3 Reasons Your Brewery Promotional Event Isn’t Working

My brother always says “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” and I have to admit, usually he has a point. While avoiding costs on shiny new toys that won’t really result in more value is smart, making small changes to make your brewery the best it can be will pay you back over and over. When it comes to brewery events, little changes can go a long way. If you’ve started having events at your brewery, but they just aren’t yielding the crowds or revenue you were expecting, you’re probably making some very simple mistakes. In this post I’ll outline some common roadblocks to a successful event. 

1) You’re not spreading the word

Putting your event on your brewery calendar is not enough. I’m sure you have some diehards who check that thing daily, but the goal of your event is to attract new customers to your brewery. You could be giving away free kegs, but if the people don’t know, the people won’t show!

How to fix it:

• Post about your event on social media
• Start a blog, if you haven’t already, and post frequently about upcoming events
• Collaborate with other local businesses, and expand your network for spreading the word!
• Ask your staff to invite their friends and family (maybe even offer a discount or free pint)

2) Time- your event doesn’t keep attendees long enough

When planning an event for your brewery, you want to make sure that attendees will stay long enough to take it all in and to make all that planning and setup worthwhile for your team.

How to fix it:

• Provide entertainment attendees won’t want to miss
• Make sure your staff has time to interact—attendees will want to learn about the event and the beer
• Reset your expectations- try holding an event that is only meant last a portion of the day. This is a good way to make sure you aren’t investing too much time and money into one event, and your guests will leave both satisfied with the day but wanting more for the future!

• Pro Tip: Don’t be ashamed to hire a third party to help you! There are companies that will plan an event with entertainment, take care of the heavy lifting so your staff can mingle and educate attendees, and offset the cost of having your team orchestrate the event.

3) It’s not a fit for your audience

Not everyone is going to want to go to your event, and that’s okay! Choose your target and aim straight for them!

How to fix it

• Choose a specific intended audience (i.e.: families in Boston, cyclists in Sommerville, film buffs in Boston, etc.)
• Get to know your customers
• Work with a third party event planner on your theme

Remember, just because your brewery promotional event wasn’t a success the first time, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it again. Maybe the timing wasn’t right, the word didn’t spread, or you just need a little help from a third party event planner.

Want to learn more about how to plan a successful brewery event? Click below to download a free guide to planning a movie night at your brewery!