When planning events of any type, event organizers sometimes forget that attendees have their phone in their hands all the time – whether they are answering emails, taking notes from all the great content or checking in at the office.

So how do you maximize this to increase event engagement? Do you always give attendees the best tools to create the most engagement?

We also know that attendees want to show off. Sharing pictures is one of the best ways to spread the FOMO when we don’t attend an awesome event.

Event planners need to create events that are picture perfect for all attendees. Whenever someone takes a photo at your event, you want to ensure that anyone who sees that photo will be impressed.

Here are four easy wins for your team to guarantee the most social engagement at their events.

Increase engagement by giving attendees a reason to snap your event

For our annual Now You Know™ Conference, we wanted our sponsors to get the most exposure possible.

We created two very different spaces for the perfect photo opp for our attendees.

We #blades from Turbine Labs had a fantastic time at the Now You Know Conference! Thank you @brandwatchsocial . . . #nykconf #datageeks #datascience #sociallistening #socialdata #brandwatch #communitymanager #socialmarketing #socialmediamarketing #branding #uk #colorado #workhappy #publicrelations #digitalmarketing #media #advertising #corporatecommunications #denver #milehighcity #conferencegram #twitter #hootsuite

A post shared by Turbine Labs (@turbinelabs5280) on May 10, 2017 at 4:15pm PDT

Twitter’s Garden Wall was a simple yet elegant addition to their sponsored outdoor terrace. It gave our attendees a great opportunity to get outside and take some beautiful team photos, like our friends from Turbine Labs above.

Another sponsor, Hootsuite, decaled their brick wall with a very clear message.

This wall could be seen from the street, adding another level of exposure. Giving the famous owl an artistic black and white makeover, this decal wall stood out above the Denver skyline.

It’s a stunner of a morning in Denver. Make the most of it on the Hootsuite Terrace at @brandwatchsocial #nykconf. #hootsuitelife #colorado

A post shared by Donny Halliwell (@dpinion) on May 8, 2017 at 6:28am PDT

#Howtousehashtagsforyourevents

We all have hashtags at our events, but are we displaying them wisely?

Besides having it on the printed agendas and stage, where else can we put it so no one has to ask reception, “What’s the hashtag?”

Ensure that your attendees can find the hashtag no matter where they look.

Even if you don’t think it’s a “photographable” spot, someone in your audience will take a photo of it.

Another tactic is to have it already preloaded into the event app. This makes it very easy for attendees to tweet and the hashtag is already pre-populated. No thinking, no getting it wrong!

Use your network to increase engagement

Encourage everyone who is in front of your audience to tweet, post, use the event hashtag etc.

Every host, keynote speaker, staffer, is your ally in the battle for increasing engagement. Urge the host to encourage all types of social sharing using the hashtag during their time on stage.

One way to guarantee an uptick in engagement is taking an “Ellen DeGeneres Oscars” type photo of the entire audience. Everyone in the room will want to see it, share it, tag themselves, and tag their coworkers.  

Liz King, CEO of Liz King Events in an eBook with Event Farm said “We shared [a photo of their 250 attendees] on social media after the [TechsyTalk] event, and many people tagged themselves and their friends in the photo. There were even some attendees who posted the picture as their cover photo on Facebook.”

Add an element of surprise

And finally, always give your audience something they aren’t expecting.

During this year’s Governor’s Ball music festival in New York City, Tito’s Handmade Vodka did something unexpected.

The brand gave its audience the opportunity to donate to a great cause, simply using a photo.

Tito’s had a 3D mural where they encouraged the attendees to take photos. For every photo posted, Tito’s would donate $1 to a great cause that supports music therapy for the sick. This was an easy way for Tito’s to support a wonderful charity and increase engagement in a very competitive market of festival sponsorships.

Thanks for sharing the love this weekend, #GovBallNYC, and helping us support @musiciansoncall! ?#LoveTitos

A post shared by Tito’s Handmade Vodka (@titosvodka) on Jun 4, 2017 at 5:53pm PDT

So whether you create an area for the perfect photo-op or share a photo of your entire audience, always give your attendees a reason to use those phones they are constantly holding.

To learn more about our Now You Know Conference, read our wrap-up blog here, and check out our highlights reel below.