Continuing on our series of blog posts about creating the most memorable event, here are a few more tips to remember.
- Theme: Choose a theme with relevance either to the location or to the customers who will attend. For example, I planned a themed party “Phantom of the Opera” and held it in an old church that was owned by a hotel. Another party I threw was “The Golden Sunset” party. This was held at an aquarium which overlooked the Pacific Ocean. I got lucky and the Golden Sunset appeared at 6:38 p.m. that evening and happened to look exactly like the picture I chose for the invitation. Now, that doesn’t happen every day but it make the party just perfect and memorable. For a Star Wars themed party, I chose a Discovery Science Center.
- Venue: Once the theme is chosen, then choose an appropriate venue. You don’t always have to rent out a hotel ball room. There are many options depending upon the size of your event. For smaller parties, you may want to rent a yacht for the evening. Or, as in the previous bullet point, a Science Center, Art Museum, Aquarium, or other appropriate venue. Many of your local attractions will rent space for events. Think out of the box and use your imagination … the sky is the limit.
- Party Favors: I always like to get my guests involved from the invitation on. I like to send them a special item that they have to turn in at the party to enter a raffle, for example. Then upon arrival, I like to get the party started by offering them a specially concocted drink and some other party favor. For example, in the Phantom of the Opera party, I handed out Mardi Gras style masks for each guest. For the aquarium party, I handed out flower leis. That way, everyone got into the theme of the party from the very beginning.
- Entertainment: Hire some entertainment, whether it be just a D.J. spinning the tunes, a band or some other theatrical event, entertainment is a must for a successful event. Again, for example, the party at the Aquarium, I hired a band that played California surfing music akin to the Beach Boys. For the Phantom of the Opera party I hired a hypnotist. It was fun. But, if I had to do it over again, I would have hired a magician. You, see my audience was a bit stiff and really didn’t want to be hypnotized. So, I learned a valuable lesson “know your audience”.
- Parting Gift: Always remember to provide your guest a parting gift. This could be a photo of them at the event or a small token of your appreciation. I gave my guests a CD of The Phantom of the Opera musical. It kept to the theme of the party and it was a gift that they could listen to forever and remember the event.
Try some of these tips and you, too, will create a memorable event.
