Event plan: Mock event
We were set the task to plan an event for a real life client for the launch party for their new brand (Always Unknown).
EVENT PLAN
Overview
To physically launch the current online clothing brand Always Unknown through a launch party. To gain recognition for the brand and potential future partnerships with other local brands.
Aims and objectives
Aims
Gain more brand awareness
Objectives:
For two local clothing brands and 5 bloggers to attend the event
Gain a 10% following increase on Instagram two weeks post event
Research:
PEST:
Political: Could benefit from Brexit, due to clothing being ethically and locally sourced cotton, not relying on overseas suppliers. According to New Statesman (2018) 44% of businesses cite it as one of the biggest barriers to effective international trade. Therefore, Brexit shouldn’t have a negative impact on the brands growth.
Economic: During Brexit, people are less likely to want to pay for shipping costs. Additionally, our event is during the Christmas period when people are less likely to afford and invest in new clothing. However, there is opportunity for the products to be purchased as Christmas presents. As well as the brand being highly student aimed, it is not the time when student loans are disbursed (GOV, 2018).
Social: Aim to have ethnic and gender diversity through the use of models. A wide age range of people attending the event 18+, from students to young professionals. Dip in 20 year olds currently living in the UK, however, two central universities based within Sheffield will draw in more young people.
Technology: Technological advancements in recent years has meant that the majority of events need to be digitally accessible to customers and event organisers through platform such as Skiddle. According to Sledge (2017), the use of social media platforms etc. is necessary to monitor engagement to measure the success of events.
SWOT:
Strength:
Brand already has a social media following, following is mainly UK/ Sheffield based meaning more people will attend.
Sheffield - heavily student populated area, (two universities).
Political discussion on brand merchandise - making the clothing a talking point.
Weakness:
No female models on the Instagram pages - not diverse.
Need to reach out to non-students generating more brand awareness and generate sales (students may only purchase low budget items and unlikely to be investors).
Local brands may not be interested as it is competition.
Opportunity:
Have female models in catwalk, open to all genders, use images from the event of female models on the Instagram.
Majority of students use social media (sharing images and hashtags on social media platforms will achieve more brand awareness).
Other cheaper and more well-known local brands that potentially interest students more than Always Unknown.
Chance to partner with or be promoted with current brands, who can sell the range in store, bloggers can attend the event and promote the brand on their social media platforms.
Threat:
The event doesn't increase social media following, not meeting key objective.
Other cheaper and more well-known local brands that potentially interest students more than Always Unknown.
Companies may avoid attending or promoting event/range due to competition.
Budget
£500 budget
Venue is free to hire, with a minimum spend of £750 on the bar
If the minimum spend of the bar isn’t achieved the remainder of our budget will be used to cover this
DJ for the night costs £30 an hour which comes with the venue, total cost of £135
We will utilise the available free resources around us such as using events student volunteers
Client has his own media company ‘4ord Productions’, who involve photographers and media specialists, so will not require further costs
Social media promotion for the week will cost £35 to advertise on Instagram
Total: £170 plus additional cost for the bar at the end of the night
Stakeholders
Potential customers
Sa-ki’s (Division street), @sa_ki, 22.1k followers
The Alternative Store thealternativestore (Devonshire street), 3,758 followers
Eton Sheffield (Devonshire st), eton clothing, 3,225 followers
Influencers & bloggers
@dubzyshazz, 6k followers
@starboythomas_rapper, 1m followers
@tomocoleman, 1.1m followers
Press
Look Local (newspaper for North Sheffield) - Ewan Pendleton
Forge press (University of Sheffield student newspaper) - Joe Mackay
The team and organisation structure
Lydia- Posting on Always Unknown’s social media platforms throughout the event, including running the livestream during the catwalk. Also ensuring the #AlwaysUnknownLaunchNight discount codes are given.
Grace- Ensuring the venue is set up and all members of staff are briefed on event schedule and health and safety measures.
Ruby- Ensuring the DJ has the correct set list for the evening. Organising the models and coordinating catwalk schedule.
Ella- Making sure VIP guests are enjoying the evening and catering to other needs they may have.
Venue/location
The event will take place in The Viper Rooms, Sheffield.
Based in city centre - great for local companies and target audience.
The venue comes with security staff, bartenders, waitresses and a DJ. As well as staff who will clean up post event.
The venue is very on brand as it has the slogan ‘Church of a Poisoned Mind’ similar to the Always Unknown brand slogans.
300 people capacity, large space with intimate atmosphere matching the theme of the brand (through interior).
Using upstairs venue (not downstairs) as it could create a divide between guests. The raised booths will be used for ‘VIP’ guests, in attempt to make them feel special, as they could be future partners.
Have a pop-up shop in venue for guests to view clothes range and potentially make a purchase.
Proposed programme
4:00pm - Set up venue with decorations etc. all event staff to be there and briefed on how the night will run (Inc. fire safety).
6:00pm - Models and photographers will arrive and be briefed on the running of the night (Inc. fire safety).
7:00-9:00pm - Event starts and QR tickets will be scanned on door. Guests will receive a drink on arrival. There will be a pop-up shop open throughout the event for guests to look and potentially purchase items. We will have a photographer throughout the night taking photos and videos of the event.
9:00pm - By 9pm all guests to have arrived. The catwalk will take place, clothes to include the latest collection. Throughout, the models will be filmed for the Instagram livestream and photos will be taken for social media etc.
9:30pm -The pop up shop will be mentioned at the end of the catwalk to make all guests aware and a chance to look at the clothes up close. Andy Grice will then make a speech - saying thank you to all guests.
10:00-11:00pm - Rest of the evening for socialising, photos, pop-up shop, etc. Also the chance to get 20% off the clothing on the night when people post a picture to social media with the hashtag #AlwaysUnknownLaunchNight. This increases sales, as well as promotes the brand via social media accounts.
11:30pm - The event will end with last call for drinks, guests will filter out from here onwards. Allowing an hour for guests to finish their drinks and leave venue.
12:30am- All guests to have left the premises. Begin cleaning the venue.
01:30-02:00am - Venue to be cleared and emptied - all staff to have left by this time.
Promotional and PR activity
Invite future business partners such as ‘Sa-ki’s’ a local shop that could become a business collaboration and stock the Always Unknown clothing range.
Well-known local bloggers from the community (see guest list) to attend the launch party and review the evening, furthermore posting on their social media platforms for a wider outreach.
Local press to come and promote the event in the local Sheffield news for more brand awareness from the launch.
The use of the photographers to post images to social media sites, promoting the launch party and creating fresh content for new followers.
Primarily social media advertising for the launch party - Instagram to create a ‘Carousel advert’ with a range of images of the brand to promote the launch party for guests.
There will be 20% off clothing to those who post images on Instagram with the hashtag #AlwaysUnknownLaunch.
To ensure at least two local clothing shops and bloggers attend the event, we will invite them in advance, also informing them of the reason for the nights and how much we would like them to attend. We will invite multiple shop owners and bloggers in the hopes more than two attend for future brand partnerships/collaborations.
For the tickets we will advertise them on Facebook and Instagram selling them through Skiddle with links to the social media pages. This will provide us with an estimated amount of attendees. As well as knowledge of the focus groups attending (age, location, gender etc.). Skiddle also links to social media accounts allowing further promotion.
Live broadcast of the catwalk on Instagram Live.
Legal, health and safety
Legal:
Ensure there are no underage drinkers, the event is 18+ years only.
There will be security on the door, checking ID.
Health and safety:
All staff for the event to be fire safety briefed. Current members of staff at Viper Rooms will already be trained on this information.
Risks:
(Lecture week 6 - Health and safety, 2018)
Strobe lighting
Epilepsy: Severity = 5 Likelihood =3 = 15
Alcohol:
Someone getting too drunk: Severity = 3 Likelihood= 3 = 9
Underage drinking: Severity: 5 Likelihood = 2
Broken glass:
Dropping a glass Severity =2 Likelihood=4 = 8
Glass being used as a weapon: Severity= 5 Likelihood= 1 = 5
Overcrowding
Someone getting crushed Severity= 5 Likelihood= 1 = 5
Spillages
Someone spilling a drink: Severity= 3 Likelihood= 4 =12
Fire safety
Something setting on fire Severity= 5 Likelihood= 1 =5
Waiters dropping things
Severity= 1 Likelihood= 4 = 4
Over intoxicated people
Someone starting a fight: Severity= 5 Likelihood= 1 = 5
Someone being sick: Severity= 5 Likelihood= 2 =10
Smoke machine
Severity= 5 Likelihood= 1 = 5
Evaluation
For the planning stage constantly including the social media, ‘VIP’ guests and ways to gain more brand awareness throughout to ensure we meet the set targets.
When evaluating our event we would use a relational approach- based on the relationship with the public. After the event, due to the tickets being sold on Skiddle using our collected data we can email all attendees a survey to see their thoughts/opinions on the event. This would also go to Bloggers and other brands (shops) that attended.
As well as attendees we would send the survey to the venue for their opinion of the evening, as well as the DJ who will have a knowledge and a comparison between our events to others.
Two weeks after the event we will compare the Instagram following to see if there has been a minimum of a 10% increase of followers.
We will further contact the bloggers and local shops that attended the event on a personal level and discuss the evening further and their opinions on the event and the brands current status.
Throughout the implementation stage we will continue to ensure we are meeting the aims and objectives set by pushing for the social media following and gain posting as much on the platforms as possible.
References:
GOV, 2018, retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/student-finance-register-login
Lecture week 6 - Health and safety, 2018, retrieved from https://shuspace.shu.ac.uk/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_314547_1&content_id=_7654315_1&mode=reset
NewStatesman May, 2018, retrieved from https://www.newstatesman.com/spotlight/2018/05/importing-and-exporting-post-brexit-world
Sledge “The influence of technology in the Events industry” March, 2017, retrieved from http://www.sledge.co.uk/blog/the-influence-of-technology-on-the-event-industry/