Event Journal
How to Plan a Successful Launch Party for Your Business
Sometimes a good idea and hard work are just not enough if you’re looking to make a splash in the corporate world. With so many companies jostling for space and attention it is imperative that one’s business is not lost in the wilderness. When an enterprise is ready to go live, a successful company party can become the launching pad to propel a business and gather the right attention from the people who matter.
It’s essential to hit capacity at any event you host, especially at a launch party.Your launch party needs to come across as exciting and newsworthy, otherwise, it becomes ‘just another party’ and easily forgettable. An event planner can steer you onto the path to success. They will make sure that you have the perfect location, the tastiest food and drinks and that the right mix of people are in attendance. The rest is up to you.
Useful Tips for Organising a Successful Company Party
When selecting a date…
One of the most important things when planning your business’ launch party is to make sure you choose a date which will not clash with any other major events. Do some research beforehand. Trust us, you would not want to be in a situation where you’re competing for guests to attend. If there is a conflict, change the date. Remember events such as feasts, crucial football matches on the television, concerts and so on.
Think unique
Many companies hold their events at bars, hotels, or during conferences – same old, same old. These are places people frequently visit, so there is no novelty factor at play which is why people lose interest in attending. For your launch party to be a smash, try thinking outside the box and host your event somewhere out of the ordinary. You can host your event at an art gallery or a heritage site – there are plenty of those scattered across the island. Throwing events at unexpected locations arouses your guests’ curiosity.

Exclusivity is key
It’s important to be selective with the guest list. That’s why you cannot let any Tom, Dick and Harry into your launch party. Try to include people who provide value to your company. You might want to hire a doorman or have someone acting as a host or hostess to greet people out front and keep gatecrashers at bay.
Who’s on the guest list?
An event planner can make sure you have the right people at your launch party. Invite the press, media and major influencers in the industry, like bloggers, to increase awareness of your brand. As a rule of thumb, invites should generally only go out to people who are on-brand for your business. The trick to throwing a successful company party is to reach out to potential influencers who could speak for your brand. Bear in mind that you might have to offer them something in exchange for their promotion. Which leads us to our next tip…
Freebies are a must
A business launch party is not the time or the place to skimp. Another way to entice your guests to attend is to offer an open bar, have a current DJ at the decks and hand out some sample products and goody bags. A free bar doesn’t have to last all night, just make sure to advise your guests that free drinks will be available for a limited time. A popular DJ is another great way of getting free publicity. The good news is that you don’t have to fork out the money yourself. You can bring in sponsors to cover these expenses.

Address the crowd
Once everyone’s gathered together and making merry at your business’ launch party, take a couple of minutes to remind your guests why they’re there in the first place. You can give a short speech and perform a live demonstration of your product or service. A video presentation, for example, is visually stimulating. Keep your speech short and sweet – you don’t want to bore your audience to death – and be sure to give the product or service a test drive prior to the exhibition.
Don’t go off on a tangent
Perhaps the most important thing to planning a successful company party is to keep the event on-brand. The launch party must match the product. You must do what makes sense for your company. The purpose of the launch party is to sell your brand and convey your company’s mission. This is the opportune occasion to inject your personality into the event and showcase what makes you and your business exceptional and unique.
Do not underestimate the value of a great launch party. Organising the event can be quite a daunting task and one which will surely take up hours of your time and produce several anxious moments. This is where Sarah Young and her enterprising team of event planners come in. They will help you maximise the impact around your product or service and will guide you through the whole process. A successful company party is a whole lot easier with Sarah Young.