When planning an event several things are taken into account: date, budget, venue and attendance. Beyond the core elements of planning, logistics and invitations, marketing to registrations is equally important to filling seats at your event. There are several factors that can impact your registration-to-attendance ratio. Here are a few tips to make sure event registrations become event attendees.

1. Research your Area for Community Factors

Consider your target audience and research the best date, time and venue. Check the surrounding community for competing events that are scheduled for the same dates. The event schedule should be convenient and the venue appealing.

2. Focus more on Partnerships than Sponsorships

Reach out early to organizations that share the same interests or similar goals. Invite community partnerships with organizations that share a target audience and compliment, not compete with, your business. Use their contacts and their resources to cross-promote and take advantage of any knowledge they bring to the event.

3. Consider a Cause

People are more likely to attend if social responsibility is integrated into the event. They prefer to give their time and money to a cause and not just an event. Look into the local area and find a non-profit organization that fits with your event. If it were an event for software developers, then an organization that provides educational scholarships for aspiring programmers would be appropriate.

4. Encourage Pre-Event Buzz with Social Media

Create an event app that provides attendees with a social feeds, event program, list of sponsors and exhibitors, event maps and more. Encourage conversations around your event by creating an event hashtag. Make your event landing page a destination for social feeds and post blog articles on topics relevant to the event content. Healthy, pre-event buzz keeps your registrants excited and looking forward to the event. They are more likely to attend and also more likely to encourage other professionals in the field to attend as well.

5. Must follow up on Email Invites

Often, email invites go straight to the spam folder, or just missed all together. It is vital that with an email invite you follow up within a week for those who did not register or respond with a second email. Beyond email invites, best practice would be a live phone call within 48 hours of that second email. If anyone is on the fence about attending the live phone call can answer any questions they have and also add the human element to the event that people truly appreciate.

The key to ensuring registrations turn into attendance is creating a human element in today's technological world, and also keeping the event at the front of everyone's mind. Whether that be through a cause that is important to them or the conversations ahead of time to keep the event relevant to their day-to-day business. Marketing is much more than advertising, so make sure that you consider these factors and you will get the most out of your invitations and have a great event!