When you are dreaming about what your Holiday VIP Event would look like, think about these things:
- Will it be invitation only? If so, who will you send invites to?
- Will you offer mini-services or demonstrations?
- Is food going to be served? What about drinks?
- How will you market your products as gift options?
- Speaking of gifts, do you have gift cards available for purchase?
- Will there be raffles or door prizes?
Planning a VIP event can be a lot of fun and hosting it will be exciting too, as long as you have done your leg work! When you think of your guest list, consider what your criterion would be to send a client an invitation. Do they need to spend a certain dollar amount over the course of the year at your salon? Do they need to regularly keep up with their trims, etc? Opening it up to every patron of your salon takes away from the VIP experience and makes it feel like an open house so have some kind of rules set that limits who you invite.
Next, when will the event take place? Often times, these VIP events will take place after your regular business hours. The salon would be closed to the public and you must show your invite to get in. Make sure your salon is decked out beautifully for the holidays and that you have your staff on hand at various stations, ready to go. How will you promote your salon services? Offer a $10 mini-manicure? Perhaps you could have your stylists doing an updo station where they model a sampling of holiday updos so guests can see examples of work done at your salon. It’s always great to have a color artist doing free color consults, too. Have a makeup artist on staff? Let her showcase her talents either on models or for $10, she could do a quick holiday eye look makeover, or show guests how to create the perfect holiday lip.
Make sure you have an eye-catching way to display your gift cards and perhaps you could run a special that evening for VIP guests only. You could run an incentive such as “for every $50 in gift cards purchased, receive a complimentary $5 gift card or free nail polish.” People have a lot of gifts to purchase this holiday season so make your salon products ready-to-give gifts. Simply taking the time to bundle up a few products in cellophane and a ribbon will transform them from just another hair care product to a gift worth giving. Have these throughout your salon so that your guests will see the various options available.
Remember, this event is a great idea for many reasons. It gets people booking additional holiday appointments. It makes your VIP guests feel treasured and appreciated. This makes for a great chance to sell your products and gift cards. These types of events are always a hit, especially around the holidays so get planning your event! If you would like additional help drawing in clients or marketing on social media, click here and we’ll be in touch!