Anyone know that startups are widespread common realities all over the world. The existence of all these entities only means one thing: a startup party is almost everywhere! If you have launched your own startup, you know the importance of these parties, since they can be a unique occasion for your brand to be known and get your name out there, meet new potential customers and do business networking.
Organize a party for the launch of your startup is a fundamental part of your marketing activities. That’s why the best thing to do would be rely on qualified and competent people. It is likely, however, that, like the great deal of startuppers, you could have some budgeting problems. Therefore, here you are the useful free suggestions you were looking for!
1.Why a Professional Event Planner can be so Important?
During the party, you must be at the centre of attention, representing your startup and doing public relations, in order to generate as many leads as possible. You main goal is to gather business cards and schedule meetings for the following week. So, you need to focus all your attention on the attendees and you can’t allow yourself to use your energies taking care of the catering, the technicians and other stuff. If you can’t afford to hire professional event planners, you should assign specific tasks to the members of your team and assure that they will accomplish them with accuracy and professionalism.
2.Determine your Budget
Most of startup parties are free. This mean that you have to charge all the related expenses on your back. However, how can you determine your party budget? And how can you measure the success of the event? There are few simple ways to do it. You can see how many of your attendees download your app, sign up or subscribe to your newsletter after the event; you can use referral links to track lead and sales generation; you can measure the level of engagement on your social media pages; you can take a look at the new emails generated from RSVP confirmations and so on.
Probably you are wondering about the way to find financial resources for your party. And you already know the answer: sponsor!
3.Find the Sponsor
This is one of the most delicate part and maybe it can seems impossible, but you just have to be able to ask for the right thing. If you are quite big and known, you can look for a large brand to provide you capital in exchange for promotion. But if you are a small startup, probably the right choice is to look for a service provider able to provide valuable assets and services. Your sponsor is surely willing to supply you beverages, gadgets and technical services, because he will receive promotion and you will get all these things for free! This will help you keep down the costs and also establish a good working relationship with your sponsors, which could be useful for the future.
4.Choose the Perfect Venue
Venues and catering are notoriously expensive and they can have a deep impact or your budget. So, when you start determining your budget, take into account all the hidden costs related to the location you choose. Moreover, ask yourself the following questions: how many guests am I planning to invite? Which is the atmosphere I want to create? Should I choose a venue that provide a professional catering service? What about Wi-Fi, bathrooms and security? Can I bring external food?
Last but not the least, be original and astonish your guests, choosing a venue out of the ordinary. Have you ever thought about a coffee shop, a party bus or a converted church? Your startup party will surely be remembered!