5 facts you need to know about your conference attendees

If you want to create a truly successful event - a conference or workshop, you need to understand the people attending it. When a company builds a product, the first thing they think about is the potential customer. As a conference organizer, you first need to define who your attendee is - even before you build the event website, choose a platform for attendee registration, or start selling tickets.

78% of working people admit they neglect sleep to some degree.

It is likely that many of the attendees at your event are chronically tired. We know that the day of the event brings plenty of fascinating speakers and great networking opportunities, but if attendees are not well rested, your event does not deliver as much added value to them and they will not take away all the information.
Consider starting the event a little later to give attendees time to rest, especially if you are organizing an event that people travel to from different time zones. If your conference is a single day and starts early in the morning, consider splitting it into two days to allow for a later start.

More people own a mobile device than a toothbrush

There are 7 billion people in the world, around 4 billion own a smartphone, and around 3.5 billion own a toothbrush. There is no longer any denying that the world is changing.
You can assume that every attendee at your event owns a smartphone. This means that many attendees expect you to provide them with an event app.
After all, much of their life is connected to their phone in some way; they text their loved ones, email colleagues, and reconnect with old friends through social media. So why couldn't they also build new business contacts through their phone?
Consider creating an event app so attendees can make meaningful business connections, follow the event program, take part in live polls, ask speakers questions, and post to social media. On top of that, it is a great way to be eco-friendly and eliminate printing costs.

People sitting in uncomfortable chairs tend to be less open

In general, a feeling of discomfort makes people less open, which is definitely something you do not want to happen at your conference. It is important to have comfortable seating at your event so that attendees can make the most of the information from speakers, workshops, and networking opportunities.
You want the attendees to open up to new ideas and new people. Try spending a day at the office in one of the chairs your attendees will be sitting in, so you can decide whether they are right for your event.

9% of people carry no cash at all, and half carry €20 or less.

Thanks to services like Viamo, Apple Pay, Google Wallet, PayPal, and other mobile payment services and payment cards, cash is becoming increasingly obsolete. If you offer food or drinks, or sell merchandise, make sure that you and your vendors accept mobile payments or card payments. If you do not, you may lose potential customers, which ultimately means less revenue. A cashless system can also be a solution - it gives you, as the organizer, better control over sales and speeds up payments for your customers at each individual vendor.

People tend to remember 3-4 things at a time before they start to forget

Be sure to share this statistic with the speakers at your conference. If you want to create a great conference experience that has a truly positive impact on the audience, ask your speakers to pick 3-4 key takeaways that will motivate attendees to make positive changes in their life or at work.