You are spending an insane amount of time and money on putting together the best possible conference. As brand-building experts, our mission is to supply you with the best possible branding options to accompany your conference.
The question is, how far are you prepared to go to push the limits when it comes to conference branding, to stand out and be remembered for years to come?
Why spend extra time on conference branding?
When an event is branded well, it takes on a life of its own whilst maintaining the essence or brand values of the organisation behind it. Event marketing departments achieve this with a combination of digital branding (event apps, event website, email marketing) and onsite branding (exhibition stand, banners, badging, set and stage design etc).
As with any learning experience, you want to use as many senses as possible: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Those who do it exceptionally well add creativity, tone of voice, plus a trusted delegate experience to achieve a sell-out event.
Let’s face it—there are a zillion conferences happening all over South Africa and the World in a year. Shaping how attendees, stakeholders, and sponsors remember your event and what values they associate with it is vital to the growth of your business.
You can have the best venue and outstanding speakers, but if your branding does not resonate with your delegates, your conference will not achieve its goals.
The Story Behind your Conference Brand
What is the story behind your conference brand? Is it creative enough? Are you pushing the envelope or are you doing the same-old same-old like last year and the year before?
When you brand your event, it helps if your delegates can recall positive emotions that they experienced during your conference. They’ll associate your business with the positive emotions that they experienced and the mementoes that they brought back after the conference. If you’ve done your job well, that positive association will result in a repeat sale, new customers, and more brand advocates.
Highly Creative Conference Branding Products
Have you ever Googled or asked Perplexity what the most creative branded gifts are for conferences? The answers you get are so diverse and so general that you might as well stop right there. It all depends on the story that you are trying to build on. The story of your company, the sub-story of your conference and the long-term strategy that you have for your company.
The planning rule applies to any vision, goal, or strategy for your company. If you do not know you are going on a holiday to Cape Town and how quickly you need to get there and back, how on earth can you plan your route to Cape Town?
The same goes for planning your conference branding in general, but more specifically, the branded gifts that you will be dishing out. If you know where you are going and how quickly you want to get there, you can start with specific planning to create the most creative conference brand ever.
The Importance of Conference Branding
So why go to such great lengths to brand your conference? What are the benefits of taking this all-inclusive approach? Here’s my five cents on the matter:
Distinction: There are an insane amount of conferences available. Attendees are drawn to what seems fresh, surprising and intriguing.
Relevance: Branding allows you to connect authentically with your target audience. When they recognise themselves in your brand, it helps them to connect with you and share your message with everyone they come into contact with.
Experience: A cohesive brand sets expectations and enhances the attendee’s journey. It draws people into your event by creating anticipation and excitement.
Loyalty: Satisfying experiences foster brand affinity. Audiences are likelier to attend and promote your conference when branding resonates regularly.
Revenue: Sponsors are looking for brand alignment and strong audience engagement. A compelling brand attracts their investment in your event.
The Element of Surprise
Ultimately, you want to surprise your guests with a branded gift that they did not expect. Yes, this is definitely a tall order as people are used to a lot of free stuff. Finding an element of surprise to give away is challenging. We do suggest looking at some of the creative programs offered by addVentures Academy to enhance your creativity.
Give Rentia a call today to find out how we can provide you with the most creative solutions possible. You are after all, worth it!
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