How to Deal with the LA Flake: Attracting Event Attendees in Los Angeles

Why are Angelenos so flaky?

To answer this question, we have to first look at LA's setup. As they say, “it takes an hour to go anywhere in LA,” and that’s just the beginning. Next comes the amount of events that happen at any given time, on any given day, and the overcommitment of social engagements. Burnout can—and does—happen quickly. The sheer volume of events and the physical and emotional work it takes to attend them is overwhelming. Brands who want to host events are up against a lot. However, with the right strategy, your event doesn’t have to be “just another LA event.”

Six steps to turn ghosts into event-goers

If you are going to plan an event in LA, you’re going to need some ghosting mitigation strategies. At EMB, clients turn to us all the time to elevate their events because their last few didn’t yield the results they were hoping for. We’re pretty good at this type of thing, so we’re passing our expertise on to you.

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Step one: craft an irresistible event narrative

What is your theme? Where is your event located? And most importantly, who are you speaking to? If you haven’t answered these basic questions, you need to head back to the drawing board. Just because you think something is cool, doesn’t mean it will resonate with them. So to curate the perfect event, survey your target audience. Don’t assume your event is “one you don’t want to miss.” Make damn sure.

After you survey your audience, decide your narrative with an immersive concept. At the end of the day, events are an experience, so if you over-promise and under-deliver, you might as well hang up your hat, because one of the most unforgivable things in events is wasted time. Take the Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow, or—better yet—Fyre Festival. (I don’t think Billy is ever going to live that down.)

TL:DR

• Survey your audience. 
• Ensure events with exclusive benefits actually have benefits worth the exclusivity.
• Be as accurate and on-point as possible in your theme, especially for throwback events.

Step two: leverage FOMO tactically

So, you have your theme, your venue and audience interest, and now you’re ready to start selling tickets. But first, you need to create excitement. Do this by sharing behind-the-scenes (BTS) content on social platforms where the audience lives. If this is the first event, share the setup process and leverage videography for announcement clips. And finally, people get excited when there’s a deal to be had. So, highlight early-bird pricing in a limited capacity and offer incentives for early purchases. 

For example, if your event is a ‘90s rooftop party, then an added value would be signed merch for the first 25 people and a t-shirt for the next 75 people. Gift cards, sunglasses, flasks, etc. are all things people covet, so when you survey your audience, find out what they value the most. (A mood ring or a Tamagotchi giveaway or an opportunity to take group selfies in a recreated Friends set would be “da bomb.”)

TL:DR

• People like freebies, but people love really unique freebies that are event-specific.
• The event experience starts weeks before the venue doors ever open.
• Highlight pricing deals, leverage BTS content, and offer incentives to build FOMO.

Step three: simplify the commitment process

The registration process is where the audience gets their first impression of the event, and if I know one thing about Angelenos, they are impatient AF. Glitches happen, but planning ahead and looking at every detail for registration is the difference that can make or break morale. So, leverage tools like Eventbrite’s one-click registration, and allow attendees to auto-add events to their Google or Apple calendars. You should also send reminders ahead of the event one to two months out, one week out, 48 hours before and finally two hours before the event starts. For an extra razzle-dazzle, send a survey after the event to build FOMO for the next one and to understand what did and did not work for the audience.

In LA, you also have to contend with the issue of access and transportation. Even the most theoretically committed ticket-holder might flake at the last minute if they have to take the 5 to get to your event at 7:00pm on a Friday. Part of simplifying the commitment process is making sure your attendees stick to their commitment up until the moment they need to leave their apartment. Encourage—or even incentivize—rideshares, and choose venues and event start times that make it easier to say “yes.”

TL:DR

• Make registration as easy as possible.
• Don’t let your audience forget that they registered, and encourage commitment.
• Think about physical access and transportation to avoid last-minute flakers.