77.2% of attendees prefer virtual over in-person events because of their convenience. But when planning an event, nothing can be left to chance or guesswork. And creating an event communication plan from scratch can be overwhelming. Taking a structured approach will make the process smoother, and more efficient. In this article, we dive into what an event communication plan is, its importance, what it should include, and how to create one that your stakeholders and event participants will appreciate.
Jump to:
- What is an event communication plan?
- The importance of event communication explained
- What should a communications plan include?
- How to create an event communication plan in 3 steps:
- How Kaltura Events Platform serves your event communication plan
- Final Thoughts
What is an event communication plan?
In simple words, an event communication plan is a blueprint that helps you organize and oversee your communication efforts leading up to an event. It spells out goals, strategies, timelines, and other details to ensure that the event participants, key stakeholders, and other relevant individuals are informed of the event on time.
Compared to an event plan, its primary focus is on the communication activities you need to undertake to ensure a successful event. It can be either a simple one-page document or an extensive document with a detailed communication plan.
Think of it as a step-by-step process to get the word out to all the right people.
The importance of event communication explained
An event communication plan helps you promote your event, raise awareness, and build excitement in an organized, uniform, branded, and strategically sound manner. No matter how big or small your event is, event communication will help your audience and stakeholders understand what the event is about and what to expect.
It is important to get the message out early to build excitement about the event, and drive registrations. And if you’re planning a large event, it’s essential to provide regular updates, especially in the days leading up to the event.
A good communication plan will also help you save time, money, and resources.
How?
By providing an overview of where, when, and how to communicate most effectively with your target audience. When done right, an event communication plan will help you stay organized and on track, without any hiccups of miscommunication or panic.
What should a communications plan include?
For starters, answer the following questions:
- What is the purpose of your event?
- Whom are you trying to reach?
- Who should be informed of the event?
- What kind of communication channels will you use?
- What type of message would be effective?
- What timeline will you follow?
- How will you measure success?
- Who will be in charge of the different communication activities
- What is the budget allocated for promoting the event?
Questions like these will give you clarity and provide you with the direction you need to create a comprehensive event communication plan. Consider it as a rough draft — or a cheat sheet until you start working on the official document.
Another approach could be the S.M.A.R.T model to help you structure your communication plan. This is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable/Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. These five categories provide a broad framework for any communication plan and will help you create one very quickly. In it, you can list your goals, define the different tasks, set deadlines, set up the budget, and much more. Think strategically, but also keep it simple.
An example of a S.M.A.R.T. event communication plan could be:
Specific: e.g., promote your event through social media and email marketing for maximum awareness and engagement.
Measurable: e.g., increase website traffic and ticket sales by at least 20%.
Attainable: e.g., create social media posts, stories, and email campaigns with relevant messaging.
Relevant: e.g., promote the event to our target audience and potential attendees through relevant social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Timely: e.g., launch the communication activities 30 days before the event and wrap up 2-3 days after the event.
How to create an event communication plan in three steps?
In this section, we cover a pre-launch event communication plan, a communication plan during the event launch, and a post-event communication plan.
Pre-launch event communicative plan
This step is all about making noise. Start with creating a landing page on your website that’s dedicated to your event. Make sure it’s informative and designed in such a way that it shifts your audience’s attention to the event. Leverage this page to introduce the event and share details such as the date, event URL, and list of speakers.
Build excitement with branded visuals, a hashtag, and content to share on your website and other social media platforms. Don’t forget to include a CTA. And share updates about the event through email and newsletter campaigns.
Communication plan during the launch
Now is the time to kick off the event. Surprise your audience with a teaser campaign on social media. Share snippets of what’s in store at the event, or some real-time video content for maximum engagement.
Leverage influencers and celebrities, if relevant. This can help you reach more people and generate more buzz around your event. Email blasts are also helpful here. Ensure that you have a dedicated page for the event that’s updated regularly with any changes or new information.
Post-event communication plan
When the event is done, it’s time to capitalize on its success, and all the energy it has garnered.
Thank your guests and participants for their contribution to your event. Share feedback forms and surveys to get an insight into their experience. Share pictures and videos of the event on social media platforms and thank your sponsors and partners.
Last but not the least, make it memorable. Create a keepsake for your guests; a movie reel of the event, a token of appreciation, or a handwritten note — whatever it is, make sure it stands out and is memorable.
Post-event reports too are essential; they will help you assess the event’s ROI, and plan better for the next one.
How Kaltura Events Platform serves your event communication plan
Now that you are versed in the importance and steps to create an event communication plan, here’s how Kaltura’s Event Platform can help you with its easy-to-implement tools. Kaltura’s Event Platform includes industry-leading technology and features that can help you plan, execute, and measure the success of your event.
Conveniently start from an event template that you can customize to create a powerful branded experience that is uniquely your own. Leverage the automatically created and customizable registration page and virtual event minisite and make them the centerpiece of your event communication. That way, your audience will enjoy a branded, beautifully designed, and compelling experience from the get-go.
In addition, Kaltura’s analytics dashboard allows you to measure user engagement with your event content and help you create a deeper understanding of your target audience.
Plan events that your audiences will love!
Event communication plans are like the peanut butter and jelly of event planning. They are essential in creating more effective strategies and promoting your event on a large scale. Kaltura’s Event Platform is built to enable any communication plan with highly converting and effective registration and promotion tools. Would you like to see how Kaltura can help you create the most impactful events and elevate your brand? Easy. Click the button below to book a personal demo of Kaltura Events Platform!
