Few things are as nerve-racking as anticipating an event and its turnout. What happens if no one shows up? What happens if everyone shows up and you run out of supplies?

With so many unknowns, you may feel like you have little control over your event. Don’t let your nerves get the best of you, though. Building excitement is an effective way to get people talking about your event and boost attendance. You may even notice a change in your attitude!

Let’s look at a few of the ways that you can build excitement leading up to your event.

Create an Event that Offers Value

You can only get people excited for something if it offers value to their personal lives. Think about your target audience and the types of things they would enjoy. If you’re appealing to millennials, food trucks and live entertainment can brighten up your event.

If you don’t know what your audience is interested in, ask them. A quick and easy way to do this is by taking a survey or poll on social media. Talking about your next event on social media also generates organic buzz.

Use the Event as a Way to Give Back

Attendees don’t just care about their own interests. They also enjoy being apart of something bigger such as a charity event or 5K. Better yet, volunteers of this era don’t mind getting their hands dirty. If you can think of a way to provide hands-on engagement, you create meaningful experiences that people will always tie back to your brand.

If possible, consider partnering with a charity or nonprofit organization that supports a worthy cause. Not only will you get some extra love at your event, but you may also get additional exposure through charity advertising, a local newspaper article, etc.

Share Your Brand Story

If your brand already has a story, don’t be afraid to tell it. Hook people in with the reasons why your company was created or how your products improve everyday lives.

If you don’t yet have a story, develop one through secondary credibility, which is credibility through association. Who are your partners? Your sponsors? What stories do they have? How did your partnership come to be?

Utilize Social Media

Between Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, there is no shortage of ways to share information about your upcoming event. Build excitement by sharing the details of your day: keynote speakers, promotional items, live music, free consultations and more. Offer prizes to the first x-number of attendees and share this in an email.

Go Custom

If it works, consider hosting your event at a unique location such as a rooftop, vineyard or old building. If it will be at a standard location, look into having a custom exhibit display built for the focal point. Let people know where they can find you (under the disco ball, next to the main stage). Give your audience something to look forward to from the start.

Most important is that YOU are excited about the event! Your audience will sense your attitude toward the occasion, so be positive, energetic and fun. Events are what we make of them!