How the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago Attracted a Global Audience for Online Events

In May 2021, Eventbrite held the RECONVENE summit, which drew thousands of event organizers. On our blog and in our RECONVENE Recaps portal, we’re highlighting key insights from popular sessions on subjects like safely returning to in-person events, the future of virtual, and best practices for expanding your audience.

The Chicago Lincoln Park Zoo held more than 50 events annually prior to the epidemic. The zoo offers free admission, so special activities, like summer wine nights, were essential for raising money.

Victoria Luisi, the zoo’s marketing coordinator, noticed there was a value to online events that the zoo wanted to utilize after fast switching to virtual. It was now simpler than ever to transport the audience to an animal’s natural environment, such as a penguin cove. There were capacity restrictions in the actual world, therefore the penguins may have concealed from the tourists. That didn’t take place virtually, and the zoo was able to send a survey right away after an event and receive quick feedback. We fixed a problem that we weren’t even aware we had, she remarked.

Luisi provided marketing advice for growth at Eventbrite’s RECONVENE summit, focusing on virtual events. Here are four lessons that event planners can learn.