Do you want to create an ultra-successful event at your care home that helps “amplify” the positive word-of -mouth reputation of your home and its care quality?

Do you want to organise an event that attracts more than 100 people.  And this excludes residents, their families and your staff, but is for 100 people who’ve not already been to your home.

This podcast episode outlines what to do and plan when organising this kind of event – be it an official opening, open day or study day.

The episode covers:

  1.  If you’re trying to attract busy professionals or VIPs, whether that be MPs, councillors, commissioners, lawyers, or other kind of stakeholders – there needs to a special incentive or attraction for them to come out of work and visit your care home. Gives examples of using celebrities, such as BBC antique expert Charles Hanson, and details how much such celebrities cost.
  2. Why you must have a plan for your care home event – and you must stick to this plan
  3. Why should should attend to detail, and designate responsibilities for the day to ensure everyone knows exactly what they will be doing
  4. Send out exclusive invitations to your guest list.
  5. Compile an email database of people who you want to invite.This email database should contain about 10x the number of people who you want to get into your care home. So if it’s 100 people, your database should be around the 1000 mark. (This is a guideline, not a rule), and is based on the understanding that one in ten will actually come to your event.
  6. Follow up invitations by e-mail and phone
  7. Make invitations personal
  8. Don’t be sales-y  in your invitations
  9. Include journalists on your invitation list
  10. Run a dedicated social media initiative to build up interest to your event – and consider using Facebook to invite people.
  11. Hire a photographer/videographer to capture the spirit of the day