How to keep your event growing in the off-season

Leave attendees wanting more

At the end of a meal at a high-end restaurant, there’s often a thoughtful parting gift—a sweet treat to leave you with positive feelings about the experience. It’s a simple psychological touch, and it’s one you can easily apply to your own event.

Platforms like CM.com make it seamless to send opted-in attendees a post-event perk. For a music event or festival, consider offering an exclusive playlist curated by the headliner, an NFT of the setlist, or special-edition merchandise (which you can sell via your CM.com ticket shop) themed around the performance. If you’ve hosted a workshop, you might share audio recordings or a summary of the key takeaways.

On social media, post wrap-up reels or photo galleries that encourage engagement and sharing. This approach not only stirs up positive memories for attendees but also creates a sense of FOMO for those who didn’t attend.

Find other ways to engage

As an event organizer, building a year-round relationship with your audience is key—so when it’s time to promote your next event, you’re not starting from scratch.

It all begins with data. While it may sound unexciting, having control over your data is a game-changer. With CM.com, you own your data entirely and can segment it as needed. This enables you to set up automated welcome flows, birthday emails, and regular newsletters, helping maintain engagement during quieter periods. Plus, unlike many other ticketing platforms, CM.com lets you import opted-in email addresses from other sources, like your website.

Content is still king, but it needs to be tailored to your audience. Use analytics and survey data to understand your fans’ preferences. What topics excite them? Where do they spend time online? How often do they want to hear from you?

Once you have these insights, develop an always-on, cross-channel content plan with repeatable formats that resonate, like monthly playlists, behind-the-scenes reels, or artist Q&As. This can range from posting memes about niche topics on Instagram to producing a weekly email newsletter featuring original interviews with artists your audience loves.

If external content is hard to source, don’t hesitate to share your own journey as an event organizer. Giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at your world can build deeper connections. In 2024, brands and venues that connect authentically with their audiences are the ones that stand out. Remember, your content doesn’t need to be polished or stylized—it just needs to be genuine.

Get ahead of the onsale

In the lifecycle of an event, two stages are critical: when tickets go on sale and the week leading up to the event. While most promoters focus on the final countdown, those who master the on-sale moment truly set themselves apart.

So, what makes for a successful on-sale? It’s all about making a splash and generating an initial surge of ticket sales and buzz. The more people you can attract early on, the greater the ripple effect as they share the news with friends. But this kind of momentum doesn’t happen by chance—it’s built during your downtime.

Start by creating presale content that taps into scarcity, intrigue, or a mix of both. Scarcity works because it creates urgency, compelling people to act quickly. For example, promote a limited number of early-bird tickets or offer exclusive perks, like free merch, to the first batch of buyers.

Intrigue, on the other hand, builds excitement and curiosity. Share cryptic TikToks, teaser emails, or posts that hint at your lineup or unique event features. Use countdowns in your stories and posts to build anticipation. For certain events, guerrilla marketing tactics—unexpected and buzzworthy—can be particularly effective.

The off-season might not come with the instant gratification of ticket sales, but it gives you something even better: the chance to think big. Use this time to brainstorm creative strategies and plan how to make your next on-sale bigger and better than ever.