--GUEST POST--
Do you wish that the weeknights at your pub or bar business were as eventful and exciting as weekends? Well, with the help of various bar events, you can easily give your Wednesday evening the same fun and energy as your Friday nights.
All you need is a little planning to set up the entire event and have your customers stay back longer (even if they might have work in the morning!).
In this article, we’ve put together a small guide explaining everything there is to know about hosting events. From coming up with ideas to marketing your event with the help of printed beer mats and social media platforms, we’ve got you covered!
Let’s take a look.
Quick Guide
Step #1 - Create a Plan and Brainstorm Different Bar Events
The very first step you need to take when trying to conduct a successful event is to brainstorm the main concept!
Think of your audience, the way you’d like to attract them and then come up with an event that appeals to your customers. For example, you could go for events like a yappy hour, live trivia, bar triathlon, open mic, networking events and more.
However, while figuring out what type of event would be entertaining, make it a point to consider the threats or risks it’s likely to bring to the table and also have ways ready to tackle them.
Step #2 - Make a Proper Schedule for Your Events
Once you’ve decided on the different types of events you want to conduct, the next step is to create a timeline and schedule for them.
In order to do this, take your budget from your previous weeks into account and accordingly figure out on which dayparts and days you’d like to host them in your bar.
If, for instance, the yappy hour on Wednesday is pretty tight but dwindles quickly by 7 p.m., then you could consider hosting an event at this time. That way, you’ll be able to lure the attention of your customers who’re already present and get them to stay longer.
Step #3 - Come Up With a Robust Social Media Plan
An excellent way to spread the message about your events is through various social media platforms.
You could create an events page on your Facebook account and add all your event details to it. If you want, share images and tweets in the form of teasers regarding your events on Twitter and Instagram moments after you start preparing for it.
Having said that, to make sure your social media is effectively spreading the word about your upcoming events, follow some of the best practices while uploading posts.
Ensure your posts are visually appealing, consistent in design and tone, and more importantly, see to it that they’re engaging.
Step #4 - Promote Your Events Within the Bar
One of the best ways to promote your upcoming events is by using your actual bar!
While you could use the doors and walls of your bar to stick cool pamphlets about your event, you could also get your event dates printed on a beer mat through a professional beer mat printing company.
As your customers use this mat to place their drinks, they’ll be instantly prompted about the event that’s about to take place. So make sure you’re using your walls and TVs to good use and effectively promoting your events within the space.
Step #5 - Prepare Your Bar for the Big Day
Now that you’ve scheduled your events and spread the word about it, get down to preparing your bar for the big day.
You could use the following tips:
Man the Bar
There’s no doubt that the main focus of the event is to appeal to the crowd and encourage them to stay longer. However, all your efforts could go in vain if people have to wait for hours for their food and drinks to arrive.
That said, ensure that you’re manning your bar adequately with enough people to handle the customers while sufficiently stocking the inventory.
Decorate the Space
If you’re conducting an event in the bar for a special occasion, do include some decorations to create a specific theme.
For instance, you could deck the entire space in silver, bronze and gold for bar triathlon or simply go for puppy flare with dog bowls, courtesy leashes and bones for a yappy hour.
Step #6 - Keep Your Team In the Loop
Since your team is going to be on the frontline on these nights, ensure that they know everything about the event.
After all, they’ll be the ones sharing details about the event with your customers, pouring them drinks, answering their questions and ensuring that people are having a good time!
Even if they would’ve helped only with a few ideas for the event, it’s important to ensure all of them are on the same page a day before the event.
To do so, conduct a staff meeting and discuss all possible details of the upcoming event. Do stress on your menu items and its pricing and also walk them through the process of introducing bar events to the present customers.
Step #7 - Make the Final Announcement
Although very small, this step is extremely important when it comes to hosting bar events.
That said, a day or two before the event is scheduled, ensure that you’re making an announcement to your customers and sharing the necessary information they require to participate.
However, it’s best if you go with more than one announcement because that way, you can make sure every patron from an early bird to a straggler gets to know about your event. So ensure you’re setting up at least a small schedule to follow the night before the big day!
Step #8 - Analyse Your Events
Sure, your bar event has ended but that doesn’t mean your work’s done.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a one-night event or a weekly promotion, you have to analyse the performance of your events to ensure you’ve achieved the ROI.
Moreover, a successful event is key to turning those slow nights into your busiest times. Put simply, you need to ensure these events help your customers to enjoy their Tuesdays… as if it’s Saturday night!
Hosting Bar Events: Summary
Hosting bar events is perhaps the most effective way to promote your business and increase the number of customers.
If you’re facing a downward curve in your profits and want to change that, then do leverage the steps mentioned above and ensure that you’re following them to the T!