organization whose target audience is historically late in register-
ing for an event will be presented with other planning and mar-
keting challenges. For example, planning is possible (if not more
stressful) when the respondents typically register during the last
few weeks prior to the opening of the event.
There will be dramatic effects on purchasing decisions. For ex-
ample, negotiating accurate hotel room block cutoffs, obtaining
food and beverage guarantees, ordering supplies, and working out
logistical details are virtually impossible without a concrete and
demonstrable prior history of performance and patterns exhibited
by your attendees. That information can come only through col-
lection, archiving, and clear interpretation of those patterns to the
satisfaction of the event’s suppliers and performers.
Consider these methods of documenting patterns of
participation:
- Ticket Collection.Many groups use tickets for admission to
major events. Tickets may be collected at doors or at tables.
They should be color coded by event (for easier categoriz-
ing later), counted, and kept.A great failing of many mar-
keters is to collect tickets, bind them together, place them
on a shelf in the office for use later in the next marketing
campaign, and then forget they are there as they gather dust.
They are the old-fashioned, but tried-and-true “hard copy”
of attendance profiles. - Hand Counters.Head counts may be taken by attendants at
the entrances to events with the use of hand counters or
“clickers.” While not as accurate as a ticket collection, they
are often used when ticket collection will create delays in
event access or meal service. - Observation.Especially for smaller sessions and break-outs,
simple observation of the room during a program will allow
a close estimation of the level of attendance, as well as the
level of interest by the audience in specific event features
or subject areas. - Patterns of Arrival.For purposes of airline or transit ar-
rivals and adequate preparation of the host facility for man-
ning reservation and registration desks, patterns of arrival
must be tracked. This will be impacted by the geographic
spread of attendees and the venue location (West Coast/East
Coast, for example), days of week, time of day, even down
Refining Your Event Marketing Evaluation Methods 185