Event ideas that attract customers

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EVENT IDEAS THAT ATTRACT CUSTOMERS
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• Customer events are outstanding ways to create
  excitement and attract new prospects and loyal
  customers to your business. But how do you come
  up with an event idea that people want to attend 
  and then get the word out
• Learning event
• Interactive/Hands-On event
• Charitable event 
• Special Guest event
• VIP event

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Learning event 

• At this type of event you focus on teaching
  attendees how-to do something. Options are
  limitless and could include things like a winery
  having a food and wine pairing, a makeup artist
  could reveal the latest techniques in contouring
  and highlighting, an esthetician could address
  the benefits of proper skincare and the effects
  of aging, a plumber could advise about the
  benefits of pipe maintenance and how much money
  people can save with proper upkeep.

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Interactive/Hands-On event

• Similar to a learning event, a hands-on event
  takes that learning and literally puts it into
  the hands of an attendee. It allows attendees
  to roll up their sleeves to learn and do at the
  same time. Some interesting examples of a
  hands-on event could include a plant nursery
  showing how to pot succulents in mini terrariums,
  a printer demonstrating how to create letterpress
  cards or invitations, or a software company
  allowing customers to create an app using their
  technology. If youve ever stepped foot in an
  Apple store, you know the power of putting your
  product or service into peoples hands. When they
  see it, touch it, experience the results of using
  it and how it can help them, its priceless.

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Charitable event 

• Events that have a cause tied to them are
  brilliant at attracting customers because theres
  a feel good, do good element. Shopping or
  spending for a cause is something people take
  pride in and its what helps make these type of
  events successful. You can do a charitable event
  any time of year, just make sure you connect your
  theme and cause to something that is relevant to
  your audience and something they care about.
  Examples could include a retail clothing store
  hosting a donate your old denim or coat drive, a
  toy store could have a buy a toy, donate a toy
  event.

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Special Guest event

• Inviting a special guest to host or MC your event
  can be an awesome draw to get people to attend.
  Many local sports athletes will lend their name
  and presence to causes they support. A restaurant
  or cafe could get a celebrity chef to cook a
  special meal and sign cookbooks, a wedding
  consultant could get a well-known makeup artist
  to provide big day makeovers, a winery could
  have a famous cheese monger present rare cheese
  and wine pairings. People love to have special
  out of the ordinary experiences and these events
  deliver on that.

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 VIP event 

•  People love to be part of exclusive, special
  things and a VIP event can help attract them like
  crazy. You can create a members-only event or a
  VIP event for your most loyal customers and offer
  them special shopping hours, a nice discount and
  elevated customer service. These types of events
  have been wildly popular for years and spawned
  the now well-known concept of Friends Family
  day events, etc. The key to doing VIP events well
  is to keep it small and manageable so you can
  offer only the best experience since these are
  your best customers. You can base best on a
  number of things including amount spent, number
  of purchases, number of referrals, etc.

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How to Get the Word Out

• Once you have all your event details set, you
  need to get the word out to potential attendees
  through various channels
• Email  A great place to start is your own list
  of email subscribers. Because theyre already
  engaged and invested in your brand, they may have
  a higher likelihood to attend an event you have.
  Send an event invitation via email far enough in
  advance that your subscribers can plan it into
  their calendars. Make sure you include all the
  necessary information in your email. If youre
  hosting a physical event, include the full
  address of the venue, parking information, etc.
  If youre inviting people to a demo, webinar, or
  new service, include full log in or sign up
  details. Also include a link back to your
  website, and contact info such as a phone number
  or email address for your business so someone can
  call with questions if need be. Always include a
  call to action to register or sign up to attend
  the event.

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• Direct Mail Postcards  In the digital age we
  live in, some may pooh-pooh the notion of sending
  a direct mail postcard, but postcards are very
  effective to get the word out. Postcards arrive
  already opened (there is no envelope to have to
  tear open or email to click) and if you use
  compelling imagery and messaging, your recipient
  has a good chance of reading it. Postcards also
  serve as easy reminders because they can be
  placed on a desk or refrigerator as a visual cue
  of the event.

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• Social  In addition to inviting potential
  attendees via email and postcards, you can also
  invite guests via Facebook by creating an event.
  Its a great way to invite people that you dont
  have email addresses for. Creating an event on
  Facebook is quite simple by following these
  instructions.
• Make sure you cover your other social bases by
  sharing details and a link to register on your
  other social channels like Twitter and
  LinkedIn. Create a hashtag for your event and use
  it every time you share details about your event
  on any social network. Just be sure you research
  any hashtag prior to using it to ensure it isnt
  being used for something else you might not want.

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Luxury Events and Entertainment

• By AppointmentEmirates Palace Hotel, Office 11,
• Media Centre, P.O. BOX 108309,
• Abu Dhabi, UAE