The beauty of events is that you have countless options to create a way to connect that is inspiring, authentic, and meaningful, writes agent Pam Blair.
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Events have been the backbone of my business for over a decade. You would think that after hosting over 100 successful events, I would be confident and comfortable stepping into my next event. It doesn’t seem to work that way.
There are endless objections in my mind.
- I do not have time.
- This requires too much energy
- I do not have money
- What if no one comes?
There is an underlying truth to all of these “what ifs,” but my experience is that events are an effective way to connect with customers and the community on any budget, in any time frame, and yes, people will come.
My three pillars for hosting a successful event are simple
- authenticity: Any campaign I create must align with my brand or values. It had to reflect me in an honest and sincere way. This ensures I feel comfortable creating it and being in it. It will attract like-minded people with whom I want to spend my precious time.
- it’s about them: My events are always about the attendees. I have to know my audience and who I want to attract. My message is one of gratitude to my clients and community. The event is a symbol of giving back.
- believe: Although there are doubts in my heart, I remind myself that what matters is not the number of participants, but the quality of the participants. I practice knowing that people who are supposed to be there will come and people who aren’t supposed to be there won’t come. I look for perfection in experiences.
Events can be time-consuming and expensive, but they don’t have to be. Here are three examples of campaigns with widely varying budgets, time, and energy expenditures.
zero budget event
In 2011, my health series was born.I just branded myself as Yogi Bug Real Estate I wanted a way to tell my yoga students that I’m a real estate agent without having to say at the end of class, “By the way, give me a call when you’re ready to buy or sell. Namaste.”
I know a lot of wellness practitioners and decided to invite them to my real estate office for presentations. My job was to do all the advertising, which amounted to announcing the series in my yoga classes, social media, and newsletters, as well as posting some flyers at the yoga studio.
Ultimately a win-win situation was achieved. Attendees received valuable information for free. Hosts inevitably get business from these events. It gives me a platform to invite my fellow yoga enthusiasts into my real estate office to express gratitude and ask about their business. More than a decade later, I still have attendees and speakers calling me about their real estate needs.
“More energy, but not much money” campaign
My other passion is dogs. Portland Dog Bonesa The original idea was to bring a dog photographer to my neighborhood for an afternoon. Few things are that simple for me.
I kicked off the event with dog yoga, followed by a “party” at a local pet store. We have a pet photographer, a large raffle showcasing items from local businesses, a dog owner impersonation contest, dog games, Pappuccinos and more. All proceeds go to a local dog shelter that brings in adorable dogs for adoption.
This campaign took more effort than the wellness series, but surprisingly less, and I paid a pet photographer and hired a videographer/photographer to capture the magic of the day for future Boneanza ads.
Most promotions are either grassroots legwork or happen online. Nearly all items are donated. This annual event introduced me to many people I would have never known otherwise. The smiles and banter that day were priceless.
Either go big or go home
In January, I decided to throw a watch party to celebrate “ my first episode of “American dream.“ It was really a customer appreciation event, but I made it a TV show focus.
We were held in an upscale theater that felt like a huge and luxurious living room, with waiters taking drink orders while serving healthy and delicious food. I was very nervous about filling the space but decided to dig in and rent the largest room they had.
Images of clients, friends, their homes and my photography team are filled with gratitude as people fill the room and get comfortable. During the performance, I stood in front of the huge room and expressed my gratitude to everyone I met in my life. I make sure they know they are the reason I have the opportunity to have the “American Dream”.
I also humbly request them to provide some ideas for the show as well as the real estate business in 2024. I couldn’t be more excited to see my clients and dear friends relax, smile, and enjoy themselves while supporting me on site. I think everyone who comes shares something about that day with everyone else. If you need a dopamine hit, host a watch party.
The beauty of events is that the ideas are endless, but don’t let yourself fall into analysis paralysis. Keep it simple and doable.As my dear friend and social media queen Katie LanceIt is often said: “Done is better than perfect.” The truth is, in the end it will be perfect too.
