See part 1: Free invites – Blog de Olivian Breda.
I go to a lot of events using free invites.
But, in my case, “free” generally involves giving something back, so it’s generally more like a barter.
I also invite some people as a token of goodwill.
But I don’t invite people expecting something in return.
Negative example #1: I used to organize a series of events. For a long time, we had a central, well-organized, cool, good-equipped, and friendly location. After a few years, the area closed. We had to charge a small tax (around 30 lei, something like that, less than €10; I think it was €6-7). Years after the event ended, I met someone who asked me, “At some point, did you hold the event for free?”. I was stunned. After all these years, all that person cared about the event was €7. We made no profit; we barely even covered our costs, even though we also had some sponsors.
Negative example #2: I invited one person to an event and asked that person to write a follow-up message on my blog beforehand. The person recorded the event (I’m not sure if they had permission for that) and told me at the end, “Here’s the video; write whatever you write.” When I told them they should write the article, they didn’t do it.
Negative example #3: I invited a person to an event and asked for a follow-up message. They asked for permission to write negative things, which I accepted. They wrote some things about event organization and logistics. While not of zero value, it had little value to other readers.
Writing a follow-up article helps me remember the information better, creates quality content for my blog, and allows me to network. It’s a win-win-win. Yet, few people write event follow-ups.
I know some event organizers who don’t give free event invitations. I like their policy.
People pay a premium for business class because of a certain kind of company. I like their view.
