From grand openings to holiday parties, and everything in between, creating the perfect special event can be a challenge. Finding the balance between extravagance and practicality can seem like a daunting task; you want to wow your guests while still staying within budget. At Grey Fox Pottery, we’ve been creating captivating ceramic handmade coffee mugs and steins for years, so we know a thing or two about making special events memorable. You’ve probably seen our mugs while drinking some joe at your local coffee shop, at your last company retreat, or while strolling through a renaissance faire.
We’ve been helping businesses to improve their events with our unique wholesale coffee mugs for 30 years. And over the years, we’ve learned quite a bit about making a special event a success. Today, we’re taking all that we’ve learned about hosting amazing, memorable events and distilling it down to four main success factors.
1. Make Sure Your Event Tells a Story
We’ve all been to quite a few special events in our lives, but sometimes, those events don’t feel very “special.” From dull corporate roundtables to monotonous expos, are you able to name every event you’ve ever been to? Probably not. But there are likely a few you’ve attended that stand apart from the rest in your mind; do you know why? It’s because those events told a story and connected with you emotionally.
There’s no need to get lovey-dovey; connecting with a visitor emotionally can be as simple as bringing a smile to their face with your choice of coffee mugs. Whether you decide to go all out or stay small with subtle touches, try to give your event an overarching theme that your visitors will be able to connect with over the course of your event. In the past, we’ve crafted beer steins for medieval-themed events and snowy-themed mugs for the St. Paul Winter Carnival. Whatever your vision, we can make it happen.
2. Don’t Neglect the Little Things
Most people know to invest in common assets like posters and pamphlets for their events, but what about the little things? Never underestimate the power of branded accents at your event, especially branded items that your customers or visitors can take home with them. The most powerful advertising for your event is one that will prompt someone to keep coming back, year after year, like a coffee cup sitting in their cabinet, for example.
Even if your event is a stand-alone function like a new store opening or an anniversary party, gifting all in attendance with functional branded items that they can use in their everyday lives will build brand loyalty over the course of that item’s lifespan.
3. Find a Balance Between Form and Function
It can be tempting to ignore some practicalities while planning your event in favor of securing all the attractions you want, but scrimping on the practical side of things will only lead to frustration in the long run. Before you finalize your plans, make sure that you’re considering some of the more unglamorous aspects of event planning, such as: do we have enough parking for all of our guests, will there be enough bathrooms, and will we have enough food and beverages to last the entire night? Try using an event checklist to keep track of all your important event-related questions and answers.
4. It’s All About the Preparation
From a black tie affair to the grand opening of a new coffee shop, marketing and promoting are two of the most important tasks that you’ll need to tackle before your big event. Even the most wonderful of events will be soured if no one shows up on the big day.
Preparation is key to hosting a successful special event. Luckily, there are many ways in which you can go about drumming up interest for your special night. From social media campaigns to hanging flyers, companies big and small can use a variety of means to spread the word about their next event. We’ve seen plenty of our customers showing off their signature coffee mugs or beer steins via social media weeks before their event to get public interest brewing. Creating awareness for your event is just as important as any other portion of party planning. If you need a little help creatively, free online tools like Canva will allow you to make stunning, original art that you can use for anything from Facebook posts to pamphlets.
Get a Start on Your Event Planning With Grey Fox Pottery
When it comes time to host your next special event, give Grey Fox pottery a call for all your branded stoneware needs. From coffee mugs to handcrafted beer steins, with our wholesale mug selection, you can easily outfit your next big occasion. Lastly, if you’d like to learn more about adding branded merchandise to your special events, feel free to contact us today. We look forward to working with you!