Chicago Launch Event Venue

Hosting a launch can be a complex process and there are many different things that need to be considered with very careful planning and execution for the launch event to be a success. You need to choose a venue, pick out a theme, set a budget, host the event, along with so many other steps so in this article we will discuss all these things to help make your launch event planning a smoother, easier, and enjoyable thing to do. Make it easier on yourself and host your next launch event at Popup Chicago. 

Things To Consider When Choosing Your Chicago Launch Event Venue

The success of your event depends on the venue that you choose. While choosing a location for your event, here are some things to consider: 

Capacity

The location should be able to comfortably hold the mount of guests at your event comfortably. Avoid making your guests feel crowded or confined. A room meant to accommodate 250 people cannot comfortably accommodate 500 people, for example. The venue has fire and safety regulations that it must follow,

Location

Consider the accessibility of the venue. Is it close to or in the center of public transportation? What about parking? Is the location of the event safe? If the location of the venue is hard to find, make sure to give your guests more detailed instructions. Or, choose a venue in a busy and accessible neighborhood.

Layout

The layout of the venue should be suitable for the type of popup you have. Choosing your venue should be one of the first things you do when planning a popup event so you should have a general concept of what things you are looking for. What equipment or set up you will need and is there enough space? Do you want a bar or a stage? These are important things to keep in mind when looking for a venue.

Amenities

Look at the amenities that the venue offers. Does it have a bar or a kitchen for serving food? Oftentimes, if they do, the venue will frequently put down a payment request for the cost of food for each guest and waive the facility fee. If they don’t are there catering companies that they partner with or do you need to find a caterer elsewhere? Make sure to choose a place that has a cuisine that you know your guest will enjoy or allows you to bring in outside food vendors.

Does the venue provide chairs, tables, linens, or decor that you can use? Using things already provided by the venue will help you save a lot of money and time if the supplies match the vision you have for your popup.

Is there audiovisual equipment and technical support available? Is there a clean up and set up crew available before and after the event or do you need to bring people in to do these things for you?

Cost

The venue’s price should fall within your spending limit. Make sure to ask about any extra costs or fees, such as cleaning costs, overtime charges, or security costs. Is there a food and beverage minimum? If you go over the minimum that the venue requires, ask if they can provide complimentary services in exchange.

Reputation

Check the venue’s reputation by reading reviews and client testimonials. To learn more about previous customers’ experiences you can also ask for references and speak with them.

Availability

The location should be accessible on the date and time of your event. Be sure to book the venue in advance to prevent any last-minuet regrets.

Flexibility

A flexible location will be able to adapt to your demands and fulfill any requests or accommodations you may have. Also, it is smart to negotiate flexible contract terms with your venue in the case that your event needs to be posted or canceled for whatever reason without you losing all the money you put towards this event. 

By taking all of these factors into account, you can choose the ideal event location that will match your needs and turn your event into a success.

Launch Party Ideas

The first step in planning a launch party is determining the objectives and purpose of your launch. Is it for a book, starting a new business, or showing off your work? What do you want to achieve from this launch? Is it to raise awareness, bring in new clients, or just for fun with your friends and family? The planning process should be driven by your product and what you are trying to gain from it. Make sure your guests know the point of your launch as well. Designing your launch is important but it is not the main focus. 

Choosing Your Theme

A great place to start when coming up with launch party ideas is color, no matter what your budget is or the scale of your event color is a good thing to start with. Pick out a color scheme that complements your signature colors. If your signature colors are very bright and colorful, neutral decorations can help it not be too overwhelming and nicely tie everything together. 

There are so many different themes for a launch party if you decide you wanted that instead. You could have your guests come in costume or give them a style reference. 

Live Music

Set the tone for your guests the second they arrive. See if your venue offers live music, if not you can hire a DJ or a live band which will help make the event more lighthearted and leave a good impression on your guests.

Party Favors

Partner up with local businesses, this will benefit them and you. Create little party favors to pass out to your guests, this is a great way to show your appreciation to them for coming to your launch and supporting whatever it is that you are doing.

Food And Drinks

People will always talk about the food and drinks provided at an event. Consider having food trucks or small appetizers available throughout the event. Have themed cocktails or an open bar, this is a great way to loosen people up and have a great time. Don’t forget about dessert for your event. Very few people will pass up on dessert! 

Product Launch Ideas

Creating a new product is just one part of the job, the promotion and launch of the product are just as important because if you are putting all this work into the product and nobody knows about it/uses it then all your efforts would have gone to waste. Having a successful product launch is important for the success of your product and there are so many things to consider when doing the launch, these are some product launch ideas that will help you stand out and be memorable to your guests: 

Collaborate With Influencers

A great want to expand your brand’s audience and increase your business on social media is to collaborate with an influencer through influencer marketing. In today’s world influencers are such a big influence on the products we use and the things that we do. Depending on your target age group, having an influencer can be very beneficial.

Launch A Giveaway Contest

A smart way to generate awareness and interest in your community is to host a giveaway contest. Everyone loves free stuff so it will broaden your social media audience and for those who do not know about your business the giveaways contest will give you so exposure and new customers. Set up the giveaway rules in a way that is the best for the maximum amount of people to see your business just as having to tag a certain number of people under your post or share your account/post. 

Promote Yourself and Your Business

Being active on social and in your community is a great way to spread the word about your event and generate interest and awareness for the popup. Across all your social media channels and in person it is important to stay consistent with your messaging and content. You can also create a unique hashtag following up on your event to create more buzz.

Having a good marketing strategy is crucial to the success of your launch, use marketing to get people familiar with your brand, but after that you need to make sure that customers can relate to your brand to ensure that they stick around, developing connections with them, having giveaways and collaborating with influencers are just some of the ways to keep people interested. 

Host Your Launch Event at Popup Chicago

Here at Popup Chicago, we provide a popup event space for all types of events and a range of activities available for business owners in Chicago and across the country. Our event space is available 7 days a week, on a first come first serve basis. We are located a few blocks from the Chicago Blue Line stop at Western Ave and Milwaukee Ave so whenever you are considering having a launch event make sure to check us out and see what upcoming events we are hosting, what amenities we offer,  and feel free to contact us if you have any questions!