Now that fall has arrived, we are all looking towards the holiday season, which means lots of parties. If you are wondering if a holiday event is right for your brand or business, know that a well-planned and executed holiday event is a great strategy to help your company grow.

One of my favorite holiday events was a 2013 party that we produced at my former agency in San Francisco. Our marketing agency is B2B so, we went all out to impress our executive clients. There was an open bar, burritos, DJs all night and the whole thing was live-streamed so people from around the world joined us. We had numerous sales in 2014 that traced back to that event, including an on-going partnership to program events at the venue and a contract with a major sports company. 

No matter what kind of company you are or the audience you serve, there are ways you can incorporate a holiday event into your marketing plan.

Here are some examples and ideas:

B2C companies should consider……

-Collaborating for a holiday marketplace experience……

  • Bring together between 5-10 other brands (that don’t sell what you sell), add food/drink vendors and create a marketplace with holiday-themed photo activations.

Company type: Clothing/apparel

-A happy hour & classic holiday film screening….

  • I would serve winter desserts to counter the salty popcorn and complete with hot toddies or cocoa. Definitely pick something on the shorter side and with a light-hearted tone as well. 

B2B companies should….

-Go for it with a holiday concert & party

  • Invest in performers who will wow the crowd, a DJ that will keep people on the dancefloor and a guestlist of strong contacts guarantees that your company will stay top of mind all 2020. 

Company type: Media agency

-Partner with brick & mortar stores to do a Santa crawl

  • Have a designated start and endpoint, give out small wrapped gifts to attendees and pick a neighborhood in your city to explore. If you want to steer away from drinking, make it a weekend daytime event with more stores or galleries and fewer bars.

C2C business ideas:

  • Make a holiday-themed Airbnb Experience
  • Host an informal holiday meet-up for all of the people who’ve rented your car
  • Do an ugly sweater party for all of your Graphic Design clients

C2B business ideas:

  • Influencers can do a holiday campaign workshop for Brand Managers
  • Food bloggers could partner with a restaurant to do a dinner with fans over a holiday-inspired meal 
  • Host a toy drive or mixer for all of your product photographer clients

Now that you know why you should produce a holiday event and what kind you should produce, it’s time to figure out how.

If you have a budget of less than $5,000, I suggest working with your team in-house. If your budget is $5,000 or higher, definitely reach out to an Event Production company so that your team can focus on getting as much ROI (and fun) from the event as possible.