Start a Knockout Event Management Referral Program [+ Tools]

You’re knocking it out of the park with your events – and hopefully, they’re getting lots of people talking. Whether you’re a wedding planner, a planner of other big parties, or a manager of industry or community events, referrals are an event manager’s superpower – they’re among the most effective ways to introduce new clients to your business or ramp up your attendance.

But how to track this buzz, and translate it into more ROI for your business? An event management referral program is the perfect solution. Thanks to a trackable program, you’ll know who’s generating buzz, and when – and you can get more referrals with motivating rewards. Here are our top tips for starting one. 

What is an event management referral program?

Event management referral programs are initiatives designed to motivate both current and former clients to recommend your services to their friends and family.

In these programs, you can provide rewards like cash bonuses, discounts, free services, or gift cards when your customers successfully refer new clients or new event attendees.

Unlike with a DIY referral arrangement, you’ll give people a unique link or code to distribute within their circles. This approach not only streamlines the referral process,  but also allows you to monitor the effectiveness of your program. You’ll be able to identify who referred each new client or attendee and assess the overall impact of the referrals.

Additionally, if you opt for referral software, your program will run smoothly and automatically, reducing the effort needed for setup and management.

Note: There are two types of event management referral program:

• One where you’re looking for host referrals – say, couples looking for a wedding planner or families looking for someone to plan a major party

• One where you’re looking for attendee referrals, to boost attendance at your event

This article’s tips work well for both.

Benefits of event management referral programs

Referral programs come with a host of benefits. They not only have the potential to increase your sales but also foster ongoing growth. Let’s take a look at some of the key advantages that referral marketing can offer to event businesses.

Leverage social proof and trust: Before selecting an event planner or deciding whether to attend an event, people usually seek out reviews or consult friends. When someone hears about your services from a trusted acquaintance, they are more likely to host or attend an event.

Leverage the relationships you’ve built: Looking for new host clients? Existing clients tend to develop trust quickly since you’re working with them closely on the event’s details. If they’re blown away, they will gladly recommend you to others because of the time you’ve spent together and the care you’ve put in. 

Boost visibility: By offering incentives to clients or attendees who refer others, you motivate them to share their positive experiences. This can lead to them talking about you with friends and family or posting on social media, which expands your audience. As a result, more individuals become aware of your event or your planning services.

Reduce marketing costs: While traditional advertising and marketing efforts can be expensive and uncertain, referral programs are typically more affordable and often yield better results. You’re essentially investing in the relationships you’ve built with your existing clients or attendees.

Minimize marketing risk: With a referral program, you only provide rewards when a referred client books an event or a ticket. This means you only incur costs when you achieve results.

Promote viral growth: When one client refers a friend, that friend may also recommend your services r your event to others. This kind of word-of-mouth marketing can create a chain reaction, leading to substantial growth for your business.

Simplify tracking word of mouth: Tracking the effects of word-of-mouth marketing can be challenging. However, referral programs simplify this process with trackable links, making it easier to measure your success.

Referral software for event managers [Free Tools]

These referral tools for event managers are a free and easy way to help you start your referral program.

Want a fully automated referral program for your event management business? Run your referral program with us at Referral Rock. Find out how we can build your program with you (and tailor it to your unique needs)

Our best suggestions for event management referral programs  

These event referral program concepts will assist your business in attracting new leads and boosting sales. Here’s how to set up a successful referral program:  

Ensure your business is referable  

Before launching a referral program, it’s crucial to ensure that people have a reason to recommend you. If your business delivers a professional service and an exceptional experience, people will naturally want to refer you. The goal is to foster an environment that encourages customers to share your name. But how can you tell if you’ve achieved that?  

Are you receiving glowing reviews, positive testimonials, and social media shout-outs, along with new referrals even before you introduce any incentives? If the answer is yes, you’re all set to kick off a referral program.  

Choose the right incentives  

While your outstanding attention to detail, caring event planning, and above-and-beyond experiences are what will prompt people to think of sharing you, they’ll want to know what’s in it for them before making a recommendation. This is where selecting the right reward becomes important.  

Regardless of the incentives you consider, we suggest offering rewards to both the person making the referral and the new client or attendee (known as a double-sided reward). Give out the reward when you see results – when the referred friend books or registers for an event. This approach not only encourages referrals but also motivates the new clients to book events or get tickets. Plus, people enjoy helping their friends, rather than feeling like they’re just selling them something for personal gain.

What types of incentives should you offer? 

We generally recommend cash or gift cards for referrers, as they give the recipients the freedom to choose how they’ll spend it. Plus, if someone has already planned an event with you, they might not have another major event on the horizon. This means discounts won’t make sense to offer. 

If you’re getting attendee referrals, though, you could give credits toward the referrer’s registration – or a free upgrade to their ticket. You might also give them exclusive access to a VIP experience. After multiple successful referrals, you might let a referrer attend your event for free!

For the referred friend, tie the reward back to your services to encourage them to book or attend an event with you. Give them a discount off of the booking or ticket, credits towards it, or free add-ons.

Ask for referrals the right way

Timing is everything when it comes to asking for referrals. One of the simplest and most effective event referral program strategies is to directly request them. This is especially important – and effective – if you’re looking for host referrals. Since you’ve built a solid rapport and have had meaningful conversations, it feels natural to reach out.

Look for those perfect moments when clients or attendees are happiest and you’re fresh in their minds. For instance, consider asking for referrals when they:

• Leave a glowing review or comment on social media
• Share positive feedback in a survey
• Show appreciation during an event or during a consultation
• Registered for your event repeatedly, showing they appreciate what you do
• Recommend your services or your event to friends outside of the referral program
• Have recently held an event with you and you know they’re satisfied (wait at least a week or so before reaching out) 

Once you’ve found the right moment, reach out and thank them for what they’ve already done for your business. You can do this via email, or give them a physical thank-you card with a QR code that leads to your online referral program. 

Simplify sharing with One Click Access  

Streamlining the sharing experience can help you draw in more clients or attendees to your program, leading to increased referrals. A great way to enhance sharing is by removing the requirement for customers to log into your program.

With Referral Rock’s One Click Access links, your customers can begin sharing your events instantly. They will be automatically enrolled in the program, skipping the sign-up process and lengthy forms. All they need to do is provide a bit of information about their friends to send referrals.

Make sure to include One Click Access links in every email promoting your referral program, including newsletters and transactional emails—not just those focused on generating referrals.

Additionally, Referral Rock allows both new and existing members to access their referral portal using popular social logins like Google and Facebook, so they won’t have to remember a password.  

Streamline the sharing process  

A key element of a successful referral program is to make the referral process as straightforward as possible. Offer users various ways to share your offer, such as through email, social media, and SMS, to match their preferred communication methods. 

In addition, create a unique referral link for each participant in your program, allowing them to share it in the way that suits them best.

Keep in mind that you’re asking your customers for a favor by having them promote your events. If the referral process seems too complicated or time-consuming, they may become frustrated and give up. The goal is to minimize the number of steps involved.

• Ensure that referring someone takes just 1-2 clicks or taps.  
• On your referral program landing page, outline the program in 3-4 bullet points, highlighting the rewards and benefits of sharing.  
• Provide pre-written messages that users can easily send to their friends, so they don’t have to come up with their own text. These messages should be friendly and come from the referrer’s perspective.

Focus on social and mobile sharing

Social media’s a crucial referral program sharing method for event planners, as people will want to share about your event there anyway. 

It’s natural for people to post photos from the events they’ve hosted or attended – and hopefully tag you – so they should also be encouraged to share you  through the program. And if it’s prior to the event, boom – that’s multiple new eyes at once on your event, and it’s super easy to track how many new registrations come from a referral. 

Plus, since people most often share exciting things via mobile, make sure it’s just as easy to share via mobile as it is via desktop.

Promote, promote, promote! 

Engaging more members significantly boosts your chances of generating successful referrals and increasing your revenue. It’s crucial to ensure that everyone is aware of your program!

To effectively spread the word about your program, it’s important to leverage a mix of channels. Even with everything perfectly set up, your referral program won’t flourish if people don’t know about it. Here are some promotional strategies to consider:

• Send out dedicated emails to all your clients about your referral program, ideally on a monthly or quarterly basis. 
• If you’re promoting an event and trying to increase your attendee base, you might send emails out more frequently when the event gets closer. 
• Include brief mentions of your referral program in newsletters, update emails, and other regular communications.
• Mention your program in your email signatures.
• Tell people about your program on your thank you page, right after they complete a booking or registration.
• Feature a prominent banner or hero image on your website’s homepage that links to your referral landing page.
• Use subtle promotional techniques on your website, such as adding a link in the footer or menu, to make it easy for users to find and engage with your program.
• Share updates about your referral program on your social media channels.
• Use Referral Rock’s Monthly Summary emails to keep existing sharers engaged.

Select the best referral software  

Referral software tools make it easy to track referrals, understand their origins, and swiftly distribute rewards. They also offer valuable insights into your referral program, enabling you to evaluate its success and implement necessary changes.

Plus, these tools generate unique links that simplify the promotion of your program on social media and via email.

Referral Rock enhances the creation, tracking, rewarding, and marketing elements of your referral program, making it a vital asset for anyone looking to execute a successful referral campaign.

With Referral Rock, you can:

• Easily monitor referrals: Each participant is given a unique referral link, helping you identify the source of every referral. Customers can also track their referral activities through personalized dashboards.  
• Tailor your program: Select any rewards structure you prefer and customize the program to fit your brand’s requirements.  
• Automate your marketing: Keep your customers engaged with automated promotional emails and make sharing effortless with password-free links. Plus, rewards can be paid out instantly when earned.  
• Integrate with essential tools: Connect Referral Rock smoothly with over 50 different applications, including your CRM.  
• Evaluate program performance: Quickly gauge how your program is performing and make data-driven improvements.  
• Get started swiftly: Launch your program in just a few days, with expert support available throughout your setup and launch journey.

Launch your own event management referral program

An event management referral program enables you to leverage the trust and reliability of personal recommendations to attract new attendees or clients. The benefits of launching a referral program include easy tracking of referrals, enhanced exposure for your services, cost-effectiveness, and low risk.

By designing a well-considered referral program and following best practices, you can harness the power of word of mouth to accelerate your event services’ growth.