The Morning After: An Event Recap

It’s the morning after a great event. With coffee mug in hand, you sit down to scroll through the event host’s posts on social media. You’re looking to relive a little of the experience you enjoyed the night before, but there isn’t much. And why would there be? The event hosts are tapped out.

What if an event outsider, who is not part of the intensive planning or burnt out with logistics and details, could swoop in and share an event recap the morning after? What if it captured all of the wonderful moments even you as the host could not have orchestrated or planned for? What if it talked about themes, collaborations, learning and context that rose to the top through a panel of speakers, for example, who shared anecdotal insight and stories?

A recap like this, posted with immediacy after an event, tees it up for the event host to take their event all the way through the finish line. It’s really rich if you outline the benefits for both the event host and the brand audience.

Event Host Benefits

By providing a recap, the event host takes the lead in owning the experience after the event, as they should. Instead of a stream of short social media posts that leaves people to connect the dots, you can do that in one full recap. The engagement is higher and content can be shared in more meaningful ways, the most simple of which is to provide a link to the recap.

Typical lack of post-event content leaves share posts to tweets like, “What a great event last night! Thanks for hosting @brandxxx!” (with or without a picture). If you didn’t attend and come across this tweet, it doesn’t feel like an invitation to engage. It’s a dead-end for your brand. With a recap in play, this post-event content type could drive share posts like, “Such an amazing event last night, @brandxxx! You captured the experience and we can’t wait to do more with you!“ (link to recap; sample here from Be The CEO event). In the case of this tweet content, if you didn’t attend, you would wonder what experience they’re talking about then you would see the link, which invites you to see for yourself. You would read, follow and file away “must go to” status for the next event you see this brand host.

Brand Audience Benefits

An event recap provides value to attendees who want to take the inspiration shared the night before and move ideas into action. In the case of business-related events, it brings value to the individual who attended on behalf of their company or organization. They now have a recap to share with peers or frame up their own takeaways or plan of action from the event.

Additionally, an event recap reaches your entire brand audience. Through a recap that captures the high-level highlights with just enough detail, it brings value to those who wanted to attend, but couldn’t. It keeps them in the loop, engaged and increases the chances they'll make it a point to attend your next event.

Overall Benefits

1 Recapture your audience immediately after event and engage with them

2 Create emotionally based ways to relate to your brand and take action on ideas and inspiration (an entirely specific case for fundraiser events can be made here)

3 Gain new audiences who will be more likely to attend your next event

4 Give the event host some breathing room to get that thank you email with red carpet photo follow-up email out three days after the event

Event hosts: sit back with your coffee the morning after and take a well-deserved break. The recap shares and feedback will kick in along with your caffeine and reconfirm why you held the event in the first place. Refueled and refreshed you can go back to the task at hand – a great way to experience an event as the host!

Reach out if you'd like to learn more!-- Jennifer