6 Things You CANNOT Forget When Planning Your Launch Event
Fellow entrepreneurs, I feel your pain; launching your company is stressful enough without having to worry about the launch event to promote your new company. Here are a few things you absolutely CANNOT forget when throwing your launch event.
Event objective - Before beginning the planning phases of the event make sure to define for yourself and your team what the objective of your launch is. Is your event to gain awareness about your new business? A new product? A change of management? Publicity? What are you looking to get from throwing this event and is it measurable so that you can calculate your ROI (return on investment…. I know you entrepreneurs know what that is!)
Contact the media – No matter how many high profile VIP’s or the number of attendees you have, you will only shoot yourself in the foot if you do not create a buzz that ventures out beyond your event. You have arrived and everyone should know! You absolutely cannot forget to let the media outlets know about both your event and about your company.
Photographs – This sounds so “duh” but so many people forget this small detail or do not find it important. If your event is not posted online then it didn’t happen; there is no point of reference when people hear about your event or company afterwards. All your hard work and the purpose of your event was for nothing! You absolutely have to have a photographer shoot your launch event…. and not a friend of yours with their iPhone, hire a professional to shoot pictures that you can use for months and years to come!
Think of your attendees – When throwing your event make sure to think of your target demographic and who your attendees will be. If you will have mostly attendees in the health and fitness industry do not serve fried foods and chips. Keep your attendees in mind when planning your f&b, venue, theme, and programming. Although this is the launch event for your business, this event isn’t to be targeted towards your personal taste it is to show your company in the best light.
Giveaways – Plan to have some giveaways to announce throughout the event. Letting your attendees know upon arrival that you will be giving away items will give them incentive to stick around throughout your event. And please schedule the giveaways throughout the night do not bore everyone at the end of the event with someone drawing business cards out of a fishbowl for an hour!
Leave them wanting more – There is no need for a 5 hour party into the wee hours of the night… unless you have a jam packed schedule of events that will keep your attendees engaged. A long event leaves a lot of dead time for your guests to become bored and your guests will begin to leave before the event is over. Make your launch event short, to the point, and end it while the room is still full. Your attendees will be grateful for the respect of their time and will leave with a positive impression of popularity and buzz surrounding your business. Hey, you can always have an after party at a nearby bar for those that can’t get enough of you!
I hope this helps you in planning your launch event! If you have any questions about your event or would like to brainstorm some ideas for your launch feel free to contact me… after all it is my specialty!
Leave a comment below with any great launch ideas you have come across!