Event organizers renting meeting space at The Salem Convention Center will often ask our event coordinators for tips on how to make their meeting stand out from the rest. The days of dull, dry, cookie-cutter corporate retreats are long gone. These days, event attendees expect for meeting organizers to be fully engaged with their audience while offering unique experiences that make their time and effort worthwhile. Are you leveraging all of your opportunities to do this? MAKE IT FUN Of course, attendees go to events to network, improve their skills and learn the latest market trends but do not underestimate the importance of fun if you want them to come back. Find ways to break the ice and keep your audience engaged with friendly competitions, scavenger hunts, personalized name tags, contests, raffles and more. We've seen companies bring in photo booths, musical entertainment, candy stations, and even roaming magicians to make their event stand out. These details may seem silly to some, but adding these surprising and interesting elements to your meeting facilitates networking, real conversations, relationship building and learning. Make sure the schedule accommodates down-time for the attendees to take a break so they have time to process and digest the information they receive in the meeting. SHOW OFF YOUR DESTINATION If you are hosting an event with out-of-town attendees, look for ways to showcase your region's culture and unique features. For example, event hosts at The Salem Convention Center will often provide meeting attendees with information on where to experience the best of the Mid-Willamette Valley during their downtime like our local wineries, historical attractions, shops, festivals, art museums and more. This can be done by including brochures highlighting these points of interest in the corporate “swag” bag or through more eco-friendly digital communications. You can also give attendees a taste of your region by integrating local foods into the catering options. Many of our signature dishes created by the catering team at The Salem Convention Center features seasonal ingredients from local growers and farmers. GET CREATIVE WITH THE SPACE If space allows, being creative with your seating options can be an interesting way to create a unique experience. Our event coordinators are full of unique seating ideas and we have seen our 14 meeting and conference rooms (totaling 30,000 square feet) be configured into countless combinations of exhibit, classroom, seminar and convention spaces. The key is to make it an open, inviting atmosphere that encourages conversations. DO NOT SKIMP ON FOOD AND DRINK OPTIONS No matter how much effort you put into adding the special touches we mentioned above, it doesn't mean a whole lot if everyone is disappointed with your food and beverage options. Work with the catering team to keep your event attendees happy and energized with a specialized menu offering a variety of options and experiences throughout the day. As mentioned before, we like to help our client's menu stand out by incorporating locally sourced ingredients unique to our region like hazelnuts, marionberries, local honey, local produce, Northwest cheese, and salmon. Our guests also rave about the homemade Guacamole & Salsa served with Tortilla Chips and fun, personalized experiences like creating their own trail mix and homemade treats from the Yogurtini Bar, a Sundae Bar, and Ice Cream Sandwich Bar. Do not underestimate the importance of the role food and beverage plays in your event. Click here to learn more PROVIDE COOL AND USEFUL SWAG Freebies” a.k.a. swag may seem like a minor detail, but it's an opportunity to create a truly memorable event. The term “swag” dates back to the 1960s and is event-planning lingo for stuff event goers get for free like promotional T-shirts, pens, key chains, water bottles, etc. Providing attendees with thoughtful, high-quality items will likely leave a positive impression. The key is to be creative and aim for items that your attendees will find useful and FUN! Since our facility opened in 2005, nearly a million event attendees from around the state, region, nation and across the globe have traveled here to attend multi-day conventions and conferences and one-day or half-day workshops and meetings. We understand that whether you are new to the event planning process or a seasoned pro, the primary goal is always the same: to create a seamless and rewarding experience for your organization and attendees from beginning-to-end. With a few creative twists, fun elements and unique experiences, you can plan an event that will ignite inspiration with attendees they will remember long after it ends. Let us know how we can help make your next meeting or event memorable.
