SpinGo Blog – Event Management, Event Planning, And Marketing Best Practices

Indie Beauty Expo: Event Management That Grows With You

by Miranda Romero, posted in Success Stories

The green and indie beauty movement is truly global. Indie brands are among the fastest growing product categories. They have become a ‘must have’ in almost every retailer’s collection and are now directly influencing key trends in their markets. The Indie Beauty Expo was founded to support the growth and success of indie brands and the entrepreneurs behind them.

Founded by celebrity esthetician, Jillian Wright, and entrepreneur, Nader Naeymi-Rad, Indie Beauty Expo (IBE) was established to help the fast-growing category of indie beauty brands connect to buyers, press, consumers and investors. Unsatisfied with the options available, Jillian and Nader formed IBE to provide a solution specific to market-ready indie brands.

IBE debuted in New York City in August of 2015 and has since expanded to four strategic markets in North America and Europe: New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, and London. Today IBE offers buyers, press, investors and shoppers an opportunity to discover and transact with the largest collection of independent beauty brands in the world.

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF2Qg7F0620″%5D

Originally searching for an event management system that could manage their vendors and registration, IBE reached out to SpinGo in October of 2016 to see if Event Master would be the right fit. Impressed with Event Master’s lightweight platform, IBE partnered with SpinGo.

With IBE ready to use Event Master, SpinGo built customized registration pages branded with IBE’s signature look.

IBE used the platform to screen vendors, buyers, attendees, and exhibitor applicants before each event. With all of this data being tracked in Event Master, the platform was used at events to check-in and print custom branded badges for attendees on-site.

Cassandra Darley, SpinGo Account Manager for Indie Beauty Expo, works closely with IBE to make sure Event Master is set for each event. “Indie Beauty Expo is one of the best events we work with, their events are visually stunning and well organized. They’ve really been able to utilize Event Master’s platform and we’re excited to continue working with them.”

Since choosing SpinGo in 2016, IBE has used Event Master in L.A., Dallas, and New York. With success in their U.S. locations, IBE is getting ready to take Event Master to their international expo in London and Berlin.

Innovative Bikes Meet Innovative Registration

by Miranda Romero, posted in Success Stories

The mission of the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) is a simple one: Showcase the talents and share ideas among the best builders of handmade bicycle frames in the world.

Since its debut in 2005, NAHBS has become established as the world’s number one handmade bicycle show. Many of these bespoke bicycles are wonderful creations, others can leave you scratching your head. Sometimes they are both weird and wonderful at the same time.

Case in point: this year at NAHBS there was a swoopy titanium city bike with 36 inch wheels, a fat bike inspired by a watermelon, and a carbon gravel bike painted to look like a circuit board.

In addition to many US frame builders, exhibitors from countries including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and the Netherlands have helped the show become an international display of bicycle craftsmanship.

This niche event needed a platform that could work with their exhibitors and attendees. That’s when they decided to reach out to SpinGo and inquire about Event Master’s innovative all-in-one platform.

With Event Master, NAHBS created custom exhibitor applications and screened applicants. Once an applicant was approved, NAHBS collected payment for customized booth options, map them on the exhibit floor, and collect compliance details.

In addition to getting help with their exhibitors, NAHBS also used the volunteer feature in Event Master to communicate with volunteers and schedule shifts without any confusion.

With exhibitors and volunteers ready to go to their event, NAHBS only had one thing left to handle, their attendees. Using Event Master, NAHBS checked-in and credentialed attendees onsite within seconds.

With SpinGo’s Event Master, the NAHBS team was able to move a record-breaking number of attendees through the event quickly. The platform was able to simplify how NAHBS onboarded exhibitors and provided customized credentials for each exhibitor’s booth staff.

With Event Master, NAHBS achieved the following:

  • 4,000+ attendees checked-in
  • 152 exhibitors credentialed
  • 90 volunteers onboarded

 

To view the full case study, click here.

Is Your Event On the Edge of Technology?

by Miranda Romero, posted in Event Tech

Event technology is changing events as we know it. From augmented reality to wearable smart badges, event tech is rapidly transforming the way we create and experience events. Because we are living in the digital age, it has become increasingly important to attendees that the world around them keeps up with their fast-paced lifestyles, this includes the events they attend.

Some event profs may be ready for the digital transformation and some may not, but all can agree that elevating the attendee experience is a priority in 2018. Event technology can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. In today’s post we’re going to be breaking down some of the latest and greatest technologies that you can start using at your events.

Here are 5 event technologies to utilize at your next event to create a memorable experience for attendees:

Live Chat: Take your event website to the next level with live chat. Though not a new web feature for ecommerce, it is only now being implemented on event websites. With live chat, consumers can type their questions into a chat box that appears and have direct interaction with an agent in seconds or minutes. So why does this matter? Because 53% of US online adults are likely to abandon their online purchase if they can’t find a quick answer to their question (Forrester, 2016). This includes tickets to your event, so stay a step ahead with live chat to ensure your attendees are able to get their questions answered and get to purchasing tickets quicker.

 

Digital Registration & Check-In: The last thing your attendees want are to wait in a long line, which is especially hard to avoid when you’re hosting a large event. That is why digital check-in comes in handy, using a QR code or RFID technology, digital registration & check-in software can check-in your attendees in seconds all while tracking their individual information for post-event analytics. Digital check-in enables you to:

  • Scan-in tickets and redeem products in seconds
  • Provide smooth “at-the-door” purchasing
  • Track line times
  • Connect to detailed reports

 

Wearable Smart Badges: Pre-printed badges are a thing of the past and wearable smart badges are today’s most efficient way to credential your attendees. As wearable technology continues to advance, a growing number of event profs are leveraging this technology to turn standard conference badges into wearables that provide a more streamlined event experience, and offer detailed data on attendee behavior and preferences. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification and uses radio waves to transmit information between two or more devices. RFID wristbands enable you to easily track your attendees as they check-in to your event or specific vendor booths. You can then use this valuable data to improve your event, leverage sponsorship and create your best event to date. The wristbands are light, durable, and are an integral part of valuable event analytics.

 

Augmented Reality: You can’t read about event tech these days without hearing all the buzz about virtual reality. And while virtual reality is cool at events, it’s overshadowing the powerful capabilities of augmented reality (AR). AR is a technology that uses a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world to provide an enhanced view that may include animation. So how does this work at events? Think of a Pokemon-Go-like experience but for events. Like a quest for rewards that leads attendees around an event to win prizes. The idea of AR is to provide an elevated and more interactive experience. While still very new to events, I’m sure we’ll see technology implemented at events in the next year or so.

5 Free Ways to Market Your Event

by Colin Matthes, posted in Event Marketing

Whether you are on a shoestring budget or you are looking for a maximum ROI on your event marketing efforts, it always pays to be resourceful.

Here are 5 free ways to to advertise your event.

 

1. Facebook Events

Billions of people use Facebook, and hundreds of millions check their account multiple times a day.

People use Facebook today similar to how they used newspapers in the past. They login, check what is new or trending, and see advertisements for products, services, or events.

Facebook has a section dedicated to events where you can create an event page, invite your friends and followers to attend, and share your event on your wall.

This is one of the most visible ways to get your event heard about for free.

 

2. Email

Emailing your newsletter list doesn’t cost you any extra money, and emails are still some of the most effective ways to reach your audience.

As a bonus, people who give you their email are more likely to attend your event than people you have to seek out and find.

Depending on your list size, this may be the most effective way to advertise your event for free. Here is a guide on how to best use email marketing for your event.

 

3. Event Calendars

For people who don’t use Facebook, but still want to be involved in their community, local event calendars are a great place to show your event.

Most cities have a popular event calendar, and a quick google search can help you find them. Most of these services are free, but some cost a couple of dollars to use. If you are looking for a free calendar in your area, list your event on SpinGo.

 

4. Reddit

Reddit is a giant online forum that covers any topic you could think of. One specific place that you will want to share your event is on local city subreddits. A subreddit is a specific niche group, for example, Movie Lovers, or Dog Owners.

Most major cities have a local subreddit (e.g. reddit.com/r/seattle) that talks about the news, events, and happenings around the city. This is a great place to share your event and let people know of what is happening around them.

You will have to create an account to do this, but it is a free, valuable option.

 

5. Chatbots

A chatbot is an automated chat message that pops up on your website or Facebook page. You can tailor the message to say whatever you need it to say. Some chatbots cost a lot of money, but there are some that offer free versions that you can install on your page with limited service options.

A chatbot can inform every visitor on your site of Facebook page that you have an event coming up.

Brand Your Event in 5 steps

by Miranda Romero, posted in Event Marketing

We’ve all heard of the term “branding” but do we really know what it means? According to GEVME, a brand is a “Sign, symbol, words, unique design or a combination of these” that helps consumers identify a company of certain value and benefits. Meaning, your brand is what consumers will associate with quality and satisfaction. 

However, when you are branding an event the meaning differs and it’s important to know that your branding has to go beyond visual marketing. With event branding, you want to create a feeling and vibe around your event that attendees remember long after your event is over. Effective event branding creates loyal attendees and memorable experiences. The better your brand is marketed at your event, the more people will remember your event and associate positive attitudes with it. 

Makes sense right? If I attend an event for Coca Cola and I have an amazing time, I may grab a coke few months later and think back to that experience. The trick is making sure the feelings and vibes established at your event are positive for your attendees.

So how do you create this event brand that evokes positive feelings and wows your attendees?

Here are 5 steps to effectively brand your event:

 

1. Creating your event brand. Bizzabo says it best, your event brand should be your company brand with a little twist. Try thinking of the twist as whatever theme you pick. For example, if you’re a fun tech company then maybe you pick a casino night theme for your event. In that case your event brand could become something like “Disrupting Old Vegas”.

2. Creating an event hashtag. An event hashtag is a hashtag that attendees can use on social media to share their experiences around your event. They can use this to express excitement before the event, share pics from what they’re doing during the event, and share thoughts they have after the event. Your event hashtag can be as simple as putting a hashtag in front of your event name like #techsummit2018 or #coachella. Of course, feel free to get creative with your event hashtag but just remember to give yourself enough time before your event to bring awareness to your hashtag. You’ll want to start using your event hashtag on your own social media channels s month or two in advance of your event.

 

3. Promoting your brand at your event. Don’t just do the same old t shirts, banners, and posters. Get creative with your branding. Here are a couple of ideas:
1) Try edible branding by providing food with your company logo on it.

2) Provided a gif booth that created a gif with your logo in the bottom corner.

3) Use an event app customized for your event to engage attendees.

 

4. Utilizing Social Media. We’ve all heard to be careful what we post on the internet because it stays there forever, but this can actually be a good thing for your event. Having attendees post selfies or pics from your event is great because it doesn’t just promote your event for the time being, it will also stay in social media history so that if your company is throwing another event next year and people search for it pics from the past event will come up. This establishes credibility for your event, if attendees can see all the fun people had at the last event they’ll be more interested in attending your upcoming event. The best part is, you can encourage attendees to post on social media during your event with social media printout props like the one shown above. CrowdSigns is just one of many places you can order customized social media props for your event.

5.  Following Up Post Event. Appreciation goes beyond just saying thank you. Your attendees have taken the time to attend your event and you want to show them that you are thankful. Try sending a handwritten thank you card or a small treat. You want them to remember their experience with your event fondly. It’s also a smart idea to add something like “See you next year” somewhere in your thank you card. You want them to start thinking about attending next year’s event and a thank you card can go a long way.