You’ve gone to so much trouble to put together a great party: food, venue, entertainment, drinks, and so on. But all your hard work is for nothing if nobody shows up.
So it’s up to you to create an invitation that they’ll see, that will catch their attention, and that will make them want to come.
Plan ahead
It’s important to get everything finalized before you send out party invites: date, time, venue, and so forth. You don’t want people to make room on their calendars, then switch important details at the last minute.
Also, make it easy for them to come: provide a link to an online map, let them know where they can park, tell them if you’ve lined up babysitting services or other special accommodations.
Make your party invites appealing
If you’ve ever worked in the corporate world, you’re familiar with the concept of the “value proposition,” the reason customers should buy from you.
So when you create your invitation, be sure to highlight the great time you have planned for your guests: the terrific food, or the can’t-miss entertainment, or the fun theme . . . even just a chance to kick back and socialize with people they haven’t seen in awhile!
Speaking of which, use social media to bring guests together ahead of time: on a Facebook party page, or with a Twitter hashtag, for example.
Make sure everyone sees it
If you have a wide age-range you want to reach, it’s harder these days because of all the different ways people connect: text, email, DM, social media, possibly even old-fashioned phone calls for the more traditional types.
You could also try an even older form of correspondence: a card in the mail. Although many in the younger generations don’t check their mail regularly, everyone has a physical mail address and it’s still the surest way to make sure your invitation is delivered. It’s also a way to stand out from all the other invitations.
The key is knowing your friends and family well enough to know how they communicate. And be sure to send out follow-up reminders before the party.
For a unique party venue, be sure to check out the historic Alfred I. duPont Building in downtown Miami. It’s a former bank built in the 1930s at the height of the Art Deco period, so it’s filled with finely crafted artistic detail, like bas-relief elevator doors and hand-painted ceilings.