Event Marketing
The Business of Entertainment or…
Uniquely Entertaining to Get More Business
Hosting extraordinary events as an attraction
engine for new business
By Curtis Estes
Selling without selling. Providing unique experiences that people are happy to pay more for. Being a purveyor of interesting conversations that cause people to think differently about who they are and how big their future can be.
If you seek clients with seven-figure incomes or ultra-high net worth, you can't just invite them for dinner at Spago or golf at Riviera. In today's world of "onslaught marketing," you must engage your most important prospective clients in a different way.
By combining the most intriguing events with a strategy for follow through, we invite our best clients to bring their best friends to come to parties unlike no other. The events range from a sublime dinner at a secret table in a shed off the alley between Rodeo and Beverly drives to the Suitcase Party, where guests bring their packed bags to a private airport hangar and may be leaving the party on a private jet for a weekend in Napa.
The strategy utilizes my unique 7-step process to cultivate clients in an entirely new fashion, which I call "The Leakless Funnel." Here's how it works:
Goal: Maximize prospect gathering that leads to clients from our extraordinary events.
Ideal Outcome: $1M of revenue originated from prospects met through our unique events over the next 12 months. This will require 200 favorable introductions/hand-offs to individuals earning $1M+.
STEP 1. Send out the classy and compelling printed invitation six weeks in advance
- Highlight the uniqueness and exclusivity of the event
- Emphasize the caliber of individuals invited to participate
- Encourage these invited superstars to bring a friend (most likely of similar status)
STEP 2. Process all RSVPs through our event website, the proprietary "leakless funnel". Leverage our website, lasuitcaseparty.com, as the means to capture contact information, who invited them, their title, and employer.
STEP 3. To begin the conversation immediately, intrigue confirmed guests with the Pre-engagement Question Once confirmed, engage guests by emailing the Life by Design survey which properly frames the uniqueness of the event by helping guests clarify not just why they are coming but asks the question "who are you becoming?"
STEP 4. Review list of all guests with co-sponsors the day before the event
- Convene a sponsor strategy session to identify the most high profile guests and suggest the best introductions for each other
- Research all guests not directly invited to determine the best ways to connect with them at the event and afterward
STEP 5. Throw an amazing party – it's all about providing an extraordinary guest experience
- Host an exclusive pre-event for VIPs provided by the presenting sponsor
- Instruct valets to assist guests in bringing their suitcases into the party for check in
- "Paparazzi" photograph all guests along the red carpet
- Provide "menu" of treats to experience throughout the evening
- Toast the winners who have two minutes to grab their date, their bags, and board the jet to Napa!
- Send everyone else on to their pre-reserved resort for the weekend along with a fun gift bag including special surprises and my book, "Your Life by Design"
STEP 6. Recover the day after with a lunch for the top sponsors
- Review the actual attendees list and complete the Experience Transformer identifying what worked and what to improve for next time
- Send thank you emails to all guests, with their red carpet photo attached, inspiring them for our next conversation about their most amazing future
STEP 7. Invite top prospects to coffee within the next two weeks
- Engage each new prospect in a conversation about their most compelling dangers, opportunities, and strengths based on their responses to the Life by Design survey
- Illustrate how we can help them lead their ideal life sooner than anyone expects
We employed this process for the inaugural LA Suitcase Party in February. The results have been overwhelming, and our next event is eagerly anticipated.
Email me if you would like to subscribe to our marketing program that guarantees you can get more referrals next month than you got all of last year. We cover "The Leakless Funnel" concept and so much more in an effort to help you reach your most amazing future sooner than anyone expects.
