How to Craft Customer Appreciation Events

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No matter your budget, customer appreciation events can help you forge lasting bonds with your most loyal customers. Plus, they can offer the allure of attracting new customers to your fold.

How do you start crafting the ideal event to thank your customers? It all comes down to a simple planning process that can help you match the right event, budget, and location to your unique brand of gratitude.

Choosing a Customer Appreciation Event

There are many types of business events, each with its distinct flavor and branding. No matter your line of business, there’s a client appreciation event type out there that perfectly aligns with your brand and customers.

For Midwest Cards, a trading cards retailer based in Columbus, Ohio, the sole driver of its business, or "the hobby" as trading card enthusiasts call it, is community. "Our customers value access to products and belonging to and interacting with others in the hobby," says Jim Christy, the shop's co-managing director. "They want to meet others in the community, trade with those people, and enjoy unique experiences."

Cristy and his team host various events throughout the year designed to give collectors what they want – that access. They wanted to do something for their customers and community that was so unexpected and surprising that it would be a must-attend. They decided to go big or go home, and hosted a 300-person live trading event at a famous local stadium that's an icon among sports fans.

Consider opening early or staying late to give loyal customers a sneak peek at new goods, special guests, or services before anyone else. 

They promoted the event first to its loyalty program members and then opened it up to the general public, with word-of-mouth playing a big role in RSVPs. "The top thing we heard people say was, 'Oh, this sounds so cool. I don't even trade cards but an exclusive night at [the stadium]? I'd come to that,'" says Christie. 

The event featured hundreds of collectors with cases full of cards of all kinds trading with each other. Midwest Cards also arranged a stadium tour for its guests with some surprise appearances by Ohio State University players to delight guests. Did the event make them money? "Our goal really was just awareness, so this was a loss leader for us," says Christie, stating that all-in they spent roughly $30,000 on the event that generated $5,000 in revenue. But their main goal was to wow customers so they'd stick with Midwest long-term, as the average customer buys six to ten times throughout the year.

"We always think about how what we do will generate excitement and buzz for our community," says Christy. This event gave the customers of Midwest Cards just that. To generate a memorable thrill for your customers, use these ideas to help spark ideas for your next high-value customer event:

Exclusive Previews

Consider opening early or staying late to give loyal customers a sneak peek at new goods, special guests, or services before anyone else.

Thank You Gatherings

From casual cocktail hours to more formal fêtes, consider setting business aside and focusing on gratitude and community.

Parking Lot Parties

Whether you serve up cold drinks or hot barbecue, try thanking existing customers and attracting new ones with high-visibility public gatherings.

Virtual Visits

Online businesses could stream a trunk show or offer a by-invitation-only talk with a hot designer or industry personality.

Setting Your Event Budget

Events shouldn’t break the bank but should align with your brand, reputation, and expected event outcome. A cookout and a swag bag may be great for a local burger joint, but a small, premium catering company may want something different. 

Elizabeth and Vijay Goel, owners of Los Angeles-based Bite Catering Couture, always try to balance budget and experience when designing a customer appreciation event. Through hosting several appreciation events over the years, they've found that limiting the event scope helps them best invest in the folks they want to impress. 

For instance, the Goels recently hosted a small event for existing and potential customers. They wanted guests to take away a reminder that merely hosting an event with Bite was an upgrade. The Goels kept the guest list short and used their budget to create small bites with multiple menu themes, plus a bespoke beverage selection that included a signature cocktail. The budget settled in at roughly $150 per person, but with a short guest list, the expense was well worth it.

By using their event budget to deliver an experience, Bite thanked current customers while paving the way for new ones. “We now have multiple advocates who have experienced some of our premium products and services and are enthusiastic about them,” says Vijay Goel. The result? A list of delighted, current customers who are more than happy to send the Goels referrals, plus new customers who are eager for the upgraded Bite experience at their next event.

Consider these tips when planning the budget for your next customer appreciation event:

Think Balance

Think of event scope and budget like dials you can turn in opposite directions to strike the perfect balance. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Start Small

Small events can be cost-effective and help you find what your customers value most. You can always scale up for future events.

Don’t Forget the Follow-Up

If you invest in one thing, make it your event follow-up. Give existing and potential customers a way and reason to reach out to you after the lights go down.

Selecting an Event Location

When choosing a location for your customer appreciation event, consider what your customers value most. Christy's most loyal customers crave in-person connections with fellow collectors. For the Goels, their customers crave a comfortable yet posh ambiance with decadent cuisine to match. The best event locations can reinforce your brand's look and feel and honor how your customers typically interact with your business. 

Consider these ideas when choosing a location for your next small-business event:

Use Your Space

Leverage locations your customers already know and love. They know how to get there and where to park, plus they’ll feel comfortable walking through your front door.

Partner With Another Small Business

If you need more space, consider hosting your event at a locally owned location like an art gallery, museum, or restaurant. You and the venue can both celebrate the community you share.

Go Public

Consider hosting your event at a popular public destination, like a park or historical site. Client appreciation events can be another way to reinforce your appreciation for your customers and community simultaneously. 

Photo: Michael Hitoshi 

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