If you have an annual event approaching, you might be wondering where to allocate your filming budget.
Should you record sessions for on-demand redistribution?
Should you take advantage of in-person access to your high-level members and thought leaders to gather juicy testimonials and educational content?
Or should you record the sights and sounds for a dazzling highlight reel to drive traffic to next year’s show?
Wait, wait, wait – this is already starting to sound expensive.
But what if you chose the option that helped you fit all these filming needs in your budget and squashed the cost of all three?
Gosh, you’d be like, like a hero or something.
Well, here’s how.
Transcend the highlight reel: how to make content that drives conference attendance
A conference recap is more than just a sights and sounds sizzle reel. The latter gives those that didn’t attend the opportunity to experience the atmosphere of the show (thereby cultivating a fear of missing out on next year’s experience), while the former summarizes key takeaways, provides a synopsis of the scheduled activities and seamlessly integrates sponsored content.
On its face, a conference recap is a show-stopping piece that works for you in several ways.
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Rounding out your content
Include live viewings of content recaps as part of the show. -
Directing traffic during your event
Show yesterday’s recaps at the beginning of each day to drive attendees to points of interest. -
Driving attendance to next year’s event
Cultivate FOMO by capturing the vibe of your show and demonstrating the breadth of your programming. -
Reinforcing your value to your attendees
Remind attendees of what they learned and summarize the ROI you give them – reiterating that your event was worth their time and money.
Behind the scenes, a conference recap is a revenue driver that could be the lynchpin for your annual content plan.
Will my audience accept sponsored content?
You might be concerned about allowing sponsors to be part of your official organization recap. What if it sounds too sales-y? Will the attendees and members still watch?
As long as you’re cognizant about keeping the sponsored portions educational and engaging, your audience will not only watch this sponsored content, they'll look forward to it!
Think of it this way: one of the key reasons members attend an industry show is the exhibit hall.
Tons of people want to see these products, and a curated look at the show floor helps alert them to what is possible – which builds interest for their treasure hunt through the exhibits.
And let’s not forget that sponsors are often leading experts in their field who can add educational value to your recap far beyond displaying their products and services. As part of their interview, ask your sponsors how their offerings tie into broader industry trends or this year's conference themes.
Chances are, your audience will be more than happy to learn from them.
So now we know what’s in it for us and what’s in it for attendees – and honestly, it sounds too good to be true. But there’s just one final piece to the puzzle.
What’s in it for your sponsors?
Participating in a conference recap delivers your sponsors incredible value in three key ways.
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Measurable exposure to warm, qualified buyers
Event videos are among the most highly anticipated and viewed content that an association produces in a year. If you can promise email distribution of conference recap to registered attendees and/or your full membership, you will be delivering exposure to qualified buyers who are actively looking for this content. And because it’s online, you can glean important analytical insights. -
Endorsement by your association’s brand
Sponsors get the opportunity to be framed as one of the highlights of your show, which helps them stand out against competing products and establish their industry expertise. -
Interactive calls to action
Unlike a lunch sponsorship or lanyard, a video can be paired with banners or annotative click-throughs that provide a perfect funnel for prospective buyers.
You’re probably starting to see how it could be pretty easy to sell an offering like this.
Now let’s scale it up.
If you have a three-day event and you produce one recap per day with multiple sponsor slots, that revenue could be enough to pay for three days with a dedicated video crew. And if you’re efficient with scheduling while the crew is onsite, they can film sessions and interviews that you could use to build out the next year’s worth of content.
Check out this example!
The Material Handling Institute (MHI) has been using conference recaps for several years, and they’ve experienced great success. Watch our case study to find out how they got started and what the results were.
Contact us today to learn more about how our expert team can help to make your next event, your best event!