Attendees from all over the country and even the world travel to your event and may not have time to explore the city you’re hosting in. So why not bring local flavor to your event? Adding local flavor can help attendees get a taste of the local culture and will give them a sense of connection. Here are a few ways to add that local flair to your next event!
Food and Beverage
Food may be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about a specific place and it’s a great way to give attendees a taste of where they are! Don’t just choose one particular food, if your location is known for multiple things, incorporate them all! For example, St. Louis is known for barbecue, toasted ravioli and St. Louis style pizza. Work with local restaurants, farmers markets and caterers and make sure to tell attendees where all the food comes from so if they like it, they can enjoy it again! As far as beverages, local wine labels, craft beers, and local coffee are all likely to appeal to your guests. In Austin, you could partner with a brewery like Austin Beerworks or Hops and Grain Brewing to give attendees the opportunity to try locally brewed beer!
Venues
Choose a venue that reflects the region such as local museums, art galleries and places with historic architecture. In Los Angeles, we have worked events held at Calamigos Ranch, which gives attendees a look at the beautiful Malibu coast. As well as events at The Ebell of Los Angeles which was built in 1927 and features beautiful architecture in a more sophisticated setting. If you decide to go a more traditional route, find somewhere with a view of the city or incorporate a location’s culture into your event decor! We have provided LED walls that display a city’s landscape if you can’t see the real thing, as well as stage backdrops that have footage of a specific city’s culture and significance with interviews from locals and business owners for attendees to watch in between sessions. You can even work with local artists to have them display their art around your venue!
Speakers/Entertainment
With just a little research, you can find local entertainment and speakers for your event. Local bands, DJs, poets, comedians and more can reflect a destination’s culture while also entertaining guests. Red Bull Music’s Equal Axis party in Austin featured LGBTQ+ artists and performers from around the area so they not only represented Texas’ culture but also LGBTQ+ culture. Local speakers can bring some local color while speaking about your event’s message. At SXSW in Austin, Create and Cultivate had Camille Styles, a local lifestyle blogger and Creative Director at camillestyles.com, as a guest on one of their panels. She was able to speak on the topic of being a female entrepreneur, while also representing Austin. Having entertainment and speakers from your event’s location will enrich the overall experience for attendees!
More You Can Do
There are multiple ways to represent your event location that don’t fall into the categories above. A few more ways to add local flavor are:
Donate a portion of the ticket sales to a local nonprofit as a thank you to the community for welcoming you into their city. Attendees will feel good about this and they will be more likely to purchase a ticket if you announce it ahead of time.
Schedule a volunteer opportunity at a local organization as a form of structured networking before the event to give those traveling alone a chance to meet other attendees.
Feature local restaurant and shop suggestions in the agenda pamphlet to help boost sales for local entrepreneurs.
Provide a Lyft discount code to incentivize attendees to explore the city