How to Promote an Event and Increase Attendance
Successful event promotion isn't usually about reaching everyone. It's about reaching the people most likely to be interested in what you offer.
How to Promote an Event and Increase Attendance
Whether you're running a workshop, class, community gathering, retreat, support group or local event, one challenge is almost universal: getting in front of the right people.
The good news is that successful event promotion isn't usually about reaching everyone. It's about reaching the people most likely to be interested in what you offer.
At Gather, every listing is matched with people based on their interests and location. Unlike traditional advertising, where your event may be shown to people with little interest in attending, Gather helps connect your gathering with people who are already looking for experiences like yours.
Many organisers find that a well-written listing reaches a good audience without any additional promotion. However, if you'd like to increase your visibility, and ensure a sell-out success, there are several ways to boost your gathering and reach more people.
Explore the available promotion options:
- Local Reach Boost
- Interest Reach Boost
- Featured Placement
- Social Media Promotion
- Email Sponsorship
Not sure which to choose? Read below for a full explanation of each option.
Start with a Great Listing
Before investing in promotion, make sure your gathering page is working hard for you. Many organisers find that small improvements to their listing can significantly increase engagement. A clear title, a strong sense of what people will experience, a welcoming description and good-quality images can make a huge difference to how many people view your gathering.
For more advice, see our guide to creating an effective event listing.
Reach More People in Nearby Areas
Local Reach Boost
By default, gatherings are matched with subscribers who live within the same postcode sector (for example, BH6) and have expressed an interest in the categories selected for your gathering. Sometimes, however, your ideal attendees live just beyond your usual catchment area.
A Local Reach Boost allows your gathering to be shown to people in additional postcode sectors who match your chosen interest categories. This helps you connect with people who may never have discovered your event otherwise.
This is particularly useful for:
- Specialist events
- Workshops and courses
- Gatherings with larger capacities
- Events that people may be willing to travel further to attend
Additional postcode sectors start from £15.
Go to your event dashboard to enable the boost
Reach New Interest Groups
Interest Reach Boost
For example, someone who enjoys surfing may also be interested in skateboarding. Someone who attends a local choir may be tempted by amateur theatre. The communities often overlap more than we realise.
An Interest Reach Boost allows you to extend your gathering beyond the standard category allowance, helping more relevant people discover what you're offering. This aligns closely with Gather's mission of helping people discover new interests, experiences and communities.
Sometimes the perfect attendee isn't already looking for exactly what you're offering. They're looking for something related and simply haven't found it yet.
Because Gather uses interest-based matching, your gathering is still being shown to people who are likely to find it relevant.
Additional interest categories cost £5 each.
Go to your event dashboard to enable the boost
Stand Out from Similar Listings
Featured Placement
Every day, new gatherings are added to Gather. Featured Placement helps ensure your listing doesn't get lost among other events by giving it greater visibility within relevant search results and recommendations. This can be especially effective when:
- You have limited time to promote
- You're launching something new
- You're competing with multiple events happening at the same time
- You want to maximise attendance for a specific date
Featured Placement costs £20 per week.
Go to your event dashboard to enable the boost
Promote Beyond Gather
Social Media Promotion
Some organisers want to reach people beyond the Gather platform. Our Social Media Promotion option allows organisers to extend their reach through paid social advertising, helping introduce their gathering to entirely new audiences.
Social media advertising can be incredibly effective, but it is also a specialist skill. Creating compelling adverts, choosing the right audiences and managing budgets can be challenging if you've never done it before.
Our in-house team will create and manage these adverts for you. You choose your budget, and 100% of that amount is spent on advertising. There are no additional charges for copywriting, artwork or campaign management.
Adverts will link directly to your Gather listing and, in some cases, may be grouped with other relevant gatherings to maximise exposure. To keep costs low, adverts are created using the information and imagery provided within your Gather listing. Drafts are not provided for approval before publication.
A minimum advertising spend of £30 applies.
Go to your event dashboard to enable the boost
Feature Your Organisation in Gather Emails
Email Sponsorship
Gather sends personalised email alerts and roundups to subscribers based on their interests and location. We offer a limited number of opportunities for organisations to place a branded advertisement within these emails.
To maintain trust within our community, we only work with advertisers whose values align with those of Gather. As audience size and targeting requirements vary, Email Sponsorship is arranged directly with the Gather team.
Send enquiry to the Gather team
Which Boost Option Is Right for You?
In summary, these are your options:
- Reach other locations → Choose Local Reach Boost
- Reach additional interest groups → Choose Interest Reach Boost
- Improve visibility within Gather → Choose Featured Placement
- Reach entirely new audiences → Choose Social Media Promotion
- Increase brand awareness → Choose Email Sponsorship
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to promote an event?
The most effective event promotion combines a strong listing with targeted promotion. Reaching people who are genuinely interested in your type of gathering is usually far more effective than reaching the largest possible audience.
How can I get more people to attend my event?
Start by ensuring your listing clearly explains who the gathering is for and what attendees can expect. If you'd like to increase visibility, consider using one of Gather's promotion options to reach additional audiences.
Are boosts required to appear on Gather?
No. All gatherings are eligible to appear in search results and recommendations. Boosts are entirely optional and designed for organisers who would like additional visibility or reach.
Can I promote both one-off events and ongoing gatherings?
Yes. All promotion options are available for both one-off events and ongoing gatherings.
Can I use multiple boosts together?
Yes. You can combine any number of promotional options for the same gathering to maximise visibility. For example, you could extend your reach into additional postcode sectors, target extra interest categories and add Featured Placement all at the same time. Once you've selected and paid for your chosen boosts, we'll handle everything else for you.
Why don't you charge for creating and managing social media adverts?
Social media advertising usually involves more than just the advertising budget itself. When using a third party to help, organisers are often charged separately for writing copy, designing adverts and managing campaigns. While we're still growing Gather, we're happy to absorb these costs ourselves, meaning every penny you spend goes directly towards advertising your gathering.
Remember…
The most effective event promotion isn't about attracting the largest possible audience. It's about helping the right people discover what you're offering.
That's why Gather focuses on relevance first. Every boost option is designed to increase visibility while keeping recommendations useful, meaningful and aligned with the interests of our community.
If you're ready to reach more people, you can add a boost to your gathering at any time from your organiser dashboard.