With Halloween just around the corner, many bar and nightclub owners know that they need to start planning accordingly. Historically, it is one of the biggest nights of the year for bar and nightclub business. However, you won’t see a penny if you don’t have a great entertainment package planned. Also, there are other implications if you don’t bring in a great crowd on this holiday; and those implications can echo through the rest of the holiday season. For all of these reasons, preparing your venue for Halloween is vitally important.
As most of you know, fall marks the beginning of busy season at most bars and nightclubs. With the weather outside changing and getting colder, people are fleeing their backyard parties of summertime and opting to belly up at their favorite watering hole. To capture recurring customers for the busy fall and early winter seasons, you need to pack your venue on Halloween. Here’s what you need to know.
Decorations: Crucial When Preparing Your Venue for Halloween
Decorating your bar or nightclub for Halloween is very important to create a fun experience for your customers. However, you don’t want it to look and feel like a haunted attraction; so make sure you’re choosing wisely. Put a few pumpkin and ghost decorations scattered throughout the venue to make it look festive, but try not to overdo it. It’s not like decorating a bar for other holidays, so keep it simple. Also, make sure you have something visible from the street so people passing by can see the decorations to. Lastly, don’t decorate your bar until around halfway through October because any earlier would be overkill.
Plan Events
Entertainment is crucial to bringing in crowds on Halloween, so make sure you have a great program put in place ahead of time. Remember to book a band or DJ in advance because the best ones will book up fast as Halloween approaches. Also, you simply must have a costume contest to encourage your customers to dress up. Lastly, don’t forget the drink specials! Perhaps make some “creepy” variations of classic cocktails. Also, offer at least one pumpkin ale to keep your customers in the mood to spend money and party.
Advertise What You’re Offering
Lastly, you need to advertise your Halloween party proudly and loudly. Make a huge banner to put out in front of your bar or nightclub. Take to social media and make sure everyone possible sees the details of your Halloween extravaganza. You could have the greatest party put together in the entire world, but not a single customer will show up if they have no idea it’s happening. If you have any room at all left in your advertising budget for the year, now would be a good time to start using it.
By preparing your bar or nightclub for the busy fall and winter months using Halloween as your springboard, you can have a profitable and exciting holiday season. Just remember to decorate your venue, offer great entertainment and drink specials, and advertise to the hilt. Then, all the work you do preparing your venue for Halloween will pay off with huge dividends.
