Event Branding – How to Get it Right

You’ll have noticed how some events in your industry have become the “must-attend event”. It is the conference or the trade show that brings everyone together. The exhibitor list keeps growing and the seminars and speakers remain impressive year after year too. What makes them the must-attend annual show is the event branding. Get it right, and people will flock to your event year after year but where do you start?

What is event branding?

Event branding is a collection of elements that encompass what people remember about your event. It is about creating a memorable impression on people. A bit like associating high-end luxury and performance with Mercedes or conferences like TED Talks always coming up with new features, speakers and ideas.

Event branding makes your event recognisable. Distinct from your business branding, it is similar and clearly linked. In other words, it is your brand but with a twist.

What are event branding elements?

Event branding is a combination of details, big and small. For example;

• Use your logo throughout the event from a statement wall at the reception desk to branded serviettes at lunch.
• Customised freebies and other elements such as cups, recyclable stirring sticks for the morning coffee.
• And then there are branded wearable elements such as lanyards, name badges, t-shirts and so on, as well as stationery (who doesn’t love a free pen?!)
• Branded social media for sharing the conference or expos events including the event Twitter feed, YouTube channel and Facebook updates.

But every event does this, we hear you say and many do. But to stand out, you need to build event branding on four props:

1. Unique
2. Meaningful
3. Authentic
4. Consistent

When attendees consider booking to attend your event, they want to know what they are going to get from it. By pointing out what makes your event unique, you are more likely to draw in the delegates who will make it a success. Event branding needs to capture this uniqueness and promote it.

But how relevant and meaningful is your event branding? To truly deliver on this front, you need to really understand who your customers are and why they need an event like yours. Delivering ‘best value’ isn’t enough…

Trust and credibility don’t grow overnight but develop over time and by being authentic. Essentially, this means being genuine in your approach.

And finally, the fourth prop on which event branding is built is consistency. From the moment a potential customer interacts with your event, to the last minute, event branding must be consistent.

Event branding and emotional connection

We know (or we should!) that for marketing to be successful, it needs to engage on an emotional level with a customer. Thus, Volvo cars emphasising the safety of design and build makes them the clear choice for a family car because which parent doesn’t want to keep their children safe as they travel?

Event branding and promotion, however, seems to fall short. On one hand, your event marketing will clearly state who is speaking, what seminars there are available and why the conference is needed but does it make an emotional connection?

What are the emotional benefits of attending your event? If you don’t know or don’t make this obvious to your delegates, you are missing out on some serious opportunities.

For example, according to the report Customer Satisfaction Doesn’t Count, customers who are ‘emotionally engaged’ are three times more likely to recommend a brand or product, three times more likely to make a repeat purchase and more likely to buy from you.

The solution in part to creating event branding is to create and deliver on your event promise.

Event branding – delivering on what you promise

Don’t make promises you can’t keep. It’s a great mantra throughout life but certainly when it comes to event branding.

There’s another saying – don’t sweat the small stuff – but in the case of event branding, you must because it is the small details, like the content of the freebie bag to the event speakers and sponsors, that develop the long-lasting relationships that will make your event the “must-attend” occasion on everyone’s calendar.