Make your launch party go off with a bang! Your launch party is your best opportunity to introduce something new into the world, so don’t let it go to waste. 95% of new products fail, and a launch party is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get started on the right foot and avoid that fate.
To make sure your launch party goes off without a hitch, we’ve pulled together some great tips based on all the things we’ve learned over the years helping people plan events. We want you to be fully prepared for your big launch, so you can focus on making connections and getting the word out there. This is a great chance to learn from your audience, and we don’t want you to miss a beat. So let’s make sure you’re well-equipped and ready to rock it!
Let’s start with the basics.
How to make a launch party more memorable
If you’re putting all that effort into throwing a great launch party, you need to make sure your guests remember it. Here are some of our best tips on making your launch party stand out in your guests’ memories long after it’s over.
Engage all five senses
Experts agree that engaging multiple senses helps people make lasting memories, so try and engage all of your guests’ senses during your party. That means offering visual experiences, music, tactile displays and demonstrations, food, and even making sure the venue smells good!
Why event experts recommend this: Experts try to engage multiple senses because it creates lasting impressions of the event. It also helps people remember what you’re telling them, in the same way that taking notes while you listen to a lecture helps you retain information.
Don’t forget the goodie bags
No good party is complete without goodie bags. You should make sure all of your attendees get branded swag. You can also provide opportunities for even more gifts with contests, raffles, and other ways to win prizes.
A great tip we love is to work with local companies to supply goodies that are unique to your brand and the community you come from. That’ll help you contribute to your community, form local partnerships, and give your brand a more individualized story.
Why event experts recommend this: It’s important to make sure your gift bags are full of quality, useful items. Quality matters because your swag is a reflection of your brand – cheap, scratchy T-shirts aren’t going to leave a good lasting impression. Usefulness is equally important because it means your attendees are more likely to keep your swag with them.
Give them reasons to move around
Launch parties can easily become overcrowded. To help your guests move around and engage with one another, it’s helpful to set up multiple activities or stations throughout the venue. This means people aren’t stuck in one place for too long, and you get more opportunities for them to learn about what you have to offer.
Why event experts recommend this: Giving people multiple options means they’re more likely to engage with your brand in the way you want them to. It also helps avoid overcrowding and uncomfortable situations, so that everyone can have a great time at your party. That’s why experts think of movement as an essential part of any good event design.
How to make a virtual launch party stand out
Although launch parties are typically in-person, you might want to consider a virtual launch instead. This can be very useful if, for example, your guests are mostly abroad. Here’s how to make sure your virtual launch party stands out.
Make sure it’s equally interactive
Although you don’t need to think about the physical venue, you can make sure your virtual launch is just as interactive by having a virtual venue. Asking more questions to those at home than if it were in person, and offering ways for people to interact with one another virtually will also increase engagement.
Speakers can interact with a live chat for the event, and you can create breakout rooms or virtual spaces so people can meet and interact in smaller groups. You could also provide virtual games and other activities to keep people engaged and reward people on social media for interacting with the event.
Why event experts recommend this: Virtual events are difficult because guests can just click on a browser tab or close out of the video call if they get bored. That’s why our events experts say that keeping the party active and exciting is even more important for virtual launch events.
Swag doesn’t have to be physical
Goodie bags aren’t just physical bags you hand out at the door! Discount codes, gift cards, and software licenses or free trials can all make excellent gifts. If you do want a physical gift, you could even have a well-timed delivery so everyone has something to remember the event by.
Why event experts recommend this: Because virtual events engage fewer senses, event experts use gifts to leave a more lasting impression on attendees.
Information on what you’re launching
Through all these steps, don’t lose focus on what really matters: what you’re launching. Make sure your audience has plenty of ways to learn about your product or service. Those should come in different formats.
For example, some launch parties use a custom application to deliver information. That’s a great idea, but if a guest’s phone battery dies, you need an alternative method to communicate the information. That’s why having more than one way to tell your guests about your launch is a wise choice. Here are a few of our favorite methods:
For Coalesce.io’s launch party, their team opted to have multiple speakers, a Q&A session, and written materials to give everyone a variety of ways of learning about their product.
Why event experts recommend this: Using different strategies to communicate your offering clearly and in a memorable way is one of the most important aspects of your launch. Don’t get too blinded by all fancy strategies — remember to focus on the true value of what you’re launching.
Don’t make the mistake of using too much technical jargon and complex language that can confuse your audience. Instead, use simple and concise language to get your message across effectively.
How to make sure your launch party is memorable
With a strong theme, a great location, the right people, plenty of fun activities, and different ways of delivering your message, you can be sure your launch party will be one to remember. With these tips, you should have no problem delivering an unforgettable launch party.
But getting plenty of great attendees to come to your launch party is a lot easier with the leading event marketing platform. Eventbrite Boost has all the tools you’ll need to get the word out to your target audience and measure your success.
