In the last post we spoke of the horror of putting on an event and having no one come. Training and connection events are an example. Here are some ideas to help keep people coming back:
1. Preparation. When people show up they should be instantly aware that you spent time getting ready for them.
This is pretty simple: Make sure the room is ready. Chairs and tables arranged. Use tablecloths. Put out flowers in the spring and little pumpkins in the fall. Put some cool music on a boom box. Candy is always a good idea (buy those little peppermints in bulk… they double as a breath mints… especially good for long meetings with close interaction.) Place handouts at each seat… anything to show that you value each person’s presence.
Start on time.
2. Surprises. Give them something to talk about.
Nothing increases attendance at your next event like people bragging about the last one. How do you create this kind of buzz? A special guest. A movie clip. A unique venue. When I was a volunteer at Granger Community Church we hosted a leadership event at the local baseball stadium. They had a banquet room/press box located above home plate. We catered a meal. 140 people showed up. They left the lights on so we could see the field. We brought in Russ Robinson from Willow and he used a lot of baseball metaphors (some of them good). We used the TV’s mounted around the room to show “leadership moment” videos. People STILL talk about it.
3. Value. Give them something practical that they can use.
You may have 90 minutes of great material, but nobody cares. Your guests will only remember three things from the evening so give them something they can use. Write them out ahead of time… what do you want them to take away? One point of your vision and a unique way they can share it with their group. One tip on how to silence a talker. One way to approach a personal issue in a one-on-one. If you will help them with their problems, they’ll come back
One last thing: food. People need to eat, and you can get a lot of mileage out of providing pizza. At Willow Creek we used to do men’s huddles right before New Community on Wednesday nights, but guys were rushing straight from work and needed something to eat. Pasta and a salad is a good investment. And garlic bread. And mints.
What do you do to keep people coming to your events?
