How to Attract Influencers to Your Event

I am now working on a new annual event for one of my clients, a very well-known respectable company, and still find it challenging to attract top level influencers to attend. Most people gauge the quality of your event by taking a quick glance at your speaker list and notable attendees. Similar to the “who else is going?” approach to going to parties in your younger days.

Companies that organize branded conferences are always interested in announcing the presence industry thought-leaders to their events knowing that influential consumers will follow close behind. Logically, getting these people onboard first will give you the best shot at attracting future clients, brand advocates and valuable business partners to your events. Therefore, confirming the presence of well-known influencers and industry movers & shakers at your event should be priority number one.

Identify the Top Influencers in Your Industry

There is no such thing “Best Influencers”, there are only influencers that are the most suitable with your company and your activity, so before you can attract them you want to know who they are. This may seem like common sense, and it is, but it shouldn’t be overlooked. Ask yourself what you aim to accomplish with your event. This will help you set your goals and target the right audience. You want to attract an audience that will be receptive to your brand and share their experiences, people who will become ambassadors and provide genuine interaction and feedback both during the event and afterwards.

Invite Them

This is the most basic tip on how to get them to attend. If you want someone to come, you have to ask. However, there are a number of things you’ll want to have in place to make your invitation to your event more enticing.

Don’t do it alone

The companies that have the most success with events are the ones that elicit support from other stakeholders in their industry. Start with finding one true collaborator – another business or industry partner that draws value from the same target audience as you. Think of them as your co-founder, someone who shares your vision and is willing to match your involvement and promotion. The right partner adds credibility to your event and brings their own loyal customers to build some momentum. Most importantly, with a strategic partner comes their strategic guest list. On top of that, having two brands involved makes it easier to secure event sponsors where you can negotiate a budget to hire a great keynote.

Location Location Location

I can’t stress enough the importance of booking a prime venue for an event. Certain places simply attract certain types of people so make sure your venue is aligned with your target audience. Consider transportation, availability and proximity of hotels and restaurants, and don’t forget about what will still be available once your event is over.

Spread the word

The media is your best friend when it comes to attracting influencers. In fact, you could even choose a relevant media company as your event partner, it’s that important. It’s never too early to start the media push, especially if you can name drop one or two influencers or event partners to build a buzz.

Make them a speaker

By offering strategic influencer a keynote slot gives them a platform for which to add to their brand. Just don’t wait until the last minute - don’t forget you’re using influencers to attract key decision makers to your event and you’ll need enough time to build a buzz and let C-level executives fit your event into their agenda.

Aim high and wide

On-line registration platforms and social media have made registering for events a breeze, especially given our nature to think that a far off future date will never actually arrive - so you need to plan for no-shows. If your event is free, count on a 30% dropout rate. If it’s a paid event, you’ll get a much higher turnout rate, but a lower percentage will sign up. Unfortunately, influencers are even more unpredictable. Therefore, when crafting your speakers and VIP guest list, don’t get complacent and never sell your event around one key influencer or speaker. If that person doesn’t show, you’ll have a lot of upset guests to answer to. Instead, aim for a well-rounded stable of industry leaders to attend your event. The more commitments you have, the stronger they’ll become as they’ll feel the peer pressure to appear - make it known that they were “chosen” for your prestigious event.