Success, in these digital times, lies not only in the experience the people attending get but also in the virtual world. Importantly, as an event host, hosting an event should include the surety that your event stands out and lives on with moments captured on Instagram. Be it a corporate gathering, a wedding, or a community festival, picture-perfect moments escalate hard work.
Why Instagrammable Moments Matter
The various social media platforms, especially Instagram, go a long way in spreading the word about events to a far and wide audience. When these guests share photos and stories online, they indirectly promote your efforts to people in a bigger circle. Thus, this user-generated content goes on to become digital word-of-mouth—boosting both visibility and event credibility. As an event host, this is the time to convert all your efforts into long-term online hype.
More than visibility, such moments create a connection among the audience. The moment they start interacting with the event space, long-term memories are created related to your brand or cause. It is not about aesthetics; it is about creating a story to which people can relate.
How to Host an Event Host
- Choose a Stunning Venue
Your venue will set the backdrop for your aesthetic. Find locations with natural light, interesting architecture, or beautiful scenery. Simultaneously, simple venues become an iconic wonderland with some creative decoration. Outdoors, scenic landscapes or historic sites are a great avenue for adding charm to venues. - Designate Locations for Photos
A photo booth with props and backdrops gets your guests clicking away, posting. Add some signage with your event’s hashtag, and all those posts are traceable. While organizing an event, photo spots should fit the theme and purpose of an event. For instance, branded walls can be provided for corporate events, and for weddings, it could be romantic floral backdrops. - Whimsical Experiences
Great experiences deserve great photography. As an event host, envision the following activity points of engagement:- Live performances or surprise acts.
- Self-service craft stations where people make something to take home with them.
- Food and beverage stations: think colorful, matching-colored cocktails or beautifully built charcuterie boards.
- Activity games/competitions that maintain the engagement of your guests to capture perfect candid shots.
- Serve Instagrammable Food and Drinks
Food and drinks will inevitably bring out the cameras. Focus on:- Plating: Add colors to brighten it up for a beautiful presentation.
- Creative options: Flowers or unexpected flavors on top are conversation starters and amazing photo opportunities.
- To personalize: People love seeing their names on stuff—from latte art to desserts.
- Themed selection: The type of food and drinks should go with the event theme for cohesion.
- Add Live Stream or Digital Wall
For larger events, project live social media feeds on a screen where the event hashtag will show each guest’s post in real-time. This creates a sense of community and further motivate others to participate in the same way. Moreover, live-streaming keynote moments of your event extends its reach to include virtual attendees who join the fun from anywhere. - Provide Branded Takeaways
Branded merchandise could come in the form of personalized tote bags, personalized notebooks, or photo booth prints using your event logo; these act as a point of reference to the event and further nudge social sharing. Unique takes on mini plants, customized candles, or gourmet treat boxes can go the extra mile. - Hire a Professional Photographer
As good as the pictures your guests take can be, there simply cannot be any better photography than that taken by a skilled photographer during his best-moment photo shoots. Those would need to get relayed onto your Facebook, Twitter accounts once the event is over for you, and then for keeps. Have a photographer click everything—from your guest’s candid smiles to details of the chandelier that gleams at your hall entrance or home interior decoration details.
Engage Guests with Social Media
Now, as an event host, it’s one of your host’s responsibilities to bring the digital together with the physical. Here’s how:
- Create a Unique Hashtag
Make it short and sweet yet memorable, relating to your event. Display these prominently at the venue so that every attendee knows where and when. Well-thought-out, a hashtag not only consolidates posts but also acts as a digital footprint for your event. - Photo Contests and Giveaways
Give prizes in return for the best picture or kookiest caption with your event hashtag. This will incentivize them, and your guests will be adequately engaged to participate in it. Devise topics like “most creative selfie” or “best candid group photo” that would encourage creativity. - Partner Influencers
Invite influencers that resonate with the event theme; their posts introduce your event to a larger audience. Be sure to be choosy in selecting the right influencers whose followers actually represent your target demographic for better efficacy. - Share Behind-the-Scene Content
Teasers during the preparation period create anticipation. It is also one of the host responsibilities to show people your hard work as an event host. Bring into light the planning, setting up, and behind-the-scenes fun to make the story relatable. - Incentivize Live Posting
Give your guests free drinks or trinkets for posting live using your event hashtag. This sure would get your hashtag trending during your event and be a cool event host!
Monitoring Your Success
Once the event is over, follow through with effectiveness so that you can implement the lessons when you will host your next event. Check:
- Hashtag performance: Count posts and impressions.
- Engagement: Track likes, comments, and shares.
- Feedback: Ask them their thoughts on what worked/didn’t.
Also, go through professional photos and give them access to an online gallery or even blog posting of them. This creates just another method for them to look back and share their experience with others.
Thus you can host your next event.
Conclusion
The creation of Instagrammable moments is not all about aesthetics; it’s the art of creating experiences that will reverberate in the minds of your audience online and offline. There needs to be a delicate balance between aesthetic perks and the comfort-entertainment quotient of guests. Having the above tips included in one’s events, the surety that a long memory, not only alive but also upon social media, will be overwhelming. Now, hosting an event with these strategies will let you watch your effort become a lifelong memory spread everywhere!
But an event is only as good as the experience created, not the details. A well-planned event could mean connections, stories, and moments that extend way beyond the close of the day. Take these ideas, make them your own, and let your event shine in reality and online by being the best event host!