Ice Cream Man!

Ice cream. It comes in just about any flavor you could want. It can be made without dairy or it can be made with as much fat and cream as you can handle. It can be chunky or smooth, come in a cone or a cup, and it almost always satisfies. I can’t recall that I’ve ever met anyone who didn’t like ice cream. It can also be a very effective event tool. If you haven’t used ice cream at your event, you should try it.

Not sure how ice cream became part of the event professional’s arsenal? I’m sure you’ve attended a trade show where you started passing groups of people in the aisles carrying ice cream sandwiches. You may have even stopped them to ask which booth was handing them out. My guess is that you even went by that booth to see if they had any left. Or, you noticed a large crowd gathered around a particular booth thinking they had a popular product only to find out they are handing out ice cream cups; you know the ones with the wooden tongue depressors as spoons and the round peel-off tops of yore. How popular were either of these vendors in those moments? Very.

Ice cream bars, ice cream sandwiches, Dreamsicles, popsicles, and more can all be effective and low-cost ways to entice attendees into doing something without sending another email, pushing notifications through the event app, or spending more money on marketing campaigns. If you want them to stay longer to attend a late-night session, offer ice cream. If you want them to come early to pick up their conference materials, offer ice cream. If you want them to come all the way deep into the exhibit hall so they have to pass the most number of vendors possible, you guessed it, offer ice cream in the back of the room. Ice cream word-of-mouth is some of the best communication ever.

It seems as though anywhere ice cream is served, a crowd gathers. I helped plan an event where we used old-school ice cream carts (the ones with striped umbrellas and spoked wheels) to not only set the mood for the event but also draw the crowd into the open space in the back, away from the entrance, so more people could get through the entry gates quickly and efficiently. And, it was a cool treat on a hot day.

When planning a family-friendly outdoor event with inflatables and yard games, one event we rented actual ice cream trucks complete with your friendly neighborhood ice cream men who periodically played those familiar tunes to attract attention and pass out classic treats to everyone. They were a big hit and it added to the ambience of the event.

I offered a sundae bar during the break of a series of smaller meetings as a special treat, complete with three flavors of ice cream, bananas, whipped topping, sprinkles, sauces, cherries…. the works. I guarantee you once these events got the reputation for including a sundae bar, attendance grew year-over-year. Coincidence? I think not.

Because the types, flavors, styles, shapes, and themes of ice cream are just about as varied as the types, flavors, styles, shapes, and themes of events and those who attend them, you can find a version of ice cream to fit your event without much effort.

Where have you used ice cream as an event tool successfully? I’d love to know
what you did! Please email me or share it here.

Also, take a second to add a comment, like this blog, and share it on your social media. Let me know you’re here!