Save our tips and check list to plan the best opening party
All your hard work has paid off and your business has opened its doors. Or maybe you’re doors are wide open and now you want to celebrate a successful first year. No matter the reason, you should celebrate. But it’s not just about throwing a party. It’s about introducing your new business to the community or showing gratitude to the people and community that have helped to make this happen. These type of events can help your business grow and develop, help you to attract new customers or help cement loyalty. But these things are only possible if done correctly. And because we care and want you to be successful in your business adventure, we’ve compiled a little list of what should be done and when it should be done, in order to ensure that your celebration has a positive and lasting impact.
Save the date: We recommend that you make an announcement of your grand opening at least 10 weeks before the date you have selected. If you have read our previous article, you will know that the date is also incredibly important. There’s no point throwing a grand opening on a date and at a time when your guests will be unavailable. Therefore, it’s imperative that you pick the right date and once you’ve done that you can start announcing it on social networks, spreading the message through word of mouth or putting up advertisements in your premises or handing out flyers. But remember, you need to attract people to your grand opening, so do something that will peak their interest further and offer something that will get them through the doors. A special concert from a local artist or a raffle are some examples.
Party planning: Once you’ve made the announcement and posted the details, it’s always a good idea to start researching your providers, or better yet, (warning: shameless self-recommendation coming up) hire an excellent event planning company like Plan A and let them do all the hard work and find the providers for you! We recommend that you start this 8 weeks prior to the grand opening.
Sign on the dotted line: Around the 7 weeks mark you will need to consider signing contracts and agreements with all the providers. It’s best to have this done as soon as possible because it will guarantee you peace of mind that once your contract is signed, you’re a step closer to the big night.
Check it out: At 6 weeks you need to invite your providers to your venue and explain in detail what you expect from them. It is useful to provide a floor plan and an itinerary which details the timing of the event. But, if you’ve already made the smart decision to hire Plan A (or someone substandard and mediocre 😉) then your event planner will sort all this for you.
Hit the shops: Now you’re only 4 weeks away from the big opening, you need to start thinking about the event in real terms. If you haven’t already, now is a good time to start making a playlist, choosing decorations and start to purchase all the materials required for the event. If you’re creative, you may want to ask friends and family to start helping you make some of the decorations, but if you’re choosing to buy products online, don’t forget about delivery times. Order in advance so you can see the decorations and decide if they’re right for your event. But also, don’t just choose any decorations. These decorations need to fit in with your brand, ethos and style. If you’re really not creative and don’t know how to tastefully match your decorations, Plan A have much experience and knowledge in this area and can bring all of this together for you. In our opinion, it really is the easiest option for the less creative, more business minded types.
RSVP: Eek! 2 weeks to go but have you confirmed with your guests their attendance and started to finalise those invoices by paying your providers? If not, what are you thinking? If you don’t have guests and no entertainment or food, it’s going to be a pretty dull grand opening. Think Ross Geller and his famous house-warming party. Yes, that will be you.
Dress rehearsal: And now, there’s just one week left and now the fun part begins. Well, we at Plan A think it’s fun because we love this part of the job. ORGANISING! At this point, you will need to confirm the timing of the event with all the providers and your team, maybe start writing and memorising your speech and you can even attempt to decorate some areas of your venue. Once those decorations start going up, we can guarantee you’ll feel a little flutter of excitement.
Party time: And now, the day has arrived and that little flutter is probably a whole family of butterflies. A mixture of excitement and nervous anticipation is best managed with a spot of last minute checks. Make sure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities, check the spaces are clean and presentable and when the show is actually on the road, don’t forget to talk to your guests, ask questions about them and be interested. They’re going to be what keeps your business successful, and a smile and good conversation costs nobody anything. But more importantly, you need to remember to have fun yourself. If you’re relaxed and happy, your guests will be too. You deserve this party and this is a celebration of all your hard work and dedication. If that doesn’t deserve a toast, then nothing will.
If all of this sounds like too much effort, especially after all the hard work you’ve had to put in to getting your business started, you should really consider the benefits of hiring an event planner. Event planners have excellent connections with trustful providers and can secure some of the best deals for your event. They will coordinate the whole event, so you can focus on getting yourself ready and prepared without extra stress. They will continue to ensure your guests are happy so you can mingle at ease and will ensure that the event runs smoothly from planning stage to the big night. If this sounds like a more convenient, stress-free and affordable solution then you are in the right place because you may have just stumbled upon what you’re looking for. Us.
Plan A have a wide experience organising grand openings for many different companies within different industries. We work with companies no matter how big or small, they all receive the same friendly and reliable service. We come fully equipped with all the necessary equipment you would expect from an event planning company. We are polite, friendly, respectable and speak many different languages. And not only that, we are affordable. With our prices starting from €100 and our ability to work under pressure and on short deadlines, you’ll know that your money was well spent. So, if you want to make an additional investment, choose Plan A and let us show you exactly what we can do.