Throwing a launch party has several benefits. It helps you introduce your product or service to other potential customers and investors, allows you to celebrate your hard work with your dedicated team, and build buzz and credibility around your offering. Most importantly, a launch party can also help increase consumer confidence. According to a survey conducted by the Event Marketing Institute, 74% of people are more likely to purchase a product after they’ve attended a branded marketing event experience.
Here’s how you can throw a successful launch party:
1. Pick the Right Location
If you’re on a budget and can throw a perfectly fine launch party at your office, by all means, do so. However, if you can investment in a great location, you’ll create a sense of curiosity among visitors. Don’t be afraid to be creative when it comes to picking a location—instead of opting for a hotel or bar, try renting out a cool nightclub, an art gallery, or fun outdoor venue.
2. Start Investing In Your Media List
Running any business requires that you know how to communicate with people. To have a truly successful launch party, you’ll want other influential people at your event. This is one reason why it’s so important to start cultivating your list early. Think about everyone you know who could prove influential or beneficial to your business, from other local businesses to complementary brands to industry influencers.
Make a list, and start reaching out to create a dialogue long before you put your party plans in motion. To help meet new people, it helps to attend networking events and conferences. However, keep in mind that once you exchange contact information with others, you have to start building those relationships as well.
3. Arrange Your Storage
As with any event, planning ahead can mean the difference between success and failure. And when it comes to a launch party, you might find that decorations, furniture, large posters, etc., start to take up a lot of space quickly. In some cases, you can keep all your event products in your garage, home, or even office. But other times, you might have to get creative with storage.
For example, if you were launching a retail/ecommerce business, you might look into investing in shipping containers for sale. This way, your storage solution can function with a dual purpose, providing a way to contain your items until you need to use them, as well as a secure way to transport goods.
4. Reach Out to Sponsors
There are many reasons why you should put your time and energy into reaching out to potential sponsors. First and foremost, when you work with a sponsor, they can provide extra visibility to your brand—especially among people who have never heard of your business. Your sponsors will help promote your brand before, during, and after your event.
These sponsors offer funding or products in exchange for their support and branding, which helps you put on a great event. Some sponsors will even go above and beyond by providing you with audience insights; this is because established organizations keep track of the data they can glean from an event, which allows them to make smarter marketing decisions.
With every event, you also want to be able to give out freebies. The great thing about bringing sponsors on board is that it helps make it easier to give out free products. If you’ve ever been to a launch party, you know that not only do people look forward to the goodies bag, but also become excited to share it socially.
5. Choose Great Food
If you want your visitors to be satisfied, you’ve got to feed them. Many people expect food when they arrive at parties, and if there isn’t food, you’ll find your guests leaving sooner than later.
As you work with your team to pick great food, it’s important to work with your location. For example, although meats, cheeses, and crackers are a safe bet, if you’re in a tight gallery, there are some types of cheeses you’d want to stay away from to avoid a crappy smell. You also will need to think about whether to avoid food that needs to stay hot.
If you happen to choose sponsors that are in the food industry, this is even better. For instance, for your desserts, you might want to work with a local bakery who can offer delicious, bite-sized cakes and cookies for your guests. This also provides an incentive for local businesses; they’ll have increased exposure, and can even offer exclusive discounts to your attendees, allowing them to capitalize on your visitors (as opposed to just providing free food).