People like getting free stuff. If you are giving free stuff away, people will come to get it.

The Internet is full of free software called freeware. In addition, there are organizations that give out free open source software like Ubuntu which is software for the Linux operating system. In fact, an entrepreneur who was willing to swing for a couple of college interns, some computers, some marking pens and some cheap CDs could create a whole offering of free open source operating systems and office software with word processing and spreadsheets. You could advertise it as an event in which an entire office full of software is being given away for free. Make certain that the licensing rights on the software you are giving away allow this. Then, really open the thing up. Write the commercial purveyors of open source software such as Red Hat. Offer them a booth or whatever else they need. Guarantee them that they can give away all the free software they can bring.

For those not in the know, the deal for some open source software writers is to give away some open source software for free and then make your money customizing or supporting the software.

There are any number of things you might consider giving away for free to bring the people in. For instance, you might hire a memory expert, a financial wiz, a resume expert, recruiters, and businesses who are hiring. Look at what you are trying to do and find the goods or services that tie in with your efforts and then offer them free space to ply there wares or let them cosponsor the conference.

If you are trying get people to come to a community health screening offer free health food, supplements, massages and even chiropractic consults.

If you really want to have more folks than you can handle, finance say 10 jobs for one year. You decide what the workers will do. Tell your potential conference goers that 50 people will win a chance to interview for 10 jobs. Or you could just give away the jobs in a raffle. Almost any offering in which people will wind up with a year long, legal, paying job that offers more than minimum wage will bring in more people than you can handle.

Another idea is to offer anything which people find attractive. A chance to view paintings, flowers, super models, fast cars or whatever is likely to bring some eyeballs to whatever it is you want them to look at. You can try renting time at a public garden or museum, or hiring models from a modeling agency, or hiring a venue for the local vintage car club to show off their wheels. Make it a win-win. Get people who have something they are itching to show off so much so they would show it off for free, and make sure it something folks like look at. Even battleships built with matchsticks or the Taj Mahal done in Popsicle sticks is going to bring somebody out.

Offer people a one in a life time experience to sit behind the wheel of a car they could never afford or to meet someone who is otherwise unapproachable. Give people the chance to go somewhere they usually would lack the money or time to consider but you practically bring it to their door step. A display of rare collectible coins. A talk given by all the wresting stars or top Nascar racers.

Do a harmless stunt that might seem like a big deal but isn't. Throwing turkeys out of a plane is, as we all know by now, a bad idea since the birds can't fly. However, Christmas in July goes over big in many climes. Break out the snow machine and let the kids build snowmen.

Check with a lawyer on each of these ideas to make sure they are legal. Once you get legal blessings, run with it.

Learn more about this author, Michael Skinner.
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