Here are our five top tips to help you encourage audience participation at your next live event:

1. Embrace technology

Did you know that nearly a third of millennials stare at their phone during a live event?[1] This highlights just how important it is to incorporate technology into yours. Using proximity technology like Bluetooth beacons and virtual geofencing doesn’t just allow you to gain an insight into what your attendees are doing and where they are, it engages them with your live music event in a new and interesting way. Whether the technology is used to send attendees a push message when they walk past a particular area, or to stimulate biometrics that can be used to trigger special effects, it’s a whole new world worth exploring.

2. Recognise that everyone is a storyteller

These days, most people own a smart phone, and with that comes the ability for everyone to be their own storyteller. From Facebook Live and Snapchat, to Twitter and Instagram, everyone can broadcast their snippet of your event from their own unique viewpoint. Think about how you can assist their storytelling by incorporating things like interactive, branded staging, amazing staging backgrounds, photo-worthy backdrops, selfie booths and special event hashtags.

3. Engage the experiential

Experiential marketing is all about connecting with your event attendee by immersing them in a fun, emotional and memorable brand experience. From virtual reality and personalised freebies, to a pedal to power station where people can charge their phones, there’s a whole world of exciting and engaging things you can do. Even branded staging can help spark an interest in your company’s values, products and services – so don’t underestimate its power.

4. Love your layout

The amount people participate in your live music event can be down to how the staging has been set up. Laying it out in a professional and intuitive way means that it looks great, attendees should be evenly spaced and they all know where they’re going. An event that hasn’t been planned properly can result in areas looking sparse, people getting lost and an overall loss of impact. Make sure you work with professional staging company to get the balance right.

5. Think about incorporating novelty freebies

From light up wristbands and branded glowsticks to drinks from sponsors and photo print outs, everyone loves a freebie. Having an event giveaway or two is a great way of engaging your attendees and can create a fantastic buzz. Additionally, if the freebie is particularly visual, it’ll lend itself well to featuring in photographs and videos which will help drive brand awareness.

At Austen Lewis, we recognise that event planners are moving away from off the shelf events and are looking to create more experiential events for their clients. That’s why our ethos is based on providing unique experiences that connect consumer to company in a fun, memorable and exciting way. If you’re looking for any type of staging, we can help. To find out how, please contact us today.

[1] https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6641809/millennials-stare-at-their-phones-for-30-percent-of-live-shows-and-other