Ask the experts – how do I promote my event?

Peter Brünings-Hansen, Managing Director and Partner of Billetto – an events discovery platform, uses his passion for creative sector startups and interactive design to make buying tickets when you go out as easy as possible. A Scandi Tech Entrepreneur with a VC background, it’s clear that Peter has a strong vision for the company which hosts 35,000 events a year from over 15,000 organisers. We Are Pop Up spoke to him for some words of wisdom about event promotion.

Start Early

The single biggest mistake that event organisers make is that they begin their promotion too close to the event date. Festivals typically start their early bird promotion up to 9-12 months in advance. For smaller events like food pop-ups or comedy nights, ideally a minimum of 3 weeks is needed.

Think Influencers

In our experience bloggers & local media are often superior to established mainstream media when it comes to directing relevant traffic to your event page. Cultivating ties with these influencers on social media and even in person is both a powerful and cheap/free solution to your promotion.

Reward Early Action

It can be frustrating that the bulk of tickets sell in the last week leading up to your event. You can save yourself a lot of stress and last minute panic by optimising your ticket sales across the promotion schedule. Early Birds, Competitions, Value-adds and other social engagements are great tactics for catching a customer’s eye early on.

Create Content and Tell Stories

When it comes to events, content is king and to stand out in London without a huge mailing list or a Lorde show, you really need to be creative to reach the right audiences. We’ve found that creative and engaging storytelling across social channels is key to succeed. We use everything from artwork, competitions, videos, interviews, and infographics to generate buzz in the right circles and often we ask external influencers to contribute as well.

Use Billetto

We work with over 15,000 event organisers of all kinds and sizes across Northern Europe and we know that promotion is the number 1 challenge. That is why we are continuously improving our platform to help you reach and engage relevant audiences by integrating all the tactics above into the ideal event management service.

To support Billetto, you can follow these links:

https://billetto.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/BillettoUK
https://www.facebook.com/BillettoUK
Get the app: http://bit.ly/BillettoApp

Pop Up Restaurant Competition: PipsDish Pop Up Challenge

For three nights, PipsDish in Islington is hosting three of London’s hottest rising pop-up restaurateurs.

LONDON — MAY 13, 2013 — We Are Pop Up announces The PipsDish Pop-Up Challenge. Over three evenings in May, three of London’s hottest new chefs showcase their talents at a Citroëngarage in Islington.

PipsDish is run by culinary dream team Philip ‘Pip’ Dundas and Mary Doherty. They originally opened PipsDish in 2011 as a temporary restaurant that was hidden in plain sight. In March 2013, Dundas announced that Pips Dish would finally be leaving the Citroën garage. But first, he wanted to give a few of London’s leading underground chefs the chance to shine.

In partnership with We Are Pop Up, PipsDish took open applications from a wide variety of chefs. Today, we are pleased to announce the three winners of the PipsDish Pop-Up Challenge:

The Best of Italy by AMooseBush – Tuesday, 21 May 2013

In the spirit of their grandparents, Nonna Bianca and Nonno Giuseppe, AMooseBush is a foursome of family members who are on a singular mission to champion regional Italian dishes that have been handed down through the family.

Pisco Fuego by Cult Events – Wednesday, 22 May 2013

Inspired by the cuisine and culture of Buenos Aries, Lima, Mexico City, and Santiago, Pisco Fuego is a dining experience that brings authentic Latin American zing, zest, and charcoal-grilled goodness to the streets of London.

Cult Event’s chef Ian Ballantyne said: “We’ve created an immersive experience that mixes classic asado barbecue cookery with modern street art and live music, all served in a beautifully set-designed venue.”

Azonto Banquet by Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen – Friday, 24 May 2013

Chef Zoe Adjonyoh creates “Haute Ghanaian” culinary events that merge the Ghanaian roots with a contemporary dining experience. Born from a pop-up Ghanaian restaurant during the Hackney Wicked Arts Festival in 2011, Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen has become a favourite of London foodies.

Zoe recently collaborated with Diesel in London, hosting a temporary kitchen at Soho’s Diesel Village pop-up. Her underground success is also taking her to continental Europe, where she recently popped-up in Berlin. Ghanalicious.

Tickets for all evenings are available now through Edible Experiences: http://www.edibleexperiences.com/popupchallenge

###

Media Contact:

Mike Salter

Co-Founder, We Are Pop Up

+44 (0) 7590 119625; mike@wearepopup.com

Pop Up Shop Community Event : Pop Up Meet Up (#PUMU) Camden

Yesterday, We Are Pop Up and Camden Collective teamed up to bring you Pop Up Meet Up 7. It was an honour to work with Jude Bennett and the Collective team; using the space for this month’s #PUMU and helping to launch the Camden Collective’s first mainstay pop-up shop.

This month it was all about collaboration, with different skills coming together to create successful, exciting and unique pop-up shop concepts. What better way to share the beauty of collaboration than to show it? Honest Brew showcased their new customizable brewing concept and filled the space with the aroma of hops. Les Greedy Cochons treated us to the best food in Camden; bite-sized!

Filled with an expertly curated art show by Test Space, there were artists pulling screen prints and live music. This was truly a unique room full of creative and like-minded people sharing, inspiring and working together.

The night’s big announcement was the Camden Collective and We Are Pop Up competition. Camden Collective are offering a beautiful space on Camden High Street for 2 days to 2 weeks cost-free. The competition is open to creative projects, businesses and brands working in fashion, retail, art, design and creative events.

Met someone who has inspired, interested or shared a passion with you? This is a great reason to start a conversation. Applications can be mixed-and-matched, and you can even link to another project you love to apply with a collaborator.

What are you waiting for? Apply now!

Many thanks to Camden Collective photographer Keiko Yamazaki for the incredible photographs of the evening. You can see even more on our #PUMU 7 Pinterest Board.

Pop Up Shop Community Event: Pop Up Meet Up PipsDish

This past wednesday, March 6th we were joined by vibrant members of London’s underground and independent cooking community to celebrate the ethos and ideas that motivate innovation in the kitchen. We were delighted to host the evening at PipsDish, a wonderful space tucked away behind Upper Street in Islington in a converted Citroen Garage.

All too often, we speak to people who have a wonderful idea for a foodie pop-up, but who get stuck when it comes to making it happen. Or perhaps they have been running a successful Supper Club in their home for a while, but are unsure how to take it to the next level.

We decided it was time to address these questions head-on. So for this Pop Up Meet Up we invited some of our most admired restauranteurs, who have grown their businesses from humble pop-up beginnings to more established movements and asked them to share their stories.

Our panelists for the evening were Philip Dundas of PipsDish, Martin Morales of Ceviche, and Cynthia Shanmugalingam of Kitchenette, the UK’s first food business incubator. Laura Day of Digest Magazine played compere for the evening and conversation lubrication came in the form of 2 ridiculously tasty wines supplied by A Grape Night In.

“Not for the faint-hearted” (Philip Dundas)

Starting up your own restaurant is serious business. Philip and Martin shared their personal journeys – ‘cooking for friends and family’ at first, and then asking for referrals until they were filling rooms entirely with newcomers. Using the pop-up model, Kitchenette looks to give emerging cooks the tools necessary to get their ideas out of the house and into the world.

Philip made an insightful point: “pop-up is entrepreneurship,” an ideal way to ease into bigger projects, build a community and develop a business plan. Having been through an accelerator program, we here at We Are Pop Up completely support a model which triumphs speed and access to new resources. Projects like Kitchenette are great for exposure and can facilitate growth in unexpected and exciting ways.

How Do You Take The Next Steps?

The panel uniformly agreed that ‘waiting for the perfect opportunity’ to take the next step could mean you miss a number of chances to innovate and develop. Don’t wait – mortgage your house, borrow your friend’s lounge, steal crockery from neighbours and spread the word. Reveal your passion for food, look after your guests and remember why it is you embarked on the adventure in the first place – the journey is more rewarding than the destination.

“Then you start inviting the ‘sneezers’,” that is: the bloggers and writers whose every nasal expulsion makes news. Having people in the room with clout and reach will help extend your network and your story. Whilst asking directly for reviews or a big news break may seem like the obvious outcome, simply asking for their impressions, ideas and suggestions for your project will help lay the foundation for meaningful long-lasting relationships.

What Are You Waiting For?

Philip’s recent “Opportunities For Cooks” post hits on some great upcoming opportunities for food entrepreneurs at PipsDish. We will be announcing more details about the application process towards the end of the month. Make sure you’re signed up to wearepopup.com to receive updates via email.

Further impressions of #PUMU: The Effervescent Collective reviews the evening.

Tie Dye High Five gets tie-tastic at Boxpark Shoreditch

We’ve just come from a tie-tastic session at the high-energy #tiedyehighfive pop-up workshop at Boxpark.

It was so fun and we loved the style. The walls were adorned with examples of dying techniques on a massive (super colourful!) scale. From the ‘heart’ to the ‘spiral’, ‘bullseye’ and ‘crumple’, we were shown how to get the desired effect, and then squeezed the Dylon to our heart’s content!

Follow #tiedyehighfive on Twitter to see some great results from the sold-out weekend workshops. And check out our workshop on the We Are Pop Up Pinterest Board: http://m.pinterest.com/wearepopup/pop-up-shop-tiedyehighfive-boxpark-from-neonstash/

The Gingerline : Review

This week’s post is a guest feature by Sohaib Siddique.

Gingerline HQ – London’s Hidden Gem

The Gingerline gives you a deep, disguised, and hidden overground dining experience on the East London line. If you happen to be on the train which takes you from Highbury to Crystal Palace, then keep a look-out for people glancing to check the time every few minutes. As each station arrives and the train halts, you’ll find these curious faces explode with confusion, excitement, and curiosity at the same time.

For two years now, the mysterious Gingerline dine has been showing up at irregular destinations on the ginger line. The tube line is nicknamed as such because it’s orange on the Tube map. If you book a ticket with Gingerline HQ and stay somewhere close to one of the stations, you’ll get a text with directions at around 6pm. You’ll have one hour to get to the location before drinks are served.

The same concept was seen back in the 80’s, when rave culture was popular, late into the early mornings. DJs started playing shortly after the venue was revealed which allowed them to stay ahead of the police without getting caught. The same excitement has carried through to an exclusive dining experience, apart from the illicit details. You’ll be served with four courses of excellent indulgences, and the Gingerline delivers nothing short of spectacular. An evening of underground dining and theatrical entertainment promises not to disappoint.

Kerry Adamson is one of the original founders of the Gingerline. Her craving for big adventures was the inspiration behind the whole project. She believes that the secrecy involved with the Gingerline gives them the creative freedom to do what attracts guests the most. It’s not the usual wine and dine, but by taking away the ability to choose, guests are more excited. The open-mindedness has influenced the Gingerline team to incorporate designers, musicians, artists, and costumiers with the experience. Theatre productions are an extra addition to your quirky evening.

The first ever Gingerline was held in Crystal Palace. A folk singer, top hats, and a menu of coddled eggs and braised hogget shank was all that was needed to get things going. It was all rumours and whispers from there as the Gingerline’s unseen mystery started gaining popularity.

Booking

If you’re not sold on the curiosity of the Gingerline alone, then there’s definitely something wrong. The tickets are released twice a month, available at www.gingerline.co.uk. Prices vary depending on the type of production they are running—at the moment, it’s £50 per person. As for directions, all I can tell you is to stick to somewhere around the ginger line—and don’t forget to check your phone!

Author Bio

Sohaib is an adventure travel addict and is on a quest to check all of Europe off his ‘list’. He is currently in London, trying to find the capital’s hidden gems. When he isn’t around and about, you’ll find him writing for HotelClub, a website for booking hotels and more.

#SMWPOPUP

“How Social Media Powered The Pop-up”

For Social Media Week (September 24th – 28th in London), Eventbrite

As part of Social Media Week, EventbriteUK (@briteuk) hosted 60+ attendees at Engine to discuss why pop-ups use social media, how to market big new ideas and what growth really looks like in a world gone digital. We heard from a great panel composed of major London pop-up entrepreneurs:

Andrew Swain – social media consultant at Boxpark (@boxpark),

Alice Hodge – co-founder of The Art Of Dining (@artofdiningldn)

Max Bergius – founder & editor of Art Wednesday (@artwednesday)

Sam Michel – founder of Chinwag (@chinwag)

Daniel Young – founder of Young and Foodish (@youngandfoodish)

For pop-ups, the problems with promotion and consumer traction are obvious: they are intrinsically ephemeral, underground, inconsistent, and often invisible to the naked eye (read: invite only). They are projects built from scratch by courageous and inventive individuals keen to bring something new into the world. Conversely, they’re often unable to afford the luxuries of promotion, mass-marketing, or any paid advertising whatsoever. We heard from the panel that proper (paid) promotion can actually damage reputations if the goal is to find an authentic and authentically engaged consumer base.

Enter Social Media.

“Everyone on Twitter Is Into Crochet”

The consensus in the room was that user/consumer/fan-generated content is the most valuable to both identifying and growing a dedicated base of customers. Rather than filling Facebook with every little announcement, or feeding Twitter with flippant information, success comes from re-posting Instagram photos, sharing positive consumer feedback and reinforcing messages of gratitude. While these strategies seem fairly obvious, we were given plenty of counter-examples where Pinterest had been used to mask commercial interests, verbose blogs fell on deaf ears and scattershot over-use of Facebook and Twitter isolated everyone.

As Daniel Young put it, “Everyone on Twitter is into crochet.” This doesn’t mean that any crochet business will de-facto succeed through Tweets alone, but rather that the challenge is to bring new and useful information and projects to the platform. Take the time to tell the right people about them, and then take them on a journey. Daniel found a collaborator in Edible Experiences, and they often share and support each-other’s content.

For Alice Hodge, the journey starts with ‘being real’, which is facilitated primarily through Twitter and Instagram. The accurate buzz word here is “oblique.” Tweeting about mis-steps and antics, coupled with Instagram photos of what happens behind-the-scenes can do a lot to bring humor, life and humanity to a new business. Andrew and most of the panel echoed the value of re-posting Instagram images and other user-generated content as a way to build a reputation directly through relationships, rather than ‘pitching’ anything at all.

Email = Workhorse

So how do you connect directly with your base to promote events, sell tickets, generate a buzz or announce a new feature? And how to do you measure retention vs. interest when social network stats are only as good as the last week’s activity?

For Max Bergius, email equivocates best. Because it is so direct, Art Wednesday sees the most monetization come from direct emails. MailChimp is the favorite tool for scheduling and building email campaigns (we use it at WAPU for our mailing-list and love it). As social networks grow larger daily, getting a signal through the noise can be quite the challenge. But email – set apart from networks and inherently personal – is a great way to find and keep your ‘sticky’ supporters.

Quality, not G+

Of the many platforms supported and praised for their ability to help connect and network users, Hootsuite and Tweetdeck were praised as tools to manage and schedule social updates (they focus on Twitter and Facebook). Path, Highlight and Banjo were mentioned as good personal networking tools. Drupal and WordPress were the blogging favorites.

We would like to throw in Shhmooze as an up-and-comer which helps you find people from your networks at events hosted by Shhmooze, Eventbrite and MeetUp.

The consensus was that Google Plus and the complicated integration of Google Plus Local and Google Plus Groups makes it more of a headache than a tool. When resources are already stretched across development, outreach and service, convoluted software that changes frequently is the most likely to drop off.

“If corporates can get out of the way… we’ll have a great time”

The most poignant question of the session came at the end of the event, when Sam Michel had a chance to discuss the role of big brands amidst the pop-up phenomenon. The title quote is his, issued after explaining the potential and exciting opportunity for entrepreneurs and brands to partner around offering large-scale, authentic experiences. Brands can bring financial support and capability, where entrepreneurs bring authenticity and a true connection to consumers.

This is most likely to work if the brand is just barely visible. We imagine meaningful or quiet product-placements, rather than big noisy ad-campaigns. Most brands now don’t seem to cop to the idea, so maybe they just need to be taught. Connecting with true pop-up entrepreneurs is a great opportunity for brands to authentically connect with their consumers – as we see in The Art Of Dining’s new Tradicional project.

Many thanks to Katie McPhee and Eventbrite for facilitating this fascinating conversation. (And for not forcing everyone in attendance to wear big orange shirts.)

—

Watch the live stream

Event overview and speakers: http://eventbriteatsmwldn12.eventbrite.com

Host: http://www.theenginegroup.com