To make your event a buzz-worthy, must attend occurrence you need to make your user happy. It is just that simple. Do everything you can to create an event that gives your attendees an experience that they can't forget - in a good way.
User interface or UI is the design of your event, which if designed successfully will lead to a great user experience or UX. You must remember that the users are your main goal, make them happy and watch your event soar. If they have a bad experience people will know. Competition is rough out there and investing in your attendees' experience could make the difference in you making it or breaking it.
In order to find out what is best for your attendee, step in their shoes when you are planning. What will give them a good experience? Have this question in mind when you’re designing each step of your event: registration, promotion, content, networking, tech, and post event. What about your sponsors, exhibitors, partners and speakers? You need to design an event that will make every group happy because each group will have a different experience. To figure out what works you need to test, re-test and test again!
Keep things simple, not basic, but simple.
Start with an event platform like etouches that offers one tool to fulfill all your event planning needs. The eReg registration system will allow people to sign up for your event with their social media credentials and will allow you to customize the experience. eHome will be your best friend when you design your event website; you want it legible, clear and easy to search all essential information on the front page. Those two little solutions can make the world of a difference to your users. Answer other easy questions for them by providing digital badges to cut the wait time at the welcome desk and having displays with Wi-Fi codes and hashtags shown generously thought out the event. When your attendees are not focused on logistics, they can truly enjoy an event and reap the benefits.
For each step in the event process you need to identify the UI component to find a way to simply address each of them to have a good UX. To get you started there are a few things you should not do if you want a well ranked UX and who doesn't?
- Don't send register now emails when they just signed up! Customize things!
- Don't hide the crucial information like the venue address, schedule and social media handles on your event site. Show the value, but don't flood people with info.
- Don't complicate your registration process. Give them a clear offer.
- Don't have a registration that takes 15 minutes to complete. Would you go further than five minutes?
- Don't forget to give them a readable agenda!
- Don't just post on social media to post, have a purpose like networking.
- Don't abuse the use of technology for networking. Give space to spontaneous meetings.
- Don't combine 10 different software solutions if you can't have them talk to each other. Use a platform like etouches that integrates with other vendors for a complete user experience.
- Don't have spotty Wi-Fi. Make it strong and free!
- Don't forget about your welcome desk. It is your user’s first experience of your event, so make it count.
- Don't complicate your signage. Have it be clear, branded, simple and everywhere!
- Don't forget to provide takeaways and content after the event.
- Don't forget to ask attendees about their experience. Evaluate and measure to make your event better than before!
If you can grasp those examples of what NOT TO DO, then you are in good shape. A good user experience starts with the basics and then builds from there. You need to know how to create a UI that will turn into an exceptional UX in order to make it in today's industry. It is just one of the skills that every event planner needs to have. So put on your attendees' shoes and start running laps around your event!
