How to promote a local event

There is nothing more demoralising then lovingly organising an event down to the last detail, only for nobody to turn up on the day. The thing is, it doesn’t matter how well crafted the event is, if  you haven’t done everything you can to promote it then how will your target audience know it is happening? There could be thousands of people all keen to turn up at your gig, specialist trade fair, rally – whatever your event might be – but they won’t be attending unless you alert them to the opportunity by following some or all of the simple strategies listed below:

Use the internet: More and more companies or event planners are recognising the advantages of using social media such as Facebook or Twitter to alert their target audience to an upcoming event. Whilst we think of the Internet as a very international medium, it is also great for promoting local events. All you have to do is find local groups or networks with interest in your target area, or if you already have your own Facebook group or Twitter account you can simply alert your followers directly, who can then spread the message to their own friends or followers. If you have a website, make sure you take advantage of this with regular blog updates.

Advertising banners: Whilst you can’t ignore the advantage of using the Internet for promotion, for a local event it also pays to invest in more traditional methods of ensuring your event is well-attended. Eye-catching advertising banners can be placed in key strategic locations throughout a local area, and if you go for a waterproof kind, such as vinyl, they can be put up several weeks before the event so you get the optimum benefit from them.

Send out press releases:  Put tougher a concise and well-worded press release and send it out to local newspapers, magazines or even radio stations if you know they are willing to make announcements on events in the area. Be sure to include all the relevant information including time, place, how to get there and the major highlights etc. This sounds obvious, but you would be surprised how many organisers neglect to mention key information in press releases.

Start early: It is absolutely no good leaving your promotion until the last minute and then expecting people to turn up in their droves. With all the methods mentioned above, and any others you may like to try, they will only work if you start well in advance to ensure they reach the maximum number of people and give them time to plan their attendance. We all lead busy lives today, and even if we might desperately want to attend an event, if we only find out about it at the last minute this just may not be possible.

Organising a successful event involves a huge amount of planning and there are so many different considerations to bear in mind. But the one thing you can’t neglect is promotion: without expert promotion, even the most meticulously planned and organised event can turn out to be a damp squib with poor attendance.

PVC banners: Great value for money

When you want to purchase some banners – whether it is to advertise your business or promote an event – you ideally want something which will look professional with a high visual impact but will still offer great value for money. 

This is why you should consider using PVC banners: they are highly versatile, competitively priced and will last and last. Here are just some of the benefits they can bring you:

Durability: Because of it high-strength properties, PVC can be used in even the harshest weather conditions including wind, rain or even snow. If your banners are going to used outdoors then this is the material for you. Combined with protective coatings, PVC will not crack easily either, even if left outside in bad conditions for days or weeks at a time, meaning you banners will last longer and give you far more for your money.

Reasonable price: PVC is becoming even easier to produce than ever before, whilst the latest hi-tech printing technology means even graphics overheads can be kept to a minimum. If you combine competitive costing with a long life span and fantastic print quality, you are clearly on to a winner all-round with PVC banners.

Versatility: PVC banners can be produced in almost any shape and size and win a huge and vibrant range of colours thanks to today’s modern printing technology. Whatever requirements you have, a good sign maker should be able to fulfil them. 

Reusability: Nothing brings more value for money than a product which can be used again and again. If you have regular seasonal promotions or sales for which you can use the same banners, then PVC is perfect for you because you can simply take it down when your sale is over. All it takes is a little forethought when it comes to designing your banner to ensure it isn’t too specific to one particular campaign and you are set up for months or even years to come. This also saves you valuable time because you don’t have to set about designing new banners and getting them printed all over again.

Environmental savings: PVC is fully recyclable which means that when your banner reaches the end of its useful life (which will, as we’ve seen, take a while!) it will not be left to lie on a landfill site. Furthermore, because PVC takes less energy to produce than other forms of carbon-based plastics, its overall environmental footprint across the entire life cycle can be kept to a minimum. This will leave you safe in the knowledge that you are getting value for money whilst also lessening the environmental impact of your activities.