Post-event Checklist: How to Keep Attendees Engaged After Your Event
We recently shared how to keep attendees engaged during your event, but do you put the same energy into your post-event engagement strategy?
In this blog post, M&IW’s Amanda Hass, Sr. Marketing Strategist, shares four of her top recommendations for post-event engagement, best practices for each, and a customizable checklist to elevate your own post-event strategy. First, she explores why it’s important to keep attendees engaged after the event has ended.
Can’t wait for the post-event engagement checklist? Click the button below to download this free resource with actionable to-dos for before and after your event.
Why Post-event Attendee Engagement Matters
“Post-event engagement should be part of every event marketing strategy,” says Amanda. “It helps gather critical feedback to shape future events. More importantly, it strengthens your relationship with attendees, increasing retention and brand loyalty.”
To maximize impact, your post-event strategy should deliver ongoing value. Share relevant content, insights, and resources that extend the conversation and reinforce key takeaways. This approach not only sustains momentum but also builds trust in and connection to your organization.
“Connection is key to meaningful experiences,” adds Amanda. “From a neuroscience standpoint, research shows that the social brain plays a powerful role in relationship building, learning, and memory retention, all of which are markers of a successful event and positively impact your ROI.”
Best Practices for Post-event Engagement
When it comes to post-event attendee engagement, Amanda’s recommendations focus on content and the attendee experience.
Prioritize Post-event Surveys
“You’re probably already using post-event surveys,” says Amanda, “but with a few small tweaks, they can become powerful engagement tools.”
Send your survey no more than 24 hours after the event ends so attendees can answer while the experience is still fresh in their minds. If you historically have low participation rates for surveys, consider offering an incentive for completion. Think discount codes, free resources, complimentary consultations, or entries into a prize drawing.
Also, try breaking your survey into two parts. “If your survey is too long, no one will finish it,” says Amanda. “Breaking it out drives value for you and makes it easier for attendees.”
In the first part, collect the required information and ask short-form questions, like multiple choice or 1–5 scales. Then, ask respondents if they want to continue the survey to share additional feedback. If they say no, their survey is submitted. If they say yes, they can answer optional long-form questions before submitting.
Repurpose Event Content
“One of the best ways to extend the life of your event is to repurpose your content,” says Amanda. Effective ways to reuse content include:
Blog Posts: Write blog posts recapping the biggest sessions or highlighting key takeaways from the event as a whole. Each blog can link to additional resources attendees may not have had access to at the event, strengthening their connection to your organization. For an example of a post-event blog post from the 2025 M&IW Summit, click here.
On-demand Videos: Record each session and make the videos available to attendees so they can rewatch their favorite sessions or catch ones they missed. “This is also a great way to expand your audience by offering post-event registration so non-attendees can access the recordings as well,” says Amanda.
Social Media: The possibilities are endless when it comes to repurposing content for social media. Create bite-size videos from your on-demand recordings, share a highlight reel of event photos and videos (like this example from the 2025 M&IW Summit), promote your post-event blog posts, and more. You can also highlight specific initiatives related to the event, such as the final impact of a CSR activity or sustainability efforts (here’s another example). “Don’t forget to create polls or ask questions to encourage further interaction,” adds Amanda.
Resource Center: Create a post-event resource center housing all of your content to make it easy for attendees to find. Videos, photos, blog posts, presentation slides, and more can all live here to view and/or download. “Just like the on-demand videos, your resource center can also be gated for post-event registration,” says Amanda. “Be sure to specify exactly what’s available. The more content included, the greater the value and the more likely people are to want access.”
Give Attendees Behind-the-scenes Access
“Attendees, especially those not in the events industry, love a peek behind the curtain,” says Amanda. “Whether you reserve access for your VIPs or make it available to everyone, it’s a fun way put a new spin on your event.”
Going behind-the-scenes can be as simple as sharing photos and videos on social media after the event. Timelapse videos of an event are a popular choice, especially with set-up or tear-down included. You can also interview the lead planner or event organizer to share their insider knowledge.
For a more in-depth look, host a behind-the-scenes webinar detailing the full planning process. Allow enough time to collect survey results so you can dive into what worked, what didn’t, and how you plan to improve next year.
For an example of a behind-the-scenes webinar from the 2024 M&IW Summit, click here.
Plan a Post-event Email Campaign
Post-event emails are one of the easiest ways to maintain engagement after an event. Send from the same email address used for pre-event communications so your emails don’t get blacklisted.
Here’s an example of a simple post-event email campaign targeting both attendees and no-shows/cancellations:
Email 1 (Survey): For attendees, include a thank-you message in addition to a link to the post-event survey. Best practice is to personalize the email beyond just the first name. “Now’s the time to use your attendee data,” says Amanda. “For example, include the names of sessions they attended or wish safe travels back to their specific city, state, or country.” For no-shows and cancellations, send a “We missed you!” message and either link to a survey or include an interactive survey directly in the email asking why they cancelled or couldn’t attend.
Email 2 (Resource Center): Share your resource center with on-demand videos, blog posts, and more with both audiences. “For attendees, the messaging should be ‘catch the sessions you missed’ or ‘find your favorite photos,’” says Amanda. “For no-shows/cancellations, position it as ‘here’s what you missed.’”
Email 3 (Save the Date): Announce the date of your next annual event or another related event coming up. Consider offering a registration discount, and include satisfaction scores and testimonials from your post-event survey to remind them of your event’s value. “For attendees, the messaging is ‘see you again next year,’” says Amanda, “while for no-shows/cancellations, it should be, ‘we hope to see you next year.’”
If registration isn’t open yet or you don’t have another upcoming event, consider a product or service discount or a free demo or consultation instead. “The goal is to keep both audiences invested in and engaged with your organization,” adds Amanda.
Post-event Attendee Engagement Checklist
For more ideas or a convenient way to keep these practices top of mind, download our customizable post-event attendee engagement checklist. This free resource covers to-dos for both before and after your event to ensure you’re set up for success every step of the way.
Elevate Your Events with M&IW
At M&IW, we design engaging event experiences rooted in human connection, elevated by human touch, and powered by smart technology. Are you ready to elevate your events? Contact us to get started.
Meet the Expert
Amanda Hass
Sr. Marketing Strategist
Meetings & Incentives Worldwide, Inc.
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