Planning for the "Big Money" Component of an Open House Atlanta GA

I wrote last month about the early planning considerations for a successful open house, and I promised to write more about the "major" expenses you're likely to incur. The big money gets spent on the big day itself, of course, but you need to be thinking about all that in the planning stage.

Three Categories

Let's consider three separate categories of major expense—food and beverage, giveaways or door prizes, and any money that needs to be spent on your facility to get it ready for the event. (I'll bet some of you might have forgotten about that last one!)

Depending on what sort of refreshments you have in mind, food and beverage costs could range anywhere from a dollar or two per person for cookies or similar snacks and coffee and soft drinks, to upwards of $20 per person for catered hors d'oeuvres and a full bar. My suggestion would be to put together a couple of "menu" ideas and price them out, but don't make a decision on food and beverages until you consider the other two major cost categories. (I should mention here that I would never serve alcohol at an event like this. It's not necessary in order to have a successful event, and I think the risk far outweighs any possible reward!)

Giveaways and/or door prizes can be a huge part of the success of an open house. Think of it this way, everyone will expect to find something to eat or drink at your open house, but they won't necessarily expect something to take home with them. Something modest in terms of food and beverage coupled with something special to take home will probably give you more "bang for your buck" than refreshments alone, no matter how delicious or impressive they may be.

And don't forget the cost of getting your facility in shape for the open house. That could mean repairs, or a special clean-up effort, both of which could add significantly to the cost of your event. (Granted, repairs or clean-up might legitimately be charged to your general operating budget, but the way I look at it, if we're talking about something you would not normally do, it should be considered as part of the cost of the event which caused you to do it.) This expense category doesn't have to be limited to repairs and clean-up either. One of my clients recently created some special graphics to help explain the production process, and mounted them on the walls for her open house.

The bottom line on the planning stage is to consider your alternatives, in terms of cost and likely effect on the success of your event.

Next Month: I'll describe a successful model for an open house.

David M. Fellman is the president of David Fellman & Associates, Cary, NC, a sales and marketing consulting firm serving numerous segments of the graphic arts industry. Contact him at 919/363-4068 or visit his website at www.davefellman.com.