The OpenWater Blog

How to Market An Awards Ceremony: 6 Successful Rules

Trying to market an awards ceremony can be a tough task. You have to balance the responsibility of getting the word out to new people in order to grow your awards ceremony, while also taking care of your loyal attendees that come back year after year. The following list of six rules will help you deal with the problems many others have to successfully market an awards ceremony.

1. Find the Right Location For Your Event

It is essential to find the right location for your awards ceremony. Put yourself in the shoes of an attendee and what their expectations of the venue most likely are. If the ceremony is free of charge, then the location should be as convenient as possible to attend, to reduce dropout rates. Additionally, the value of a paid-for awards ceremony needs to be reflected in its venue. Don’t cheap out on the location, as the atmosphere of the venue will set the tone for the night.

2. Play to the Strengths of Your Marketing Department

Know what tactics you prefer to get the word out about your awards program. This could be traditional marketing, like sending out direct mail. If you prefer online marketing, make sure that any email you send out is personalized with the recipients name at the top. Also, add banner advertisements highlighting your awards ceremony to any newsletter you send out.

3. Provide Incentives

You can always offer free prizes for the first X registrations, but you will most likely find a high dropout rate. Instead, provide incentives for people to attend rather than to register. Maybe do a prize giveaway for the people who arrive earliest. Also, reward returning attendees for their loyalty. Maybe give them VIP service, or offer them a discounted price. If incentives to attend are good, “recommend a friend” initiatives also work very well.

4. Make Registration Quick and Easy

Registering to attend your awards ceremony should not be a pain. Adopt a single click online registration process so people need to merely fill out the information and hit enter. This way people who are registering do not have to use up much of their time, and you receive the registrations in an organized way without the headache of sorting through paper.

5. Use Social Networking at the Ceremony

The majority of people in attendance at your awards ceremony will have a device on them that allows them to connect through social media. At the event, offer rewards or prizes for connecting with you on a social network. This can be by “liking” your page on Facebook or “following” you on Twitter while at the event itself. This way you will greatly increase your following on social media, and be able to reach out to and connect with more people.

6. Follow Up With Attendees

Send a personalized email thanking each one of the people who attended your awards ceremony. Include a link to a survey to gauge the opinions on the quality of your awards ceremony. The results of the survey will help you see what you are doing well, and what needs to be improved. Take the opinions of your attendees seriously, as they are the ones who keep your awards ceremony alive.

Learn more about awards marketing in our eBook!

Timothy Spell

Timothy Spell co-founded OpenWater in 2007 with the goal of helping organizations tackle and better manage the oftentimes overlooked awards and contests industry. As an author and speaker in the awards industry, Timothy provides unique insight on how to use awards to boost membership, social media followers and search engine traffic.

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