SMS messaging: an essential tool at conferences

SMS messaging is a key part of events such as conferences, congresses or communication fairs, for both the attendees and the exhibitors or lecturers. Communication is faster and the event can be more easily managed.

To organize a large-scale event, there is a huge number of people involved. With such a large team, communication has always been complicated, for both the organizers themselves and the event staff. On top of this, add the huge number of attendees whose entrance tickets, conference timetables, and changes of plan all need to be organized to ensure a positive experience.

SMS messaging: an essential tool at conferences

Initially, having so many ways to maintain communication can seem overwhelming, but the SMS messaging services help to efficiently manage these communications without problems. SMS communication is a medium of communication which requires little to no investment when compared to, for example, the creation and maintenance of a mobile app specifically for the event. SMS messaging is very profitable and offers a range of characteristics that mobile applications don’t have. Using SMS you can record whether the message has been successfully delivered and find out instantly if an error has occurred. You can also communicate using your business database – either the entire list or segmented. This allows you to communicate specific messages for attendees, employees and the organizers.

Uses and functions of SMS messages for conferences:

SMS messaging can be used for more than just managing teams. It can also be used for marketing by making sure that participants attend the event, which increases the number of the target attendees. In today’s article we’ll list the features of the functions of SMS in both marketing and internal organization.

• Promoting attendance: Of course, at any event, you want the maximum number of people possible to attend. Bulk SMS messaging is a very effective tool for maximizing attendance by informing clients and confirming dates/times/locations. Events require considerable monetary investment which needs to be made up by attendees – a short SMS before the event can help to reduce absences by reminding participants of all the key information.
• Registers and check-in: With an SMS message, you can confirm the attendee register. An SMS is read in 98% of cases, whereas emails are only read in 20% of cases. Often, if you are communicating with only newsletters there is the danger of a low rate of opening or impact. To make sure registers are as accurate as possible, include a URL in the text of the message so the attendees can go directly to the registration page.
• Capturing attendees from previous years: If in the previous event you created a database, you can use it to invite previous attendees to the latest edition of the event. This type of technique helps to foster loyalty among users who are interested in what you are doing.
• Provide a hearty welcome and information about the event: A reminder SMS beforehand, as we mentioned above, can help to ensure that the most number of participants possible attend the event. Send a SMS message welcoming the attendees and let them know about how to access the event, the entrance location and other details that can help them get to the conference, fair or event.
• The schedule: With a well segmented database this task is easy. We can provide information of the conferences and the times of each event, offer information about upcoming presentations like who will be presenting and the topics covered. In addition, if the SMS are sponsored, it lowers the cost of organization even further and increases attendance to an event, making sure it’s a success. Including a link or URL will direct people to the exhibitors and themes which they’ll be speaking on.
• Internal communication using SMS: SMS services establish immediate internal and external communication. An SMS platform can create security alerts, important warnings about any event, notify the participates of their schedules and locations, communicate technical problems and provide information in the case of any emergencies. Any important or urgent problem can be communicated using SMS between event staff, to be acted on as quickly as possible.
• Codes for specific activities: For private meetings, meals or conferences organised for VIP attendees, an access code can be sent so they don’t have to print entrance tickets, and the entrance can be more securely monitored. Only participants with the SMS and code are able to enter.
• Top stories: To keep attendees informed of all the activities and of relevant news, we recommend sending an SMS containing links to a newsletter summarizing the day’s activities. This helps to significantly increase readership.
• Coupons: Coupons can also be a great resource within the event. You can send discount codes fo the restaurant area, increasing the number of people that eat at the event. This helps the businesses that have invested in the conference and those who provide additional services to attendees.
• Competitions: This aspect most interesting for sponsors, who have invested in the creation of the event and who want to make the most of it. Setting up competitions and raffles can help you to compile a database of people interested in your business. With SMS messaging, you can inform people of these competitions and create a sense of urgency to participate instantly.
• Surveys and feedback: At the end of the event, it’s important to collect together the most information possible on the public experience. With one message, you can conduct surveys or ask questions which can be responded to with another SMS, or simply attach a link or URL to a survey which will be automatically stored in the database.
• Post event: The post event is as important as the event itself. It’s the moment for consolidating the loyalty of the attendees and helping them to create great memories of your event. Most event organizers prefer to write thank you notes. Why not invigorate this process with a simple SMS. Bulk SMS messaging allows you to say thank you to the participants in a simple, efficient way, and you can also add a link with more information, summarizing the event, or include an invite to the next one.

All of the clicks sent with SMS can be registered with the WebSMS service with which you can track the success of your campaign. When the event finishes you can look at the impact of SMS messaging in order to analyse the communication it’s generated and its impact.

SMS messaging: an essential tool at conferences

SMS communication can contribute significantly to events management. Moreover, it’s easy to directly measure the impact of communications and the experience of the participants with our WebSMS. SMS messaging is a communication tool with multiple functions which can speed up considerably the work required to manage an event from start to finish.

As you can see in the infographic above, bulk SMS is a tool for weaving together internal and external communication, between attendees and staff. Its multiple functions can help to greatly improve the experience of participants, their engagement, networking opportunities, the information they have access to, and to make sure all the activities run without problems.