You work hard to achieve your dreams. Now it's time to introduce it to the world!
A kickoff party is a fantastic way to celebrate your new venture. The fun thing about planning a launch event is that you can go crazy and get creative as much as you want. Memorable is the way to go. Think outside the box and create an event that's as great as the project you're starting.
Don't know where to start? Follow the instructions below for some great inspiration and launch party ideas to help you plan your perfect product launch.
Launch Party Planning - Where to Start?
Not sure where to start your event planning process? Let's go back to the beginning - what are you going to launch? Is it a new novel, a revolutionary piece of software, or a luxury brand cigar?
Start with your product or service, make it the star of your occasion, and build everything around it. You want to make sure your guests fully understand what's going on and why it's so special.
Once you've decided on your starting point, start planning!
Think Theme
What event theme will perfectly align with your product? If you're going to scuba gear, there's no point in decorating your venue as a desert of Arabian Nights. Create an underwater fantasy world and you create magic!
Don't be afraid to think outside the box and create something that will wow your guests.
An easy alternative to a particular theme is to match colors. Rely on your product brand to pick your color palette, but don't limit yourself to just brand colors, as this can feel one-dimensional.
Enhance your brand's primary colors with neutral or complementary backup colors to create a palette that draws attention to the right thing (your product). Choose a neutral tone for your base color, then add popular brand colors to your downlights, center decorations, banners, pop-up signage, or venue décor.
For evening events, using black as the background color is still as eye-catching and effective as ever.
Venue to Match Vision
Your product launch venue will play a huge role in setting the tone for the night. Think about the atmosphere you want to create before choosing.
Do you want something original and edgy? Choose a venue with an industrial feel to a bare brick structure and lots of metal and glass. For a comfortable, more intimate launch, look for something with lower ceilings and toast colors. Soft lighting and carpeted floors will add a warm atmosphere to the event. For a tropical feel, look for open spaces full of greenery.
The venue size you choose will need to accommodate the number of guests you wish to receive at the launch.
Consider any specific requirements that may be required when publishing. If you're a designer and need to showcase your clothing collection, do you need to build a temporary runway? If you plan to form a large band, you will need a considerable amount of open space or stage space.
If you will be relying heavily on audiovisual equipment for your presentation, make sure there is enough space so that the projector screen is easily visible from all parts of the venue.
What is a posting without a gift bag? One of the best things about a product launch is getting guests home with a whole bunch of great gifts. This is the only way to create a good atmosphere where your guests will resonate with your product and keep them coming back for more.
If you fill your gift bag smartly, you don't have to go all over your budget. Find small brands that crave exposure and partner with them to host your event. Choose something that complements your product in some way, and you'll find that it enhances your product launch.
Consider including the following categories:
Edible and delicious (chocolate can't go wrong)
"Indigenous" items that benefit the local community (community project jewelry, charity enthusiasts, or t-shirts)
Practical gifts such as notebooks and pens
Product samples and business cards
A recycling craft bag that holds everything
Gift bags aren't the only way to give gifts to attendees. You can also set up an interactive product "bar" for guests to taste and try. This applies to products such as eco-friendly skincare products.
Using this method can make your event more like an experience for your guests. Your event partner may acquire some new customers with you. We call it a win-win!
Busy guests are happy guests who linger. How fun is it to party when the guests are having a great time and they don't want to leave? It's a good posting vibe.
In addition to dancing, drinking, and eating, there are some delightful and innovative ways to ensure your guests stay. The longer they stay, the more they will love your product or service.
Get creative and find events related to your product or topic to enhance the meaning of your launch. Charismatic bartenders can captivate audiences with bartending magic, and that's a great place to start.
How about a local makeup artist who changes faces in a way that is relevant to your product? Or a pop-up braided salon, a henna hand tattoo, or a street artist who can sketch a portrait in minutes? The options are endless.
Live music is the magic ingredient for elevating any occasion. Matching your entertainment to your product or occasion will delight your guests and host a memorable event for them. Here are five of our favorite music pairings to inspire you:
1. Starting a travel agency? Showdown with Spanish flamenco guitarists to bring their music to guests' eyes to create rich flavors from faraway places.
2. If your launch is technology-related, such as a new VR headset, bring the party to life with an Electro Swing DJ that combines the whims of the pre-technological era with the fresh electronic rhythms of the present.
3. Are you a designer and are launching a new line of exclusive vintage clothing? Fill the room with romantic, nostalgic and soulful sounds of solo violinists.
4. Maybe you're hosting a wealth management event. Create an atmosphere of opulence, with a rich breath flowing in the brisk repetition of the string quartet.
5. How about a cool pop-up store for D2C Instagram clothing brands? The roaming vocal cords fit the nomadic feel of a shop that is not limited by brick walls. If you prefer something more fixed, you can choose a jazz band from the 1920s to complete your occasion.
Whatever your release focus, there will be a musical style that matches a band. (Or maybe more than one!) Don't worry, we can help you choose.）
Do You Need a Host?
It is not necessary to start the event host, but it is useful to have someone holding a microphone in front.Here, you need to gain insight into where you excel and where you're headed.
If you feel completely comfortable with the microphone in your hand and are ready to interact with the crowd for a night on end, you're perfectly capable of hosting your evening and most likely throwing a dance.
If you're running best behind the scenes, making sure everyone feels comfortable, their wine glasses are well stocked, everything goes well, and you're probably enjoying the night even more if someone hosts the event. They will connect you with the crowd and media representatives to get the energy in the room high. This gives you the freedom to focus on everything that's going on and take a moment to absorb it all.
Create a Customer Journey
Think outside the walls of the venue to create a customer journey that immerses guests in your product from the moment they step out of the car in the parking lot. If appropriate, have staff present to open doors and valet parking.
Illuminate the sidewalk with branded lanterns. Before guests enter the venue, welcome them with a small cocktail. Roll out the red carpet and make all visitors feel like celebrities.
Make sure to play upbeat music when they arrive at the venue, even before the official start time. The music, especially from live bands, creates a pre-party atmosphere that silence simply cannot.
Create product information packages within your site. Tell the story behind your story with engaging visuals that resonate with your brand and products. When done well, both videos and still photos are effective. Immerse your visitors in the heart of your product, not just naked facts. Use simple yet powerful images.
If you choose invitation-only official release, you can sit down and enjoy a big meal. This kind of posting is perfect for niche communities that are already connected. Think of a citywide gathering of book club members attending a book launch — only for those who have already joined the club.
If your launch is an open invitation that will appeal to the masses, your best bet is to offer bite-sized finger foods that have been carefully prepared and displayed. Guests will appreciate the miniature artwork they taste.
Either way, be guided by the theme and style of your event. If your activity tends to be more relaxed, choose home-cooked food that is more fun. For complex activities, raise your snack level to match the drama you create in your room.
For any occasion other than formal sit-down dining, make sure your meal is made up of smaller, easier-to-eat finger foods that don't make a mess for guests who are already fiddling with wine glasses, napkins, and a plate of milk. Snacks.
Dessert Stop
Make the evening sweet with a variety of mini desserts. Your guests will love being able to satisfy their sweet tooth with a small bite of a delicious meal. When appropriate, you can strategically decorate the venue with platters for guests to self- catering. Or let your service staff mingle with the crowd and serve sweet finger snacks whenever possible.
If you serve snacks at the bar or in the buffet area, serve dessert in the same way. Choose a non-messy finger dessert that is easy to handle.
Serving drinks to the crowd can quickly become a substantial expense, but it's also one of the areas where sponsorship is easier to get. Contact emerging brands that are looking for exposure to their products and you'll find that your drink is taken care of, but at the cost of showcasing their brand at the venue.
Today, alcohol-free options are also fully accepted by society. You can offer non-alcoholic mocktails or other healthy juice bar alternatives. Why not hire a smoothie bar to provide guests with custom-made smoothies on site? If you're opening a yoga studio, health club, or beauty spa, super healthy drinks will be the best choice.
Spotlight On
The purpose of the launch campaign is to draw attention to your new venture. With that said, there are several ways to do this effectively. You can focus on:
Your Team
Lead your guests through the hard work ahead of launch day. Make sure to capture footage before the team plans, works, laughs, and works wonders. Put everything together in a fun way to give your guests a real understanding of how your product was born. With some tight editing, special effects, and music, you can draw people into your brand story and help them fall in love with everything you stand for.
Your Vision
You are the one who understands the reasons behind your new venture. Take the time to unravel the process for your guests. What made you decide to open a mobile dog grooming salon? What was your idea in making this decision? Make it vulnerable, be real, laugh at yourself if you want, and open up. A glimpse of your heart will impress your guests and create loyal customers.
Would you rather hide under a table all night than face a room full of strangers? If you're not used to speaking in a crowd, there's nothing stopping you from hiring a guest speaker in the evening. If you can find someone who is a bit of a celebrity, that will add an extra raffle card to your event. Look for people whose lifestyles, beliefs, and message resonate with you.
If you'd rather keep it in-house, why not have one person on your team speak to the crowd. Did you know of someone who likes to talk and can't be quiet in meetings? They may be a good fit for the job. Get them ready for what you want them to say to their guests, and then let them put it into practice.
Tips for Building a Buzz
If you don't invite guests, all the work you do to create the right atmosphere, serve loot and food, and make sure your products are on display won't help. So how do you attract crowds?
Social Media Savvy
Where can you go to find future customers? Social Media! Whether you turn to Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, or most recently to Tik-Tok, your employees are there. You just need to contact them. Create a publishing hashtag and encourage people to use it when mentioning your product or event.
Take the plunge and go live! Be a real flesh-and-blood person that your audience can see and resonate with. Post regularly to your company's social media accounts and tag your customers when appropriate. Each customer you tag represents another personal network that you will appear in their feed.
Getting an RSVP from a social media influencer may spark interest in your posting.
People are drawn to mystery, urgency and excitement. You can start creating a sense of anticipation for your launch months before the event. Set up giveaways that increase in value as the launch time approaches, and the grand prize will be awarded that night. Keep your audience guessing, but give them enough teasing so they can make the appropriate investment.
If you're fighting for sponsors for your event, mention them often on social media. It's a way to thank them for their interest and support in your business. Look for sponsors whose brands complement your products.
Create Shareables
Invest in well-designed event images that capture the essence of the event and clearly display all the important information. Make sure your drawings are shareable on all platforms. Make it as easy as possible for people to like and share your posts. Create your picture in all social media formats and make sure your sharing settings are set to public and not private, otherwise your customers won't be able to share posts.
Bring-A-Friend Benefits
Create incentives for people to invite their friends and attract more people to the launch. For example, for each additional person they bring, they can get an extra big giveaway. A strategy like this won't cost you anything, but will motivate guests to promote the event on your behalf.
FOMO, or fear of missing out, is real, and it can work in your favor. Before the event starts, remind RSVP people that the event is approaching and confirm the time and place.
For those who don't respond, you can gently poke the FOMO dot. Designed to create a subtle sense of exclusivity that appeals to those who are on the sidelines of attending the event. This is, after all, an event that they will miss like crazy.
If you see limited space left, prove it! Use it to create a sense of urgency and watch your event fill up.
Collect Email Addresses
The cost of the event is at your expense, but by collecting guest email addresses (with their permission, of course), you get a guaranteed ROI. Everyone you add to your mailing list represents potential future sales, becoming a casual inquirer for loyal customers. The person who will be first in line at your next product launch event.
The secret gold mine that runs through the launch is an inherent opportunity to increase mailing lists. Automate by having guests log in on their tablets when they enter. If you don't have the technology at hand, there's no reason pen and paper can't do the job just as effectively.
This is another area where you can offer exclusive rewards. Only those who register can enter the raffle and receive a free back and neck massage, beard oil product basket... Or anything related to your business.
Your Launch Party - Done Your Way
You've built your brand from scratch. You've invested time and money to craft your business to make it the way you want it to be. When it comes to your launch, take a moment to step back and appreciate how far you've come on this journey. Enjoy celebrating your hard work and seeing your vision become a reality.
We look forward to sounding your success and celebrating with you. To pre-order a band for your product launch, contact us today.