12 More Tips for Success

Listen to your attendees. Go to the event, talk to people about what they did and didn't like. Evaluations are the foundation on which everything is built.

Take a tip from forward-thinking speakers who survey their audience ahead of time to tailor the program to attendees' needs.

Use your registration process to capture as much information as possible about attendees, including personal information such as hobbies.

Play with different pricing levels and incentives for different segments. Which segments of your constituency will be down? Members? Students? Nonmembers? Once you know that, you'll have a place to begin targeted marketing.

Keep track of who signs up for various sessions and use the information to create a personalized list of individual member interests. Then market to that group when a similar program comes up in the future.

Make your message clear, state the return on investment, and include incentives and testimonials.

List the level of education each session will provide: Is it aimed at those who are new to your organization, or is it for long-term members?

Be certain that your promotional materials stress results for attendees, not what your organization wants to accomplish.

Make sure your message has emotional appeal, promotes the benefits of attending, and includes a call to action.

Stress limited availability to motivate quick response, and include a bonus value for those who act quickly.

Sepia tones and satin finishes are popular choices for print mail these days.

Use serif typefaces for blocks of text. Commonly used typefaces include Times Roman and Palatino; Helvetica and Avant Garde are popular for headlines.