How to Use a Contest or Raffle to Engage Event Attendees

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Raffles and contests are great ways to build anticipation and get attendees excited about an event. After all, who doesn’t love a great giveaway?  To successfully incorporate prizes or raffles into your next event, keep the following in mind:

  • Check into Laws Regarding Contests and Raffles: It is important that the organizer checks with the local government to assure the contest complies with the laws in your state.
  • Match the Contest to Your Theme: If you’re having an event within the field of travel, raffle off travel apparel or luggage, or have a contest giving away a free trip somewhere. Either way, tie in your raffle item to the theme of your event logically so that attendees are reminded of your company’s services.
  • Encourage Attendees to Register through Social Media: As part of your contest or raffle, encourage attendees to register through your channels of social media. For example, have attendees “like” your Facebook page and follow you on Twitter for additional chances to win the grand prize. This will increase the amount of exposure you’ll have for the event, and will grow and engage your online audience.
  • Anchor the Contest to Your Website: Promote the contest and the event heavily on your website and through social media. If possible, create a stipulation in the contest that keeps attendees and readers anchored to your website. For example, if you can give away a trip, have your winner document the trip through blog posts or videos that will be posted on your company’s website.

Raffles and contests are great ways to help build up anticipation for the event—don’t lose steam once the event is over! Keep your audience updated with future contests or create a website specifically devoted to raffles and contests and anchor it to your homepage. Social media is changing the way events operate, so be sure to invite attendees to your event on all forms of social media at least two weeks prior.

Have a lot of great ideas for an event but not a lot of time? Call Meeting Services Unlimited, Inc. We’ll take care of the nitty-gritty details so that you’re free to tend to the multitude of other details. From hotel bookings to audio-visual equipment operation, we can help make your next event a huge success. Call us today at (317) 841-7171.