We're in the age of events being driven by memorable experiences. No longer are organizers limited to selecting from sponsorship packages to capture the attention of their audience. Discover how brands are using after parties to grow awareness, and leave a lasting impression on attendees.

1. The Tech Conference After Party and How
it Can Grow Your Brand Awareness

2. Multi-day conferences have a new counterpart: The After Party.
Though not exclusive to technology conferences, after-parties,
hackathons, networking mixers and happy hours are cropping
up everywhere around larger conferences.
For those of you that are unfamiliar with the after party concept,
you may be wondering what all the hype is about. Not only do
they serve as a break from the back-to-back panels, keynotes
and sessions packed into a typical conference day, but when
done right, the after party can play a pivotal role in growing your
brand awareness.
Still reading? Great, we’re about to dive into the details and
share with you how you can make the most of hosting your very
own after party.

3. Meet and Mingle Made More Valuable By a Little Pre-Planning.
One of the most valuable ways, your event after party can
help spread brand awareness is by providing a fun and
informal setting to interact with the who’s who of the tech
conference world.
A personal and memorable conversation can produce more
brand awareness through a connection than a sidebar ad or
pen with your logo on it. The after party creates the perfect
atmosphere for these kinds of meaningful connections to
take place.

4. As an organizer, it is a good idea to compile a guest list of
attendees that you would like to have at your event; think
clients, partners, customers and industry influencers.
Sending out exclusive invites leading up to your event will
generate excitement and help build an attendee list that is
valuable and relevant for executives within your industry.

5. Spread the Word and Excitement Using Social
Use social media to your advantage at your tech conference
after party to boost brand awareness. Creating an event
hashtag is a great way to start promoting your event.
You can get creative and experiment with different
campaigns and contests to help build that initial brand (and
event) buzz. Then, during the event you can either use the
same hashtag or create a new one.
Either way, it will give everyone a means to engage and
share their experiences with other attendees. You may even
consider leveraging Periscope or another live-stream app to
share footage from the party itself.

6. A Great Party = A Good Time = Positive Brand
Sentiment
This is really a no-brainer. If you throw an awesome after
party, it won’t take long for word to get out and there will be
a direct association with your brand. The result, your
coolness factor goes up by 20 (just kidding).
But really, depending on the size, you have the potential to
generate thousands of impressions and catch the eye of
potential clients or sponsors.

7. We suggest you do your research; figure out exactly what it
takes to throw an unforgettable after party.
Hint: There is no generic step-by-step list. Great parties
take time, collaboration and awareness; setting some goals
and defining a budget is a good place to start.

8. Leave your guest with something memorable.
Whether that’s a surprise guest appearance at your event
or a swag bag, the more you can make a lasting impression
on your attendees the better.
A comfy cotton t-shirt, a mobile device charger, a reusable
water bottle or a compact umbrella all emblazoned with
your logo can help increase brand awareness.
If you don’t have the budget to go all out, you can always
hand out or ship individual gifts to any special guests,
clients or partners as a token of gratitude.

9. If you properly plan a great after party, find ways to connect with
your guests (and potential clients) and leverage tools like social,
you will definitely see an increase in brand awareness.