Convention Insider (Conventions.net)

I have been traveling all day and I had about 12 hours of airports, boarding this plane and carrying that bag.  I am currently speaking at an event in North Carolina and I really enjoy visiting new towns and places that I have never bee before and drink in all that place has to offer. It is part of the perks of having to put up with business travel like the day I just experienced.

I like to get to events and have a set place I can go for dinner and have most of the details worked out for me. Because I have had an all day excursion, it is nice not to have that next bit of problems with deciding where to eat, what parties to go to and what is the next thing.  Do you offer a stress free environment for the attendees or event the conference speakers for your event?  This could set you apart from other conferences and events that might be competing with yours.  Give a stress free itinerary to those tat have been going hard all day to get your event.  They will be refreshed when the event opens and will be one of your best evangelists.

Is your convention or event accessible? I am not speaking about the ADA and whether persons with disabilities are able to attend, I am talking about whether the event itself is easily accessible.  I recently agreed to speak at an event that is in a very nice place that is out of the way in a quiet setting. We have a very nice location and the hotel is going to be a very beautiful setting.  The problem is not the location as it relates to the experience while there, the problem  as I see it is how to get into and out of the location from all over the country.

I will be flying a few hours to get to the nearest large city, will then have to rent a car to get the the smaller town that is not as accessible by commercial airlines.  This creates a hardship on the speakers, and those attendees that will be coming from places that are not necessarily easily traveled by car.  This needs to be taken into account when making plans or when planning the date and location of your event.

I love speaking at smaller events that provide a good setting for learning and for a closer dialogue between the experts speaking and the attendees. I really like a out of the way place that also allows attendees and those involved to have a near vacation like experience.  The problem is it has to be accessible and it has to be able to allow people to get there and out of the location as quickly as possible and with the least amount of cost. This will allow you to have better attendance and a better overall experience. These issues will allow you to have better attendance for years to come.

I was having a discussion with a colleague the other day about using email marketing as a way to get the word out and help get information to a customer.  I am still a child of email myself and I check that usually before I get my coffee in the morning.  A recent study reported by Mashable indicates that the next generation may be checking Facebook before they have their coffee, but I for one stick with the basics and go through email.

I continue to receive email updates from conferences and trade shows I have attended but for the most part, they smaller shows only send out a few updates a year and those are usually centered around events such as a call for speakers, or a sale of early bird tickets or other bigger announcements.  I think that is a poor use of email and newsletters.  Email is a great way to get up to speed year round and keep things fresh in the minds of your attendees, exhibitors and sponsors.  It is a great tool for helping you garner more sponsors in fact if they think you will be promoting them all year.

There are many email services out there and none of them are head and shoulders about their competitors.  I like to see a company that provides good analytics and one that allows you to customize your emails easily.  I know that some of the companies out there even have the ability to integrate with your blog and other social networks which is a nice touch.  Are you using email as a way to market your event?  How many emails is too many versus how many are too little.  I like to think that once a month I should be seeing your event show up on my radar and as we get close to your event you should get out as many as one per week.  What has worked for you in the past?