4 Engaging Ideas for Following Up With Event Attendees

You did it—the final attendee has left, and it’s time to close the curtain on another successful event. However, this doesn’t mean you have to lose all the momentum and excitement you built within your community.

With a thoughtful follow-up strategy, you can continue engaging attendees and strengthening their connection to your organization. In doing so, you increase the chances they’ll sign up for more events down the road.

Let’s explore four ideas you can implement to connect and engage with attendees after an event.

1. Share exclusive post-event content.

Your attendees are busy people. They may have a wonderful time at your event, but once it’s over, they’re likely shifting their attention back to their daily lives or perhaps another activity on the horizon.

By sharing exclusive content in the weeks following your event, you remind attendees of their positive experiences and provide additional value they might not have expected.

Depending on your budget and resources, consider creating post-event content such as:

Highlight videos
Behind-the-scenes content
Photo galleries
Downloadable resources
Exclusive Q&A sessions
Post-event webinars

For example, let’s say your organization recently hosted a mental health awareness event. To continue engaging attendees, you might follow up with a downloadable mental health toolkit that contains resources to practice self-care and a recap video compiling meaningful quotes shared by speakers.

Before the event, outline the post-event content you want to create, including what videos or pictures you’ll need. Consider creating downloadable resources in advance and simply dropping in specific statistics or visuals afterward. By preparing as much as you can upfront, you reduce the time and effort it takes to follow up with attendees once the event is over.

2. Encourage social media engagement.

Follow up with attendees on social media to tap into the wide reach of these platforms. By inviting attendees to post and share content about your event, you can even catch the attention of new audiences to boost sign-ups the next time around.

Make it easy for attendees to engage by:

Creating an event-specific hashtag shared on social media and marketing collateral before and during the event.
Sharing key takeaways, insights, and behind-the-scenes footage.
Launching a relevant social media challenge.
Commenting on event-related posts made by attendees.
Sharing or re-posting user-generated content from attendees.

For example, if you recently hosted a tree-planting event, you might choose a hashtag like #[Organization Name]SavesTrees and host a challenge where participants go paperless for a month.

3. Send text updates and invitations.

Meet your audience where they are—on their phones! Text messaging is a fast and convenient way to engage attendees during and after an event, whether they’re sitting on public transportation or lounging on their couches at home.

As you set up your event registration page, include an option to sign up for your texting contact list. This could be as simple as having them check a box before they submit their information. Be sure to verify with your legal or compliance team to ensure the language on your form meets regulations for follow-up communications and messages sent via text.

Then, after the event, consider sending:

Personalized thank-you texts
Impact updates and reports
Highlight stories from the event
Quotes from attendees, board members, volunteers, and others
Invitations to upcoming events
Discount codes for merchandise or online purchases

To streamline your follow-up communications, use a text messaging platform that allows you to segment messages. This way, you’re only sending relevant texts to your audience, such as those who attended the event versus those who did not. Consider automating tailored messages to all attendees following each event. This will save you time and increase engagement across all event attendees.

4. Collect feedback with polls and surveys.

Pave the way for more successful events in the future by asking attendees to share their experiences and feedback.

In a poll or survey, include questions such as:

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Potential event survey questions to ask, as mentioned below

On a scale of 1-5 [1 = Very Poor, 5 = Excellent], how would you rate your overall event experience?
What did you enjoy most about the event?
What improvements, if any, would you like to see at our next event?
On a scale of 1-5, how likely are you to recommend our event to a friend or family member?
Did you find the registration process easy and convenient? Yes/No/Somewhat
On a scale of 1-5 [1 = Very Dissatisfied, 5 = Very Satisfied], how satisfied were you with the communication leading up to the event (emails, reminders, etc.)?

As you review the feedback you receive and make improvements, be sure to update your attendees so they know that you truly value their input.

When reaching out to attendees after an event, avoid simply bombarding them with content. Remember that meaningful engagement should be relevant and reciprocal.

Provide plenty of opportunities for attendees to share their thoughts, experiences, and feedback so you can learn what resonates with their needs and interests. With the right combination of follow-up and active listening, you can continually improve your events and ensure that each one is better than the last.