person walked away with a unique magnet featuring their personalised limerick and a talking point to share with others in the room. It’s no surprise this was an activation that was constantly being visited throughout the day.
Interest with insight
It’s very easy to make assumptions about conference attendees based on their job titles. But delegates are humans too. And so it’s about understanding the human interests of those in the room, not just their professional interests.
For example, at the same software conference we looked at the age demographic of people attending and realised that the vast majority were Millennials - a generation that grew up on collectables and trading cards. We then combined this with on-brand personalisation, and the result was an AI-generated trading card creator. Delegates would pose for a photo, be turned into a sci-fi or fantasy character with powers of their choice and then a high-quality trading card of them was printed out and gifted to them.
Queues were seen at the activation from the very start, all the way through to the end of the event - it was an undeniable success!
Quality over quantity
But even if you get their interests right, a key consideration is the quality of the takeaway. If the aforementioned water bottle example was a really expensive well-known brand that those in attendance couldn’t afford (or justify the cost) this would make for a good activation.
Likewise, the trading card example could have been printed and produced quicker, resulting in smaller queues (in theory). But actually, the quality of the cards was what created the desire throughout the event, and what made them more ‘keepable’ - as opposed to a typical post-conference throwaway.
We at Black Book believe, with everything, it’s about understanding the brand and the people in the room. Deeper insights create better decisions across all elements of an event and so the result will always end up being more engagement from attendees. There is no one-size-fits-all answer but we make it our mission to work out the very best solutions for each of our clients in a tailored and thought-through way.
Get in touch if you’d like to find out more.