How to Add Value to Your Events by Utilising a Self Service Portal
One of the methods in which you can add value to your events, is by sending some of the control back to delegates. Empowering delegates to control some of their own event experience offers them a feeling of influence, ownership and involvement. An important method of achieving this is to implement a self service event portal.
A self service portal is usually used in a range of ways, but within the events industry, it is commonly used to undertake event registrations and to offer delegates a profile or account in order that they are able to manage their details and event experience themselves.
Self service portals let delegates to register online, then gives them the capability to login and manage their own profile. This can include their contact details, dietary requirements, event record, purchasing of important event produce plus much more. Delegates are able to look at future events and select whether this is something they are interested in attending. Delegates could also manage their communication preferences so that they receive updates on events which are relevant to them, via a method that they would most prefer.
Being an internet based service means that delegates are in a position to register for events or log into their existing event portal 24/7. On line enrolment is a medium that people are happy to work with. The ease of having the ability to gain access to it on-line from any place at any time, means that people are more likely to sign up and will have a less stressful registration experience since they are in total control. Registering over your official event website provides them with a well-known, trusted view, yet providing them access to their private (branded to your own corporate style) portal gives them the control to deal with their own account.
Giving delegates access to their personal event portal means that a lot of the tasks that the event manager would have handled, is now in the hands of the delegate. Updating contact details, altering nutritional requirements, deciding on what presentations the delegate would like to attend and so on, can now be managed by the delegate themselves. This means that many of the communications between the event manger and delegate often is removed, saving the event manager time and allowing them to work on more strategic tasks.
A lot of the bottlenecks associated with event management can also be prevented via the use of a self service event portal. A lot of delegates may find out about an event during the weekend and will have to wait until Monday morning to call the event organisation to register. This can lead to a sharp peak in demand on Monday mornings that may be hard to handle and control. This is often how mistakes are made, because the event manager is under great pressure and trying to cope with an unrealistic workload. However, letting delegates register via the web means that this bottleneck is usually prevented, since registrations are made 24/7. Any amendments delegates may wish to make to their event booking can also be completed at any time through the self service portal.
An important benefit of the self service portal for event managers is that it enables them to view all their delegate information from one principal platform. This makes it easier to produce reports, download statistics and create delegate badges and custom event packs.
The self service portal could also be integrated to a business’s CRM system. Meaning that any amendments the delegates make themselves to their contact details are automatically populated into the CRM. Therefore at all times, their official record on the CRM is updated and accurate. This helps hugely in terms of keeping clean, precise data.
Self service portals tend to be supplied as part of an event software platform. These solutions include a range of event services including email marketing, invitation management, online registration/microsite management, integrated surveys along with reporting tools and much more.
About the Author
Kate Oxton has worked as a marketing manager for over 10 years and has a keen interest in technology for the event market. . In the past year alone evocos event software has created over 7000 events, workshops and training courses and managed approximately 75,000 delegates over 50,000 online bookings.
Incorporating integrated reporting and analysis tools as well as social media, email marketing, website integration, registration, online payment, badge production, resource management and event surveys, evocos is one of the most comprehensive online event management software solutions on the market today.
The evocos event software team ensures you are able to seamlessly manage your events; gaining huge cost and efficiency benefits. Visit http://www.evocos.co.uk for more information or call 0800 369 8677.
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