5 Examples and 10 Theme-building Tips from our Event Experts…
Themes can certainly add panache to events, but they aren’t just for show. There’s great power behind a well-though-out event theme. Here’s five reasons why:
1) Themes are Purposeful.
A great event theme—executed with precision—will allow your underlying message to shine through in memorable layers for your attendees. Plus, it will be talked about long after the event is over.
EXAMPLE IN PRACTICE:
Event Purpose: Educate patients on confidence-building body and facial procedures at The Gallery.
Message: Facial and Body treatments can help you feel better about yourself.
Theme: Confidence is Golden
Execution:
(NOTE: This event included two popular guest celebrities talking about confidence, including Doug Baldwin from the Seattle Seahawks! Attendance was standing room only.)
2) Themes are Clutter-Breaking.
An event theme can help you break through the clutter to compete for your clients’ valuable time. Today, discerning audiences want personalized, memorable, and engaging experiences.
EXAMPLE IN PRACTICE:
NOT CLUTTER-BREAKING:
“Dr. X Talks About Non-surgical Body Sculpting with CoolSculpting”
CLUTTER BREAKING:
“Before Your Pool Parties, Attend our “CoolParty”—A CoolSculpting Event”
(NOTE: This event sold out three days after the launch e-blast was sent. And YES, they took deposits to reserve space, and YES, attendees paid it willingly!!)
3) Themes create BUZZ and Shares!
You’d be surprised just how much! When you pick a theme that speaks to your audience it gives them the chance to “jump on board” with you. They are more inclined to want to tell their own social circles about your event – and are more likely to show up in a highly spirited frame of mind to receive your message.
EXAMPLE IN PRACTICE:
NOT BUZZ-WORTHY:
“Join us for our Grand Opening”
BUZZ & SHARE-WORTHY:
“Diamonds & Denim – A Grand Opening Celebration”
(NOTE: Both women and men from affluent Buckhead, GA showed up in their Hudson’s & True Religion jeans, sporting gorgeous adornments, to attend this popular event.)
4) Themes are Unifying.
Themes provide a way for your guests to “connect the dots,” gain affirmation for why they are in attendance, and get more social about their excitement. They can also unify your crowd, providing a sense of community and shared value.
EXAMPLE IN PRACTICE:
Prohibition Peep Show unified patients, staff, and friends of Dr. John Connors practice, in Atlanta, to benefit Atlanta Victim Assistance, Inc. (a non-profit organization advocating for the fundamental rights of victims and witnesses of violent crime). Gaming tables, a cigar lounge, specialty cocktails, burlesque dancers, and “the cops” all made appearances. Guests were encouraged to done 20’ era clothing—and did so with much fun and excitement! This wildly popular event was filmed by Bravo Entertainment for Atlanta’s Married to Medicine.
5) Themes help you create a compass for planning & marketing—and keep everyone focused on the prize.
A great theme can create the glue that brings your entire experience together—giving you creative license to reinforce your message, purpose, and value proposition across many touch points to increase memorability. Your theme can be woven through to your invitations and marketing, décor, refreshments, presentations, gifts, entertainment, speaker presentations, social strategy, and even follow-up communications.
EXAMPLE IN PRACTICE:
A “Pretty in Paris” theme set the tone for this memorable event from start to finish—even providing attendees with a take-home “Passport” piece that gave them a theme’d reminder of the event experience AND multiple reasons to return for recurring-revenue-generating treatments, long after the event was over.
Hands down, event marketing is one of the most gratifying services we offer at Pinpoint. Whether serious, playful, cause-oriented, or really “out-there,” we encourage our clients to get creative with their event themes to drive more positive and lingering benefit from their event efforts—including more revenue, increased loyalty, and deepened relationships.
Here’s our Top-10 tips for you to generate theme ideas for your next upcoming event:
- Define your event PURPOSE. Get your goals down on paper and see where that leads you! Want to get the word out about a new treatment? Want to appreciate loyal patients? These two distinctly different purposes would lead to entirely different theme-building ideas.
- Consider your AUDIENCE. What are their age ranges, their concerns, their time commitments? Are they existing patients or new prospects? Does your audience type lead your brainstorming anywhere. (i.e.: Throw-back Thursday paired with an 80’s theme could introduce CoolSculpting to the right audience. Think spandex, leg warmers…and encourage your “50-somethings” to really have some fun!!)
- Consider your BRAND. Make sure any theme you create ties in well and supports the overall brand you’ve worked hard to create.
- Consider your VENUE. Are there natural, potential theme ideas that could spring from the venue? Are there limitations your venue presents that would prohibit you from bringing your theme to life?
- What time of year will your event be held during? Holiday, summer, winter? Each season has a different flavor that could be brought forth in a cleaver theme.
- What kind of time do you have to promote your event? Make sure you have enough time to properly build momentum for an event theme in your marketing and promotion so a great idea doesn’t fall short on execution.
- Do your theme options have “legs” for social sharing? Are there memorable hash tags that could tie in? Are there opportunities to create games, contests, and crowd-sourcing leading up to the event?
- Does your theme have “legs” to weave through marketing and promotion? Can you do something fun with refreshments, décor, and gifts, that could hammer home your event theme?
- Do your potential theme ideas resonate with your champions? Don’t be afraid to ask your best customers their thoughts about two competing theme ideas and which one they like the best – AND which one they would be more likely to bring a friend to!
- Involve your partners in the process. Each day, our vendors come across great ideas that they’ve seen executed somewhere else. Tap your relationships to grow your idea-generating process.
Of course, we’d love to be one of the resources you turn to when you plan your next big event. Give us a shout if you want to brainstorm a theme!
We’ve also published a helpful event planning check list for you. It’s available for download here.
Stay tuned for our next event post about best practices for marketing and promoting your event, scheduled for mid-summer!