Summers are a great time to step out of your home and enjoy nature in all its glory. You get ample sunshine, pleasant weather, longer daylight hours, and time to reconnect with friends and family. Small businesses can overcome the winter slump and get back into the hustle with this opportunity. And what better way to announce this than by hosting a classic barbecue!
Summer barbecues are excellent marketing opportunities – you attract new customers, build a sense of community, and let people know that you are a lot more than making profits.
Advertise the Event
Naturally, your barbecue will be as popular as you make it out to be. You need to get the word out, create buzz, and invite as many guests as possible. How do you achieve these goals? Through advertising, of course! You can print banners, flyers, brochures, yard signs, etc., to announce the sizzling hot event you plan to host this summer.
Similarly, you can post on digital channels, such as your social media platforms or your local message board, newspaper, and radio station. Make sure that such communications cover all the details about the event, such as the date, time, and venue. You can also add other information such as the nature of the party (BYOB, potluck) and the dress code, if any.
Plan Out the Menu in Advance
Since this is a barbecue, the food will be the main attraction of the event. You want to curate a menu that accounts for people’s tastes, palettes, and preferences. And so, even though barbecues are all about juicy ribeye steaks and burgers, do not forget about those who do not eat meat.
Incorporate vegetarian options like black bean or lentil patties for burgers, vegetable skewers, vegetable kabobs, classic corn on the cob, and the quintessential potato salad to maintain balance. You can also have minor signs within frames that display the ingredients so that those with food allergies can practice discretion while loading up their plates.
Don’t Be Shy With Beverages
A summer BBQ party is incomplete without beverages – after all, your guests need to be hydrated at all times! Like the food menu, you will have to consider the drinks you serve. Start with some unlimited and ice cold water, because nothing else will really quench thirst like water. Beyond that, you can have non-alcoholic drinks like punch, iced tea, fruit juices, and more to cater to kids and teens.
And finally, you can dish out some alcohol and alcoholic drinks like beer, sangrias, margaritas, mojitos, and vodka spritzers – provided you can spread the message of drinking responsibly. By offering a variety of beverages, guests have the freedom to pick the drink of their choice and enjoy the party on their own terms.
Schedule a Bunch of Activities
Whether this summer BBQ hosts families, kids, or employees, you will have to plan out activities in advance to engage and entertain the guests. Such activities can also help break the ice if the guests are not very well acquainted with each other. The nature of activities would naturally depend on the target audience.
That being said, you could always go for a few tried and tested tropes like pool parties, scavenger hunts, lawn twisters, slip-n-slides, water gun fights, water balloon dodgeball, DIY crafts, and more. You could also assign a theme to the party and hand out rewards to those who truly embrace and embody the theme. Encourage everyone to participate with exciting and lucrative prizes (such as gift cards to your store).
Account for the Weather
There is no going around the fact that the summer sun can be harsh and unforgiving. Even if you have scheduled the barbecue on a pleasant or cloudy day, you can make provisions to offer some respite from the heat. Set up canopies at the venue and have portable fans to get a breeze blowing to beat the heat (you can also consider setting up glamping tents with all the shebang).
The tents and canopies will come in handy as shelters if you find yourself in the middle of an unexpected summer shower. If you have the space for it, you can even have an indoor BBQ party (provided that the grill is located outdoors) so that everyone can relax in a relaxed environment, away from the sweltering heat.
Conclusion
Throwing a BBQ is the perfect event for your small business. Not only will you and your employees be able to enjoy the food and sun, but it will show your customers that you are more than a business they purchase products and services from. You are a group of people working in your local community catering for that community, despite the competition of larger corporations.
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