How to Fill a Room with your Favorite People

In Gratitude to You

We hope your Thanksgiving holiday was fun, relaxing, and a time to reflect on the things for which you are grateful.

For the Ann Plans team, this particular November has been filled with extra gratitude. It was 10 years ago on November 8 that our business was launched. We are so grateful to all of you – our clients, vendor partners, friends and family who have made these first 10 years amazing beyond anything I could have imagined.

Thank you to everyone who joined us earlier this month at St. Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN) for the Ann Plans 10^th Anniversary Celebration. You helped create a magical evening that we will always remember. We invite you to view the newest event photos that we posted yesterday on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Many of you have asked how we went about filling SPNN with so many amazing people. That question inspired us to share our attendance strategies in this month’s newsletter.

Filling a Room with Your Favorite People

We hosted the November 14 Ann Plans anniversary event mainly to say thank you to the people like you who have made our 10 years of celebrating and serving with the nonprofit community possible. In designing our attendance strategy, we were intentional about making our communication fun, engaging and personal.

Our goal was to host 150+ guests, and more than 170 people joined us at SPNN. Whether you are planning a holiday party or gearing up for a 2018 gala, we hope these strategies for filling the room provide helpful tips:

• Invites were extended via print invitations, electronic invites, and social media. Most invited guests received multiple communications which we know made a difference.
• Our graphic designer was charged with making sure the print invitations stood out in the mail. We received great feedback that our envelopes got noticed!
• Highlighting fun event features in our invitation and social media helped create a buzz. Catering by Bar Brigade and Red River Kitchen, local craft beer, the Ann Plans mural, and a teaser of “something a little magical” were some of those featured elements.
• Every print invitation included an Ann Plans branded post-it note with a personal message.
• Three weeks before the event we began reaching out by phone, email, and text messages to people who hadn’t RSVPed.
• All registered guests received two reminder emails with date, time, location and parking information. One reminder went out the week before the event, and the second was sent the morning of the event with this subject line: “Ann Plans Is Excited to Celebrate with You Today!”
• To facilitate ease of finding the event venue, SPNN, we placed signage at a couple key turn off points. Multiple guests commented that they appreciated and loved the signage!
• Effective pre-event communication generates RSVPs, builds anticipation, and creates excitement before the first guest walks through the door. Think of this communication as the beginning of your event, and give it as much attention as your other event elements.

Wishing you a December filled with magical gatherings. Cheers to a happy holiday season!

Warmly,
Ann