You’ll hear a lot of varying philosophies on the best way to get new attendees at your next event, ranging from making basic updates to your social media plan to mixing it up on a big picture level. While researching for new tips, you’ve probably seen a common phrase over and over again: Under Promise and Over Deliver. But, is it worth some of the associated risk? 

Let’s break this down a bit.

The philosophy behind under promising and over delivering essentially asks you to hold back information about your event that could impact attendees who are deciding if they want to register. The result could have some mixed responses. Some attendees who like a little bit of mystery thrown into the mix might be elated at some last minute updates! Others, however, may feel bamboozled and are instead left frustrated at being left out of the loop.  

So, it comes down to asking yourself this big question: What kind of relationship do I want to establish with my attendees?

Do you want your brand to be fairly forward in your event messaging, or do you like the idea of building an air of mystery around your event? (For clarification, we aren’t implying that one method is better than the other. However, we do believe that the relationship between you and your attendees has to be based on trust.)

While some of your attendees might be initially excited to get some free surprises once they arrive at your event, the whole experience could possibly frustrate and confuse attendees more than anything else. However, if they are clued in that your events typically have these last minute updates, than it may come as a pleasant surprise!

Remember, your potential attendees will often ask themselves this question before signing up for your event: What am I getting out of this event in exchange for my time and money? Is it education? A fun time? A new experience?

The last thing you want to happen is for your attendees to think that you were trying to keep valuable event information from them in exchange for some social media buzz. Ultimately, your answer to this question will come down to trusting that you know the voice of your brand.

So, sit down and write out your goals about your brand and for your next event. Think about how you want to connect with your audience and what messaging you think will resonate the most with them. If you think that you might be putting your reputation on the line with gambling with surprises, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate that strategy. If you think your attendees will love it, give it a try!

Have you found yourself spending too much time trying to streamline your event registration process and have been considering switching over to an event registration software? Before you start looking around the marketplace, check out our guide 5 Tough Questions to Help Pick The Perfect Online Registration System. Picking the wrong registration system can be costly and embarrassing. Save some time and read our guide below!

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