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Successful Event Planning - Open House
Open your doors and invite your customers to come check you out. If you want to announce new offerings, show off a new facility or thank loyal customers, consider hosting an open house. A well-planned open house can help you meet new prospects, highlight your successes and build long-term business relationships.
How to Begin?
Set your sights.
Before you even begin to plan your event, think about why you are hosting it:
- Know your objectives. Are you hoping to generate new business or simply celebrate a milestone? Do you want to educate your clients or wow them? Your objectives will help determine all aspects of your open house, from your invitation list to the activities you offer.
- Set clear goals and guidelines. Set a budget. How much can you afford to spend? And what kind of return on your investment should you expect?
- Establish a measurement for success. Think about what will constitute a successful event - A large turnout? A new batch of qualified leads? An upsurge in sales? Set benchmarks so you'll know if you achieve your goals.
Be prepared.
The best business events may look effortless, but they're anything but. Start your preparations weeks in advance, using a detailed checklist to be sure you have everything covered. Here's a list to get you started:
- Prepare your facility. Apply for any needed permits, assure space for parking and coats, and arrange for displays.
- Plan activities. Prepare for any presentations, announcements or entertainment.
- Develop a theme. Create one that is seasonal, is related to current events, focuses on news about your business or is just plain fun.
- Prepare your staff. Make sure they understand your goals and expectations and their roles in making the event a success.
- Order refreshments. Set your menu and engage a caterer early. You can always readjust numbers later, if necessary.
- Arrange for decorations. Consider centerpieces, special displays, name tags and even themed d?cor that will add to the festivities and make your event more memorable.
- Set a timeline. Work backward from your event date and assign responsibility for each task.
Tell the world.
"If you build it, they will come" might be a great line in a movie, but it's not the most effective strategy for an open house. If you want people to attend, you have to invite them - and remind them.
- Send invitations. For current customers or identified new prospects, nothing is as effective as a personal invitation, whether sent by email or delivered in a crisp envelope.
- Advertise. If you're looking for a broader audience, consider placing an ad in your local paper or business journal, or renting a list from a list-rental company and sending out flyers.
- Lure them in. Even your best customers may need a little incentive to attend. Consider offering a special gift, drawing or discount for attendees.
- Send reminders. We all need a little nudge now and then.
Bask in the glow.
Once the open house is over, take a moment to enjoy the accolades, then get to work. You've established new connections and renewed old relationships. Don't let the goodwill you've just worked so hard to establish disappear from lack of attention.
- Thank your guests for coming. Send an email or drop a note to those who attended, letting them know how good it was to visit with them.
- Keep the conversation open. Ask your guests to sign up ("opt in") for your newsletters or tech bulletins. Send them follow-up information about the specific products or services you discussed with them. Send them a brochure or catalog. Offer a free consultation.
- Measure your results. Did you meet the objectives you set when planning the event? What would you do differently next time? Discuss what worked and what didn't, and start thinking about when to plan your next open house.
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