A guest post by Katrin Taepke, blogger and event professional.
Your goal and your target audience
First, clarify what goal you want to achieve with the social program and who your target audience is.
Perhaps you want to help participants network better with one another. A social program with a networking function could, for example, be a boat trip from location A to location B. Nothing content-related happens on this trip; you leave room for conversation. If you want as many participants as possible to get to know each other, speed-dating formats work particularly well. These are great in unusual locations, such as a Ferris wheel or a car dealership (inside the cars).
Other goals could include:
You want to showcase the destination. In that case, offer as many different programs as possible.
You want to bring variety and movement into the conference program. Then you could offer a conference run, a joint yoga session in the morning, a sightseeing tour, or "walking meetings" from A to B.
Always keep your target audience in mind when doing so:
- How well does the target audience know the destination? Can and do they want to get to the starting point of the tour on their own?
- What age groups are at your event? Offer something for different interests and fitness levels.
- Is your social program aimed at the guests accompanying your participants? Are they partners, or do you want to provide childcare?
Cover the classics:
If I’m at a conference in Frankfurt, I want to go up a tower. If I’m in Berlin, I have to see the Brandenburg Gate or the Reichstag at least once. If I’m in the Alps, I want to get up a mountain. For the latter, think about both the athletic and the easy way to make the "ascent."
When designing a side event, the rule is: "Short beats long, and variety is key." In other words, offer more than just dinner at a trendy location—especially if your participants have been sitting still and listening all day long.
What are your framework conditions?
Now that you have defined your goal and target audience, take a close look at the initial situation. What kind of conference are you organizing? What is the topic? How long does it last? Do you have three days available, or do participants arrive the evening before and leave after one day? When exactly is the conference taking place? What time of year? Is it on a weekend or does it include a public holiday? Are there any special occasions? All of this influences the choice of the right social program. Think about a bad-weather alternative—at least in Germany. Or hand out umbrellas and rain jackets and stay flexible. How would you feel if you had to finish a mandatory 2-hour outdoor walking tour while completely soaked just because it was in the program? Give your participants a little downtime, too. Leave time for them to change clothes or go for a stroll through the city on their own.
Pricing
What does your budget look like? What can and do you want to spend? Then, solve the tricky question of pricing. If the social program is included in the ticket price, it’s easy for the mindset to become: "If it costs nothing, it’s worth nothing." This also affects the no-show rate for these program items. Especially with optional and free programs, you need reliable registration numbers. This point must therefore be a mandatory question in your online registration. The answer can, of course, be "no." What you avoid with this: having hardly any registrations for an included program item, only for many unexpected participants to show up on-site arguing, "It was included in the ticket for free, so I want to take part now." Every event manager's nightmare ;)
You can, of course, pass the price, including your margin, on to the participant. The registration numbers for this are likely to be lower. This might also create a negative image for the participant: "The conference is already so expensive, and now I’m supposed to pay for the city tour on top of that?" Did you know that the price for your social program can be higher if you integrate it at the end of the booking process instead of making it bookable at the beginning?
Speaking of finances: Don't forget to check and specify the VAT. Is the city guide's offer gross or net? With 7 or 19 percent VAT? And what tax rate do you have to use when passing it on?
Research - who can help you?
If you are less familiar with the destination of your conference, these are good places to start for your social program:
- City or regional convention bureau
- City marketing office
- Hotels and venues
- Agencies such as DMCs
- Online portals like: Tagungsplaner, jollydays
Clarify in advance which organizational fees or commissions apply, who charges them, and how much they will be.
Part of the organization
This may sound obvious, but social programs often take place outside of office hours and locations. That is exactly why you need the mobile numbers of everyone involved. This includes the bus company handling the transfer as well as the driver's personal mobile number. Are they stuck in traffic? Waiting in a different parking lot? Naturally, you should also be able to reach your participants quickly and on the go, for example via an app or a feature in your event management software. Don't forget the participant lists you'll need on-site. By the way, if you need to count a large group of people quickly (e.g., when boarding a boat), I highly recommend getting a handheld tally counter for a few dollars.
Set a minimum number of participants in advance and agree on a free cancellation deadline for both sides. Be fair when choosing the date. Ask what is feasible for your partner without causing them significant extra effort or financial loss.
Communicate this option to your participants as well: "Should this tour not take place, we will inform you by email by XX."
If the social program is included in the ticket price, you can also offer cancellation insurance for it.
For this to work, the social program must be bookable within the conference, and it should be worthwhile for everyone involved. This, of course, depends heavily on your ticket price.
Do good and talk about it
The more attractively you present your social program, the higher the chances of booking. Be sure to use aesthetic, inviting (or emotionally engaging) images. Be truly selective when choosing your photos. Don't just take the first free image you get from the tourist information office. We eat with our eyes, after all. Why else do you go to the hairdresser, buy fashionable clothes, the latest smartphone, or a fancy car? ;) Also, remember to share photos of your side events on social media. These posts enhance your entire conference. They bring it to life and create a sense of FOMO—at least for those who stayed home. And who knows, maybe that’s exactly why they’ll attend your conference next time.
The author:
Katrin Taepke blogs at www.micestens-digital.de and is an event professional with a passion for digitalization and interactive event formats. She has been organizing events of all sizes and types for over 20 years. Her credo: Save the world from death by PowerPoint and use digital tools for event management.
