I had a call yesterday from an event planner in the UK asking about how flexible MeetMax is, really.  He has looked at a lot of different online registration systems, and his complaint is that they are all flexible, but only to a point. “This one lets you have just 4 pages; that one lets you have more but the page design/layout can’t be changed.”  I offered to put together a set of screen shots illustrating a few of the many variations you can do with MeetMax.  I thought you all might be interested as well — so click here to view.

If we can be of help to you with software for marketing/registration for your next event, please give us a shout - www.meetmax.com or meetings@twst.com

I came across a great posting from Anne Thornley-Brown, Executive Oasis International, on her blog Energize Your Meetings and Events.  Anne reviews all of the reasons why team building retreats / events add to a company’s bottom line, and provides tried-and-true suggestions for how to put together and execute a successful one.   At MeetMax, we have a number of clients who run incentive events / team building retreats throughout the year, so we know how complex they can be.  Hopefully, you’ll find Anne’s posting as informative as I did.  Read on …

Continuing our series on what makes a great marketing website for events.  Today’s tip is to make sure that the site has complete information.  Different types of visitors will want different kinds of information.  For example, potential exhibitors will want to know the show floor layout, while potential attendees are probably not as interested in that information, but would want to know more about the keynote speakers.

We’ve summarized for you what information you must have, and what information is nice to have, for different types of visitors.

ATTENDEES

Must Have:

• Topic and Theme of the Event
• Audience Description so I know what’s in it for me
• Agenda (that is up to date)
• Speaker information including their bios (again, up to date)
• Session descriptions that actually match the content of the session.
• On-line Registration Form with ability to accept credit card payments, along with other forms like P.O.’s or checks.
• Logistics – Where to stay, Travel options, Driving directions, Where to Park and How Much it will cost, Meals
• Frequently Asked Questions – these won’t eliminate all of the phone calls you receive, but it will cut down the volume of calls you have to handle.

Nice to Have

• Dress Code
• Spouse/Guest Information – either your guest program or some ideas of sights to see and things to do while the attendee is at the conference
• Directory of Attendees (only the ones who have given you permission to publish their information)
• Links to Exhibitors and Sponsors
• Means to pre-schedule meetings with exhibitors, sponsors and speakers
• Video Snippets from the prior year’s conference - perhaps the keynote speaker, or an awards presentation

EXHIBITORS

Must Haves

•  Show Floor and/or Booth Options, with pricing
• Ability to purchase booth online
• Attendee demographics, including background, interests etc.
• Ability to register exhibitor attendees online, as part of the booth package

Nice to Haves

•  Ability to upload logo for signage, ad for program book etc.
• Ability to connect with prospective attendees with exhibitor’s content - microsite
• Ability to pre-schedule appointments with registered attendees

SPONSORS
Must Haves:

• Sponsor Package descriptions and pricing
• Ability to purchase sponsorship online
• Conference Data - past year attendance, demographics etc.
• Ability to register sponsor attendees online, as part of the sponsor package

Nice to Haves

•  Ability to upload logo for signage, ad for program book etc.
• Ability to connect with prospective attendees with exhibitor’s content - microsite
• Ability to pre-schedule appointments with registered attendees

Because it is so important to keep the content on your event website current, content management tools built into MeetMax make it easy for you to create an information-rich website and keep it up to date.

After a brief hiatus for vacation, we continue the series on insider secrets to great event websites –

4. FACILITATE NETWORKING
Much of the value attendees get at a conference comes from the conversations they have
outside of the meeting rooms. If you want a truly successful event, you need to facilitate
opportunities for your attendees to network/talk with one another. A great way to do this
is to offer the ability to set appointments with exhibitors, sponsors or speakers in advance.
Post a directory on the event website and offer the opportunity to request meetings as a
function of registering for the conference.

Want to read the whole white paper? Click here to download.

Continuing our list of insider tips to create effective event websites … here’s number 3

3. REGISTER ONLINE
Once a visitor has decided s/he wants to attend, provide a simple means to register on-line (and make it easy).
Simple forms with clear instructions for completing the registration process are key here. If you are hosting
a global or multi-national event, offer the visitor the opportunity to register in their national language.

Want to read the entire list? Download our latest white paper “Seven Characteristics of Effective Event Websites”.

Crafting a memorable event starts when the attendee first learns about the
event. Your event website sets the tone for their experience. If it is clear, concise, complete
and easy to use, then the impression they have of the conference is positive right from the start.

Before you begin to craft the content and design of your event’s website, make sure you are
clear on the marketing objectives for the site. Know what you want someone to do as a result of
their visit to your site: register as an attendee, buy a sponsorship, download information, etc.
And, define how your event website will work with other event marketing tools like advertising,
promotion, invitations. Armed with clear objectives, you are in the best position to create a
compelling and effective tool for marketing your successful event.

We’ve asked some experience event marketers and event planners for their input on what makes an effective event website, and identified the top seven characteristics.  Here’s the first one:

2. USABLE
Some first-time visitors to your event website will take the time to browse the whole site. Most,
however, want a specific piece of information, and have a limited amount of time they are
willing to spend to find it. Make the navigation simple and straightforward. Put the key
information – what, where, when and how much – right up front. Remember, your event
website is a sales tool; make the calls to action clear. When your visitor is ready to register to
become an attendee, it needs to be obvious to her or him how to register. Don’t forget about
mobile devices: before you launch your site, view it on a smartphone interface and make sure
the key information and link to register are clear visible and working.

Want to read more: download the full whitepaper, “Seven Characteristics of Effective Event Websites“.

I found this post on industrythoughts.net, and thought it was so good that I would share it with you.  I know it is off the topic of event registration and event marketing, but still … great content!

http://www.industrythoughts.net/2010/06/what-is-in-my-meeting-planner-supply-kit.html

Crafting a memorable event starts when the attendee first learns about the
event. Your event website sets the tone for their experience. If it is clear, concise, complete
and easy to use, then the impression they have of the conference is positive right from the start.

Before you begin to craft the content and design of your event’s website, make sure you are
clear on the marketing objectives for the site. Know what you want someone to do as a result of
their visit to your site: register as an attendee, buy a sponsorship, download information, etc.
And, define how your event website will work with other event marketing tools like advertising,
promotion, invitations. Armed with clear objectives, you are in the best position to create a
compelling and effective tool for marketing your successful event.

We’ve asked some experience event marketers and event planners for their input on what makes an effective event website, and identified the top seven characteristics.  Here’s the first one:

1. ENGAGING
People want similar information to what they would find in a brochure, but they expect the
information to be delivered in a more engaging manner.
Your event website is a sales tool, so deliver a great, easily identified business case for your
event. Take advantage of technology, for example by regularly adding extras such as speaker
video-clips. Encourage people to remain engaged with the event as it draws near by updating
the content on the website on a regular basis.

Want to read more: download the full whitepaper, “Seven Characteristics of Effective Event Websites“.

We are pleased to announce that MeetMax now includes event website templates designed by San Francisco-based designer, John Shern, Duotone Online (www.duotoneonline.com).  These new templates present a polished, professional image for your events.  Unlike competitive products that allow you to build only a limited event website, with MeetMax you can have up to 10 pages on your site, and with our easy content management tools you don’t need additional resources to keep your site up to date.  Click on the images below to take a peak the new layouts.

We are seeing more clients than ever looking for ways to reduce the paper used at their conferences.

How many times have you gone to a conference or a day-long seminar and carefully collected copies of all of the presentations and handouts, put them in your briefcase or tote bag, brought them home to the office and then?  They sit in a stack on your desk until you decide you need room for some new stack of information.  In paper form, the information embodied in this stack of materials is difficult to access and so its use is limited as a library of useful information.

And yet, as conference organizers we know that speakers want to bring handouts and attendees do want to bring materials home with them.  How can you reduce the amount of paper and still provide the benefit of a take-away materials?

The answer for an increasing number of MeetMax clients is the MeetMax document kiosk.  At the MeetMax document kiosk, the conference attendee selects the speakers/sessions for which he or she wants materials, and downloads the materials on to a flash drive.  The materials are indexed by session and because they are electronic, they are easily searched and easily shared with colleagues.   And, the conference organizer can pre-load sponsor materials onto the library so that all downloads include the sponsor’s information — which is a great way to extend the value of a sponsorship.

MeetMax’s speaker registration process allows presenters to upload materials — documents, powerpoints, videos.  MeetMax client support builds your document library and compiles the Document Kiosk software for you into an easy to install package.

If you happen to attend one of RBC’s conferences this month, or Needham’s or Lazard Capital Markets’, you will have a chance to see for yourself how the meeting planning teams for these conferences are using technology to make their meetings more green.  How are you greening up your conferences?