How to Get College Students to Come to Events
Organising a successful college event is a thrilling endeavour, but one of the challenges is ensuring that students show up and actively participate. After all, what's an event without attendees?
College students have busy lives filled with classes, assignments, part-time jobs, and social activities. This means that convincing them to allocate their precious time to attend your event requires a keen understanding of their preferences, motivations, and the strategies that can capture their attention.
So, what makes college students tick, and what are the different effective strategies you can consider implementing to get them excited about your upcoming event?
Understanding What Motivates Students to Participate in Events
First and foremost, to entice college students to attend your event, it's vital to delve into the factors that are bound to influence their chances of participation. Some of these factors that could pull or push college students towards attending events include:
- Social Engagement: College is when students are eager to build social connections and networks. Naturally, as a result, events that promise opportunities for social interaction and networking are likely to attract more attendees.
- Educational Value: While students enjoy socialising, they also recognise the need for personal and academic growth. As such, events that offer educational value, such as workshops, seminars, or guest lectures, can be appealing to them.
- Entertainment: College life can be stressful, and students often seek ways to unwind and have fun. This means that events that offer entertainment and recreation, such as concerts, games, or themed parties, can draw a significant crowd.
How Do You Encourage Students to Join an Event?
Once you understand what motivates students to participate in events, the next step is implementing strategies that draw them to your college event.
Here are some practical approaches that could help further increase participation in college events:
1. Effective Marketing
Create an enticing promotional campaign tailored to your target audience—college students.
By leveraging eye-catching visuals and other mediums, highlight the social, educational, and entertaining aspects of your event to capture their attention. You can make use of bulletin boards, flyers, and digital screens on campus to display event details. And since we now live in the age of screens, be sure to tap on social media platforms like Instagram to reach a wider student audience. Of course, create event pages, post engaging content, and use relevant hashtags to generate buzz.
2. Collaboration with Student Organisations
Partnering with student organisations can be a game-changer. These groups often have a built-in audience and can help promote your event to their members. Collaborate with clubs, associations, and student government to co-host or endorse your event, as their support alone can significantly boost attendance.
3. Incentive Programmes
Consider introducing incentive programmes that reward students for attending your event. Offer perks like discounts, free merchandise, or exclusive access to certain activities. Contests or giveaways can also generate excitement and encourage attendance.
The Role of Customised Merchandise as an Incentive
While effective marketing, collaboration, and incentive programmes play crucial roles in attracting students to your college event, there's another enticing strategy that combines personalisation with a sense of belonging: customised merchandise.
But why does customised merchandise even matter if you're confident your event is going to be a hit?
This is because customised merchandise, such as printed T-shirts, tote bags, or accessories branded with your event's logo or theme, can serve as powerful incentives for student participation.
Here's why:
1. Creates a Sense of Belonging
Custom merchandise makes students feel like they're a part of something special. When they receive an event-branded item, it fosters a sense of belonging and pride in being associated with your event. This emotional connection can significantly boost their commitment to attending.
2. Tangible Keepsake
These custom items serve as tangible reminders of your event. Students can wear or use them long after the event is over, keeping the memories and excitement alive. It's a subtle way of extending the event's impact beyond its duration.
3. Word-of-Mouth Promotion
When students wear or carry custom merchandise, it becomes a conversation starter. Others see the branded items and inquire about the event, creating buzz and curiosity. This word-of-mouth promotion can lead to more attendees for future events.
Get Personalised Merchandise from EasyPrint
From the above, it's clear that one of the answers to the question, ‘How to increase participation in college events?’ is incorporating custom merchandise into your event strategy. This way, you can create a unique and attractive incentive that resonates with college students, motivating them to attend your event and become active participants.
And at EasyPrint, we, too, understand the power of customised merchandise in enhancing event participation. Whether you are looking to buy corporate gifts online or custom merchandise for a college event, our range of products, including custom-printed tote bags, T-shirts, and accessories, can be personalised to match your event's theme and branding.
