Hosting nearly 350 events a year, Changing Hands has something going on nearly every day of the year!
The Benefits:
- Hosting events is a great way to generate PR coverage on television, radio and in local newspapers.
- Events bring in new customers!
Tips & Ideas:
- Keep good records of your events. How many people attended? How much extra money might you have taken in? How many of item ____ did you sell?
- Give things away at events—offer samples or have a raffle for a new product.
- Encourage groups and organizations to meet in your store.
- Host some workshops that require a fee to attend, as well as workshops and events that are free to the public.
- Children’s events—parents are always looking for free and educational things to do with their children. When you provide them with these events they reciprocate by supporting your stores.
- Host tastings—wine, beer, chocolate, salsas, cheese, coffee, tea, mustards, olive oils, basalmic vinegars, chips, etc.
- Go for the unusual—have a Japanese tea ceremony!
- Host a cookie-decorating event for kids on each holiday.
- Make a gift for Mom for Mother’s Day!
- Dip strawberries in a chocolate fountain.
- Host cookbook demos with local cookbook authors.
- Hold a sushi demonstration.
- Host a presentation or event on ideas for holiday food gifts.
- Have a presentation on all of the food baskets you have available for purchase, or provide ideas for how customers can create their own baskets for holidays and events such as baby’s first birthday, with goodies like healthy baby food and teething biscuits.
- Host “How To” Demonstrations, such as “How to Eat a Lobster.”
- Have a series of seminars about healthy eating. Include specific topics such as eating if you’re a diabetic, or gluten or sugar-free eating.
- Make presentations on how to prepare quick meals in a crockpot, or meals in 30 minutes.
- Host an event on understanding organics (ie: What does this mean? Is it important?) or the Slow Food movement.
- Turn school lunches into an event. Provide customers with new ideas about what to pack for their children.
- Welcome school field trips, and send students home with a coupon for $5 off their next purchase or a ‘free cookie’ or sandwich from the deli.
- Use Google Docs for events, scheduling, etc. so that staff members have access to the information they need to be well informed about an event should a customer ask!