From home appliances, fashion, and food to games and communications/IT, many new products and services in recent years are difficult to convey their greatness without experience.
If you add "experience" to new products and services you saw on your smartphone, consumers' hearts should be greatly moved.
Events that provide new product announcements and brand experiences are one of the important marketing methods. However, meticulous planning and effective operation are essential for success.
In this article, we will grasp the points in the planning and operation of experience events, and introduce the path to success that enhances promotional effects.
The key to a successful event lies in setting a clear purpose and theme.
When a company plans an experience event, it is often done for the purpose of improving awareness of its services or products, and expanding sales.
Through this promotional activity, you can reach more customers and increase brand recognition.
Toward such a purpose, how to have customers experience the features of products/services and the brand's story, purpose and theme setting is the key to successful event planning.
It is important to increase opportunities to convey the charm of products and services directly through promotional activities.
The success of an experience event depends on whether it matches the target's needs and interests, as well as the features of the products or services.
It is important to decide on the target firmly, grasp the target group's attributes and preferences, and customize the concept and content of the experience event based on that information.
Incorporate a promotional perspective and consider how to reach the target.
What you want to be careful about is that an event that is too greedy with content and targets will make the purpose ambiguous and move away from success.
Based on the purpose, organize 5W1H—who, what, when, where, why, and how—before planning.
By doing this, you can maximize promotional effects and leave a strong impression on participants.
Venue selection greatly influences the success of an event. It is essential to choose a place that matches the target's convenience, accessibility, the event's theme, and atmosphere. Also, determine the schedule carefully by considering the participants' schedule and the season.
By holding an event at an appropriate time, you can enhance promotional effects and attract the interest of participants.
In the case of seasonal products, it's too early if the time isn't ripe, and it's hard to lead to purchase if it's too late.
Let's build an implementation schedule according to the timing when people start to care about it.
Also, if the target is a family or working generation, hold it on weekends or holidays, and if it's for elderly people, hold it on weekdays. It is effective to build a schedule tailored to the target you want to participate, not for our convenience.
Setting dates and venues plays an important role as part of a promotional plan.
Providing attractive brand experiences and content to participants is essential.
From new product demonstrations, experience booths, before-and-after comparisons, workshops, and lectures, prepare methods that match your purpose from various contents, and provide opportunities for many participants to gather and learn while enjoying themselves.
These experiences are excellent opportunities to convey the charm of products and services directly as part of promotion.
Utilizing talent is also effective for experience events.
For demonstration events on beauty or fashion, hiring experts like beauticians or stylists, and for food or beverage tasting experience events, hiring food coordinators or cooking researchers, and recently influencers like Instagrammers or YouTubers is also increasing.
Content development that goes beyond product/service trials and experiences is a key point for event success.
By giving a strong impression to participants through experience, you maximize promotional effects.
It is important to pursue satisfaction and excitement through participants' experience of products/services.
The basis for that is smooth reception and guidance, creation of a pleasant atmosphere, and courteous hospitality.
Even in a fun demonstration event, if participants are made to wait for a long time due to congestion or poor operation, they will have stress and it will not be an experience at all.
Providing a comfortable experience for participants leads to building a positive brand image as part of promotional activities.
However, it is impossible to prevent unexpected troubles and problems 100%.
Thorough preparation is necessary, but it is more important to have a communication network and system ready to recover quickly when problems occur.
To deliver an unforgettable experience to participants, make detailed plans down to the last detail.
Effective promotion and customer attraction are essential for a successful event.
If people don't gather, the effect of the event will be halved.
Use multiple channels such as special websites, SNS, email marketing, and Press Releases to approach targets.
On the day of the event, launching the title largely at the venue, and clearly stating the benefits of participating in the experience event at the same time will increase attraction effects.
Also, event venue production is important.
You should be particular about the design of attraction tools such as booth making where it is clear from afar that a demonstration event is being held, panels, and posters.
If possible, preparing gifts such as sample provision, brand original novelties, and paper bags will also make it easier to call out to customers and increase attraction effects.
Promotion and public relations are indispensable as part of effective promotional activities.
After the event, collect feedback from participants and identify points for improvement for the next event.
Was the product/service brand conveyed? Was the response appropriate?
Listen to the voices of participants who experienced it at the event, and make improvements to provide a better experience.
The voices of participants obtained at the experience event will be invaluable information for future product development and marketing measures.
Prepare mechanisms to take information such as surveys in advance.
By utilizing feedback for future promotional activities and marketing measures, you can connect it to the success of the next event.
We introduced points for attention, planning procedures, and flow of implementation regarding demonstration event planning and promotion.
In planning, it is of course important to decide on the purpose and target.
But the most important thing is the experience value.
To have participants experience products/services and think "I want this!", you may need to know more than just product introductions, but also the brand's story.
Through such experiences, you can enhance promotional effects.
New excitement requires ideas in addition to trials.
In recent years, new experience events utilizing digital technology have also been held.
Referencing the procedures introduced this time, why don't you consider a demonstration event by incorporating new ideas as well?
Aim for event success through effective promotional activities.
▶ Also check out this article for event worries!
"Can I attract customers?", "How should I come up with ideas?", "Can I actually operate an interesting idea?"...
We explain the keys to successful event planning that lead to results, including customer attraction and personnel operation!
If you are struggling with your events, please be sure to read "Solve sales event challenges with customer attraction and talent utilization ideas!"!
There are many processes and points to note in the planning and operation of experience events.
By following the above points, you can get closer to success, but promoting an event also takes a lot of effort.
At BEEATS, as demonstration event planning tailored to products and targets, we undertake everything from setting the venue to customer attraction ideas, tool/novelty production, and personnel selection/securing to negotiation with the event venue.
We have a track record in events on a nationwide scale for home appliances, communications, food, etc.
▶︎ Click here for BEEATS cases
Francfranc "HANDY FAN STAND" Event | Marunouchi/Yurakucho Area
One-stop solution for customer attraction, tools, and personnel
We provide everything necessary for the event and can propose optimal plans. We also contribute to labor and cost reduction.
Extensive track record at mass retailers with rich know-how
We have a track record at mass retailers nationwide, and you can start effective event operations while adhering to house rules.
Speedy nationwide response with a rich network
We have a rich alliance of over 50 temporary staffing agencies, enabling speedy assignment of optimal personnel nationwide.
Analyzing results and market conditions to update
We analyze success factors and issues based on numerical values, and are constantly updating staff quality and catch attractions.
If you are considering operating product/brand experience events, please feel free to contact us.
Q1. What is the most important thing when planning an experience event?
A1. Clarify the event's purpose and theme, and provide an experience that matches the needs and interests of the target audience. You can maximize promotional effects by organizing the 5W1H (who, what, when, where, why, and how) and focusing on your goals without trying to do too much.
Q2. How should I decide on the venue and schedule for an experience event?
A2. It is important to choose a venue that matches the target's convenience, accessibility, and the event's theme. Set the schedule for a time when it is easy for participants to join, considering the seasonality of the products and the lifestyle of the target (e.g., weekends for families, weekdays for seniors).
Q3. How can I make experience event content attractive?
A3. It is effective to prepare various methods, not just product trials, but also new product demonstrations, workshops, and lectures. Also, hiring experts like beauticians or cooking researchers, and influencers, and incorporating ingenuity so participants can learn while enjoying themselves are also points.
Q4. What should I be careful about for operation on the day of the event?
A4. To increase participant satisfaction, it is important to provide smooth reception and attentive hospitality. To prevent stress caused by congestion or operational errors, in addition to detailed advance planning, it is necessary to establish a communication network and system capable of responding quickly to unexpected trouble.
