Each year, over 50 million tickets to live events are sold all over the world – with numbers like that it’s easy to think that hosting an event is a slam dunk for your organization. Fact is, it takes some extra work to make that vision of a successful event a reality.

If you want to sell out your event and really pack the house, you need a unique event promotion strategy. To set your event apart from the dozens of other options, these strategies must work well with your other marketing strategies.

When faced with the choice of spending money on an event or relaxing on the couch with Netflix, many people choose the less expensive and more casual option. What you have to do is really entice people into wanting to invest their time and money on your event.

Here are five secrets to make your event a bona fide success.

1. Deliver a Strong Message

In today’s fast-paced and easily distracted society, you must find a way to stop them from scrolling. In order to really capture the attention of your core demographic, a strong message is needed to draw them. On top of them, this message will help to keep people interested throughout the event.

It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to sell out a live podcast event or drawing in guests for a wedding expo, the bottom line is you'd want your event to exude a strong message. For something like a wedding expo you expect there to be a long list of vendors offering various wedding services and goods to event-goers. But you’ll want to set your event apart from all of the other wedding expos – make it really stand out!

Instead of just having a wedding expo like every other one out there, gear it toward a trendy theme like Boho Chic or Summer Weddings to draw a specific audience. Not only will it allow you to narrow your vendor selection, but it may even draw their attention before you seek them out.

Side note, there is so far not a single wedding expo in Asia that guarantees returns on investment for the vendors' businesses. That could be a really amazin' unique selling proposition (USP). Food for thought, indeed.

2. Reasonable price point

Another crucial piece of a successful event is a justifiable price point. You’re competing with dozens of other options for people’s attention and time. Hence, it’s essential to keep the price of your event reasonable for potential guests.

It’s not a bad idea to look into prices of events similar to yours and price yours comparatively (and maybe even slightly cheaper). This helps you invite guests who might have seen similar events but couldn’t justify paying that much at the time. By offering a slightly lower price point than your competitors, you’re more likely to draw in additional guests and gain back the slight cost differences.

3. Landing Page with FAQ

When promoting an event in the 21st century, your internet presence is absolutely vital to reaching consumers. A great tool for providing important information about your event is a landing page with Frequently Asked Questions for your guests.

Interested parties can go to the web and seek out any information they might want to know about your event before buying tickets. They’ll see your event as very organized and be more likely to participate. Who doesn't want that kind of impression, right?

These days many people have anxiety about attending live events (especially alone) and the more information you can provide your guests ahead of the event, the more comfortable they will be attending. Then, they will more likely purchase tickets. Ka-ching, ka-ching! (That's the sound of the cash register in case you've missed it)

Include info like security policies for the venue, recommended attire (especially for business events), and contact information to find out any additional information they may require.

Your guests will really appreciate you for doing this.

4. "What to Expect" Information

Another great resource for event-goers in advance of attendance is “What to Expect” information available online and on any paper fliers you distribute. This page should include any and all information that you think event-goers should have before attending.

You may want to outline a schedule of events on this page, especially if there are parts that are time sensitive like panels at a convention.

If there are any requirements for guests, this is a great place to put that information. Let's say your event is a camp for underage youths. Any ticket holder (also termed as participants) must have the Parental Permission Form approved before attendance. This is where you provide a link to the form and/or inform parents if there will be similar forms available at the event for them to fill out.

5. Quality event photo coverage, from past successful events

If this isn’t your first time at the event-hosting rodeo, it’s a great bonus to include photos and any additional coverage from your previous events.

If this is your first event, it’s a great opportunity to seek out a highly skilled photographer, like Blissful Studios. They offer and build a relationship with future events as well. Speak to them for their rate card, and they'll be happy to assist you from there.

Photos provide a look into the event that allows potential guests to see exactly what they can expect and make their own observations. These photographs will be the 'lifetime record' of your successful event for future generations in your organization to refer to.

Plus, when it comes to selling goods online, you wouldn’t buy something that didn’t have a photo, would you?

The same goes for your event! People want to see just what they’re getting before they are prepared to invest. Sort through any previous event photos and choose the ones that include people having fun.

The investment to hire professional help can be worth it, especially if they can help ease your headache of planning an event. A great photographer like those from Blissful Studios can also provide you with additional insight into your whole event. Remember, these photographs will be the 'lifetime record' of your successful event for future generations in your organization to refer to.

It is also best to capture the strong message of the event (notice that callback to secret number 1?) and put those in a prime location on your webpage. The professional photos can help push your event over the edge to a true success. Essentially, having a professional photographer present to document your event will be well worth the investment.

Utilize these tips to promote your event and you’re more likely to draw the attention of those millions of ticket purchasers for Asian events. There are plenty of helpful agencies that can also assist you with the planning and operations of your event. Hope your next event will be a success!