How to use AI to ace your event planning

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How to use AI to ace your event planning

You know a topic is trending when they cover it in an episode of South Park. For those who didn’t catch the one about ChatGPT – you’ve surely heard of it elsewhere. This is the new media-dominating Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool with the ability to generate text that sounds eerily as though it were written by a human. The powerful language model was developed by Open AI, and has created quite the stir since it hit the mainstream. 

But of course, it’s not the first AI tool to have come to market and shaken up the way we do things. From image generators like Artssy, to chatbots, translation apps, data analytics tools and facial recognition software – machine learning is everywhere.

So, what does this mean for event planners? In short – it’s great news. We’re officially at a point where AI can be used to streamline operations and save money, rather than being implemented as a cumbersome and expensive novelty factor. Here, we cover some of the coolest ways you can use this kind of tech to create better events more efficiently. 

Let’s take a look 👀👇.

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Using TikTok to promote your events – your handy intro guide

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Using TikTok to promote your events – your handy intro guide

Much like many millennials (and anyone else over the age of Gen Z), you might have found yourself resisting the TikTok wave… for a time. If you’re reading this, it’s safe to assume you’re one of those who’ve realised resistance is futile – this is the second most downloaded app in the world, after all.

The fact is, TikTok no longer only appeals to dance routine mastering teens. It’s now become a powerful platform for entertainment and marketing alike, and it’s definitely not just teens who are getting in on the action. According to Hootsuite:

  • 42% of TikTok’s audience are aged 18-24 

  • 31% of TikTok’s audience are aged 25-34

As an event planner, you’ll be pleased to know TikTok is rich with promo possibilities, making it the perfect tool to boost event registrations and sell more tickets. 

In this guide, we cover all you need to know about marketing your events on the social media platform with no less than one billion active global users. Let’s go👇.

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6 examples of festival websites that work brilliantly

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6 examples of festival websites that work brilliantly

Your festival website has a pretty big job to do. It needs to convey practical information that’s super easy to digest, as a starter for ten. But it also needs to communicate a feeling – to give potential attendees’ a glimpse of what your festival’s all about. Most importantly of all, it needs to provide the perfect portal for you to sell tickets online – thick and fast, preferably! 

Don’t worry: this is all actually much easier than it sounds. The truth is, a festival website doesn’t have to be overcomplicated, or even designed by a professional.

You just need to be sure to stick to a few simple principles. And it doesn’t hurt to seek out a little inspiration first, too. On that note – here are some quick tips for creating a killer festival website, with six brilliant examples to get your creative juices flowing. 

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5 last-minute & super effective marketing tactics for your recurring events

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5 last-minute & super effective marketing tactics for your recurring events

Whether you run a regular music night, pub quiz, workshop, class or another kind of event, the gut-wrenching feeling of not selling enough tickets is universal. The fact is, sometimes recurring events just slip off people’s radar, which (while frustrating) is something most event planners will have to contend with at one point or another. 

A million factors can contribute to sluggish sales, from the economic climate through to the actual climate ☔… and pretty much everything else in-between. So this definitely isn’t anything to beat yourself up about.

Sometimes the marketing efforts that usually see your tickets selling like hotcakes simply fail to hit the mark. And that’s ok! It just means it’s time to shake things up a bit, and employ some last-minute promo tactics to get the ticket sales a-rolling in.

Let’s go👇.

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7 marketing trends that all event planners should know for 2023

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7 marketing trends that all event planners should know for 2023

As an event planner, you’re probably aware that marketing can end up feeling like somewhat of an untamable beast. But it’s a necessary evil – those tickets won’t sell out by themselves!

The fact is, marketing trends and tactics move at an incredibly fast pace, changing from one year to the next. Sometimes these shifts are subtle – like the recent transformation of the need for great customer service into the need for instantaneous and authentic customer service. Some are more in-your-face, like the rise of TikTok, or the (almost) death of Twitter. Either way, it can feel tricky to ensure you're channelling your time and money down viable marketing streams, rather than inadvertently flogging a dead horse.  

On that note – what’s new for 2023, and which marketing trends are particularly pertinent to event planners? Let’s find out👇.

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Black Friday: How to cash in as an event planner

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Black Friday: How to cash in as an event planner

We’re all aware of those viral Black Friday scenes involving swarms of people, heavily discounted white goods, and (frankly) terrified-looking security guards. But the biggest discount day of the year is still going strong – and it’s not just for people selling physical products. It provides a great promotional opportunity for event planners to sell more tickets and get their names out there, too. Here’s all you need to know 👇.

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Top ticketing tips to sell out your bonfire night event 2022

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Top ticketing tips to sell out your bonfire night event 2022

Autumn enthusiasts – delight! 🍁 The season of all things fun and festive is officially on its way – crisp leaves, chillier days, and darkening nights in tow.

In the blink of an eye it’ll be bonfire night; we can practically hear the crackling of sparklers and smell the wintery, smoke-filled air already.

Best get down to business then. Here are our top ticketing tips for this year’s fireworks events, – which are sure to see things go off with a pop, whizz and a bang.

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The 8 best email marketing platforms for events right now

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The 8 best email marketing platforms for events right now

Email marketing has been around for a long time, but it’s undoubtedly still one of the most effective ways to engage with audiences new and old. As an event planner, a solid email strategy should be one of the main marketing and communication tools you have in your inventory. Last year, a Hubspot survey showed 80% of business professionals believe email marketing increases their customer retention. And that 73% of millennials prefer information from a business to come via email.

The best way to use email effectively and productively is to choose a great email service platform that meets your needs. Let’s dive straight in.

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How to price tickets for an event: The best pricing strategies for event planners

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How to price tickets for an event: The best pricing strategies for event planners

Deciding how much to sell your event tickets for can be pretty daunting. What if you set them too high and no one buys them? Or too low and realise you could have made way more profit?

The truth is, setting your ticket price isn’t an exact science. But that’s not to say you just have to take a wild stab in the dark at it. There should definitely be a clear methodology behind your ticket pricing, otherwise you do risk losing out to the competition or, worse, not breaking even.

In this article, we explain all you need to know.

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Tips for running a networking event people are genuinely excited to attend

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Tips for running a networking event people are genuinely excited to attend

Some people thrive off networking. But for others, the idea of walking into a room full of strangers in order to promote their ‘best self’ is, quite literally, the stuff of nightmares. And understandably so. Even extroverts may experience a small stirring of dread at hearing the words ‘networking event’ – why give up an evening to talk shop, when you spend so much time working in the first place?

Of course, there’ll always be those avid professionals who love to sink their teeth into anything work-related. But how do you appeal to the networking novices – the ones who know they probably would benefit from putting themselves out there, but just can’t quite summon up the courage (or energy) to do so?

Let’s take a look.

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