WEB SEMINAR

Promoting Events on the Web
by Ron Mader

PLANETA WIKISPACE
WEB 1, 2, 3 FORUM

Be the change you wish to see in the world.
- Change Notebook

www.flickr.com

FLICKR ALBUM: Green Events

FYI -- This feature is part of our popular Web Seminar.

MAKING CONTACT -- Email messages sent to Planeta may be published. If you don't want that to happen, just let us know. Requests for anonymity will be honored. (Email Tips)

Promoting events requires flexibile strategies promoting communication and conversation. You have plenty of tools on and off the Web. Our top suggestion - budget time before, during and after the event to make the most of connecting the online and natural worlds. Be honest with yourself and your colleagues.

Announce the event on your institutional website in advance. Print the page and show your partners. Get them on board so that they too announce the event online their websites. Be sure to use Web 2.0 tools such as Facebook and Flickr.

After the event, post a summary on your website (whether a formal media release or an informal review), accompanied by photos and presentations. You should also announce and summarize the event elsewhere on the Web.

PLANETA

You're welcome to post an announcement on the Planeta Forum. We insist that you keep us up-to-date on your preparation, providing status reports before the event and a summary within a day or two after the event.

For examples of how event organizers use the Planeta Forum, check out the Mushroom Fair, the Ecotourism NZ Conference and the Business Development Symposium for Aboriginal Operators.

Our other request/demand is that you help us edit the specific place-based guide to where the event takes place. Search our site and if you do not find the town or city guide, help us create one.

If you are inviting us to participate in an event, send us a poster or a brochure to our online gallery. Examples: New Zealand Ecotourism Conference Brochure, Ecoturismo Urbano en la Ciudad de México and Taller Internet. We also recommend that you post the promotional images on your own Flickr gallery.

If you are inviting us to give a workshop, prepare certificates of attainment or diplomas with the event artwork. Example: Taller Internet

What not to do? Don't make your first announcement the same week as the event. The Web may be fast, but potential visitors need time to make adjustments to their schedule.

TIP -- Check out our suggestions on How to Write a Media Release.

FYI - Events in which Planeta.com plays an active role are featured in our calendar.