Event PR: Planning a Blogger Recruitment Party

After attending an event recently, I came up with a few ideas on how I would plan a blogging party for our clients.

How to Throw a Party for Bloggers

Purpose

What’s the point? Make connections, introduce a new project or product, celebrate an anniversary, launch your own blog?

Theme

Would a theme attract or distract? Possibilities: Summer Nights, Great Literature, Polynesian, Karaoke

Venue

Match to client, theme – must haves: clean, friendly, roomy, wi-fi, private room

Refreshments

Plan menu in advance and meet with the restaurant to make sure everything goes smoothly

Invitations/RSVPs

How formal do you want to get it? Announce the event on Facebook, twitter and set up an event site where people can get more information about details like refreshments, entertainment and parking. Manage RSVPs with a site like evite or eventbrite.

Hospitality

Greet everyone at the door with a nametag and ask them to sign in [name, URLs, twitter ID, email, phone] so you know who was there and so you can link to them in your follow up post.

Entertainment

Brief presentation must be entertaining with room for participation from the bloggers in attendance. Work frequently asked questions into your presentation.

Guest List

Will it be open or by invitation [with invitations for bloggers to give out as well]?

Party Favors

Give away something to take home, both in the way of a branded promotional item and an overview card that tells them where to get more information

Images

Take pictures and video to post online – broadcast live for a bit if you can.

Follow Up

Afterwards, call each blogger and thank them for coming. Ask what you could do better or differently – and find out who they think should have been there that wasn’t.

Your Turn

What would you bring to this party/post?