Open houses are events where educational institutions or businesses open doors to the general public. The focus is on interacting with prospective clients (in the case of businesses) or students (in the case of institutions) and helping them get familiarized with the services offered.
A lot of businesses are unaware about the potential offered by open houses. And those who do are not sure how to host a successful open house. They often choose the wrong day or timing to host an open house. And they don’t send too many invites before the event. The result? – empty open house events!
It’s important to host a successful open house and this is possible only with a lot of planning and a generous dose of event giveaways! The following tips will place you on the right path to hosting a successful open house:
- Choose the right day
Schedule the open house event on a day that’s convenient for your target audience. For example, an open house held on a Friday is more likely to excel than one that’s scheduled on a Monday!
- Inform as many people as possible
It’s important to personally invite a significant representation from your target audience. Also, it’s important to get senior personnel to do some of the key invitations. This will add a sense of urgency to the event.
- Create fliers and other marketing material
Attractive fliers announcing the event should be distributed across town. The flier should provide timing, location, and other important details attendees should be aware of before arriving at the event.
- Ensure that senior personnel attend the event
Ensure that senior personnel (among the visitors) and from your organization are attending the event. This will boost the event’s standing in the eyes of attendees.
- Ensure knowledgeable marketing people are present
Ensure that there are talented employees present to give a detailed explanation about the products. This will help attendees gain a quality understanding about your offerings, ensuring they make informed buying decisions.
- Provide defined roles for all
Every employee should be aware about what he/she has to do at the event. Ensure that no employee is seen sitting bored or without any work – this adversely impacts the image an attendee has about your business.
- Offer quality food and drinks
Don’t chicken out on spending well on food and drinks! Ensure that tasty food and drinks are available at all times during the event!
- Spend well on promotional merchandise
It’s ideal to have all attendees return home with useful gifts. So, purchase pens, mugs, or tees that can be personalized with your logo and distributed at the event.
- Don’t forget to send “Thank you” notes after the event!
Get contact details and ensure that you send “thank you” notes to potential leads for attending the event. This will help reinforce your brand’s image in the attendee’s mind.
We hope this article helps you host a successful open house in the near future! Get in touch with us if you need any giveaway ideas or marketing insights. Our experience helping buyers with their open house events will be of immense help to you!