What kind of Christmas?

As preposterous it sounds, you have to briefly chalk out the kind of Christmas event you want to organize. It could be a small dinner party in a pub or a restaurant, or a shared party night, all depending on the kind of guests you’ll be having, your budget, and of course, your organizing capabilities. If you have a small team, it won’t make sense to join a big party. And if your guests have family commitments, they won’t prefer dancing till the sun comes up, so a lunch would be a great option. Even teaming up for events like a concert event, or ice skating, pose as good ideas. Be sure about the event timings, though, whether it’ll be during daytime, evening, or night.

It’s a Date!

Choosing the right date is extremely important, because a wide range of factors have to be considered – availability of your key clients and team members, availability of venues, the nature of your event, etcetera. At the same time, it has to be as close to Christmas as possible. Select a few potential dates and send them around in your office to see which ones are preferred the most. Weekends aren’t popular for corporate parties, but you can make sure everyone ends up having fun. A weekday would be good, but if the event is going to result in hangovers, you could probably allow your team members to come to work a little later than expected.

Where, exactly?

After choosing a date and setting the per head budget, your next stop is selecting the venue. Again, a wide range of factors have to be considered. If you’re not providing transport, choose a venue that’s close to train or bus stations, and onsite or nearby accommodation would be an added bonus if your guests are planning to stay the night. Find out the catering packages offered by the venues and seal the best deal, but always remember – the best option need not be the cheapest one. To avoid extra decorations, you could replace a conference suite with a quirky venue, like a castle or a boat. Do visit the site and talk to the venue manager to obtain all necessary details so that you get a fair idea of what you’re getting already, and what more is required. Lastly, don’t forget to read the terms of the contract and the charges thoroughly before signing.

A little bit of Sparkle

Because, it’s Christmas! No party can be complete without entertainment (and booze, of course). You could have a costume party, or one with a color theme, to make it interesting for your guests. To get them in the mood, start with some festive arrival drinks like Christmas cocktails or hot mulled wine. Having small gigs to start the party, you could have a wine tasting quiz, or a magician, to get people from different teams to talk to each other. There are plenty of ways to add entertainment to your party – circus acts, bingo, karaoke, murder mystery, comedians – you just need to choose some depending on your budget and time constraints.

Those small little things…

Finally, take care of the finer details. Send out the party invites to all your guests and make sure you’re requesting them for details regarding dietary or other requirements. Using Yapsody, you can have a dedicated page for displaying details of your event and managing your registrations.

Once you receive the RSVPs, work the table plan. Devote some time to figure out who should be seated next to whom, and you could plan a seat swap after every course so that there’s scope for mingling.

Next, draft a full itinerary of your event to make sure nothing goes awry. Include all the little details, the timings, locations, and contact details for everyone who’s involved. Ensure that every supplier has a copy of the itinerary. You can sit back and hope for everything to fall in place, but just in case something goes amiss, make sure the suppliers know whom to contact in case of an emergency.

Lastly, hire a photographer to capture the memories. You can put these pictures up on the Facebook page, company blog and website, and other channels so that everyone has access to the fun moments they were a part of.

Oh, and the bit after the last one, but definitely not the least one – Yapsody wishes you a very Merry Christmas!

The post How To Plan The Perfect Christmas Event appeared first on Yapsody.

And what does Christmas bring apart from joy and prosperity and mistletoes? Loads and loads of shopping and spending and partying, of course. Which is why you, as someone with a business to run, could use this festive season to your advantage and while you attempt to do so, these promotional tips could come really handy.

1. 50% DISCOUNT

Even posing as a sub-title in a blog post, those words act like eyeball magnets. Though it’s a very old promotional tactic, you could give it a savvy edge while luring customers. Pick out the biggest spenders to offer a discount, or run a competition. Time your discounts so that they stay in demand. For example, Yapsody continues to offer a 50% rebate on Reserved Seating owing to the overbearing response from our presenters. (Now, that’s a promotional tactic, if you see what I did there. *wink*)

2. GIFT CARDS

You need some stock calculation with this tactic to make sure what you’re offering always seems fresh and new. Rotate your stock and keep gift cards limited to a specific range of stock, mostly incorporating your bestsellers. Keep in mind what your customers really need and want while drawing up the gift cards and ensure a fresh stock on December 26.

3. 12 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS

If you watch The Ellen Show, you can act smug and have the “I know what this is about” face on. This is a classic Christmas theme and you can definitely use it as a promotional strategy by offering discounts on twelve products, a different one every day in the twelve days leading up to Christmas. You’ll be able to expose a wide range of your products to your customers and push them to actually try them out.

4. IN-STORE AUCTIONS

For all customers with a big amount on their receipts, you could ask them to carry their receipts to an in-store auction where they can bid for products, starting at a minimum $5 maybe. Your sales are bound to skyrocket if you try this out.

5. OFFERS FOR THEM, BY THEM

Customers often have favorite products when they consider stores and brands. You can offer them a choice to get any product they like at a flat 20% discount. Don’t automatically restock the products that have been bought, because new and fresh products will spark more interest. On the other hand, if you’re a premium brand, give your customers complementary goods on regular purchases instead of offering flat discounts as this will add more value to your image.

6. REWARD YOUR SPECIAL CUSTOMERS

If you’re a store, don’t wait for your best and values customers to walk in to get them introduced to your special offers. Print out fliers or pamphlets and have them delivered to them. Give them privileged or personalized discounts on products they like. If you’re an online brand, you could mail them their coupon codes and offers. Making them feel special in this season would easily lead up to them opening their wallets.

But, don’t make this a one-time thing. If you really like a girl and are going to ask her out for Christmas Eve, you’ll keep her engaged and interested months before that. It works the same way with your customers, too.

7. HOST A CHRISTMAS EVENT

An invite-only event will speed up your promotions and add a real spark to your Christmas offers. Handpick special customers and send them free plus-one invites to your Christmas event where you can offer 50% discounts on your best products. Use Yapsody for selling your event tickets online to make your event look professional and top-notch. Add good food, some music, and your event will be the talk of the town. Not only will your customers feel valued, people will try to get on the invite list by becoming loyal to your brand or store.

8. TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS

And treat them right. This not only refers to the kind of service you’re providing, this means you ought to give them stuff that they really want and would appreciate. Know your customers and treat them to the kind of things they’d like – an exquisite dinner, a sports event, a musical at the Broadway etc. Whatever you offer, make sure it reflects the image of your brand.

9. GIFT HAMPERS

This is a domain where you can go absolutely crazy with the promotions. You can have tailor-made hampers for individual customers, and you can include new products that you want to introduce your customers to. Hampers can be big or small and don’t necessarily have to be expensive.

10. TEAM UP

Partner with other businesses that are relevant to your own or belong to the same industry and offer joint packages. You could also tie up with a charity and do some good to the world. This will not only help you in building a good brand image, but also play your part in this world during the auspicious Christmas season.

A Merry Christmas, y’all!

The post 10 Tips for Last Minute Christmas Promotions appeared first on Yapsody.