Pop-Up Markets - The Ultimate Event Organizer Checklist
Pop-Up Market planning can be an overwhelming task for both new and experienced planners. It is one of the most challenging jobs worldwide and requires specialized skills. Even so, it is a lucrative gig for organized and hard-working individuals. The ability to manage many moving parts and deliver an amazing pop-up market experience is indeed a skill to be proud of. On the flip side, the moving parts of an event can go horribly wrong if they are not managed meticulously. Whether you are new to the industry or have years of experience, this checklist will outline all the things you must know before during and after an event.
1. Plan for The Basics.
Whether you're organizing a small or a big pop-up market, you need to start making plans in advance. Planning for a pop-up market can begin 6 or more months away. The following are the basic things you must have in place as you start the pop-up market planning stage.
A.) Goals and Objectives
Why are you organizing this event? Is it to promote a brand, or brands? To highlight a particular culture? To raise awareness or to raise funds? When identifying goals, you need to be very specific so as not to miss the essence of the event. For example, planning a fair for Hispanic heritage will be different from a food truck festival dedicated to Tex-Mex.
B). Target Audience
Who are the attendees you would like to have at your Pop-Up Market? You may define them by demographics, geographical location, interests, characteristics and more. This will help you group the attendees and help to personalize your event for all attendees.
C). Timeline
It's necessary to define how you will roll out your Pop- Up Market activities. This includes noting down your dates and deadlines for things such as event dates, venue closing times, booking for travel date and more. It's wise to give an allowance of time to cater for any delays.
D.) Budget
It is wise to have a working budget for the event. This will guide the purchases you will make towards making the event a success. Expenses can include renting a venue, equipment, stationery, decorations, refreshments for your vendors, and so on. Expenses are unique to each Pop-up Market so list each one of them down for better budget management.
E) Dates
Remember to research the dates of other industry events in your area and to consider weather if your events are outdoors. This planning will help you avoid overlapping, and unforeseen circumstances which can affect event attendance.
2. Assemble the Team
All events need a team and these are the key players you always need:
a.) Event managers
Event managers help to coordinate the logistics and operations for events. The nature of the event will determine the number of event managers that are needed. For example, an international trade fair will need several managers and additional staff.
b). Marketing
The marketing team handles online and offline marketing activities and interacts with consumers on the website, social media and emails. This team helps build brand presence before, during, and after the event.
c.) Sales
This team handles all customer inquiries and requests about the pop-up market. They also handle, sponsorship acquisition, ticket sales and attendee registrations.
d.) Coordinators
This team deals with finalizing the venue, taking care of the logistics of the event. They must ensure that vendors and service providers like caters and photographers, etc., arrive on time and set up as expected. The type of event you have will advise how many coordinators you need.
3. Create Your Promotional Material
For your Pop-up Market marketing strategy to work, you need to have the following promotional materials.
A.) Event Name and Messaging
In a client’s pop-up market, make sure that you can position your business name in the booklet of the day and in subtle places at the market.
If hosting your own pop-up market, make sure your brand name is visible at every possible place.
This is the type of messaging that make you memorable.
1). Logo and Event identity
Having a logo ensures that customers have your brand in mind for a long time after the pop-up market is over. Other elements of a pop-up market identity include fonts, colors, and design.
2.) Promotional Content
Create customizable graphic templates, and content copies that sponsors, affiliates, and participants can edit and share through their marketing channels.
3.) Presenters' background
If running a virtual pop-up market, there should be minimal distraction behind and around the presenter. This will help attendees to better focus on the message being transmitted. (Pro Tip: Request your speakers have a clean background to avoid distractions as well.)
4. Finalize the Venue
For a Pop-Up market that is in-person, these are some of the aspects that you need to have in mind when choosing the venue.
A.) Consider the vicinity of the venue
How close is the venue to transport facilities and city sights? What's its proximity to nearby guest houses or hotels for vendors and attendees to spend the night?
B.) Consider the venue's accessibility.
Is the venue accessible to everyone by taxi and public transport? Are the restrooms and sanitation stations? Is the facility/area handicap accessible?
Even the smallest nuisance can influence your event experience.
C.) Transportation
Do you anticipate out of town attendees? If so are you able to arrange shuttle cabs or buses for nearby hotels to transport vendors and attendees to and from the venue? Can you liaise with transport providers to offer exclusive discounts to attendees?
5. Event Technology
Technology is a key element to consider because it helps promote the Pop-Up Market, register guests, and increase engagements. Your Pop-Up Market format will define the kind of technology you'll need. Follow these basic steps:
1). Website or Landing Page
This is where you can post all information related to the event. The details to post on the site include the event date and venue, contact information, registration information, and FAQs.
2). Registration Platform
Does your event platform have a registration section? You can customize and automate the registration process to help you send reminder messages to many clients at once.
3). Event App
Consider having an event app to help your marketing team engage attendees. The app provides a forum for customer engagements through polls, Q&A, and feedback sessions.
4.) Hardware
These are the equipment you need for the event to run properly. These are laptops, microphones, headphones, a projector, screens and more.
6. Outsource To Vendors
You may need to outsource the following services to make work easier:
a.) Marketing
You may have to outsource the entire marketing function if you don't have yours.
b.) Set-Up
You may need to hire vendors that deal in the event set up to help you with booths, décor, and presentation rooms. The vendor should deal with the setup's transportation, installation, and dismantling the set-up.
c). Outsource catering and entertainment.
Make sure these are vendors you can trust to do a good job.
PLUG’D
PLUG’D Marketplace is a tool that facilitates connections and transactions between local consumers and vendors. This can be a great resource to identify potential vendors in your area, as well as a marketing channel for your vendors.
7. Live Entertainment
If you’re Pop-Up Market is a designed to incorporate live entertainment, you will need to vet the entertainers you would like to have for the event. You can use these steps as a reference:
1. Develop a list of the best entertainers that fit your need.
2. Reach out to them and request their availability for your event.
3. When they confirm their attendance, be sure to keep in touch with them. Remember to have other options in case one entertainer fails to show up.
8. Marketing Your Event
When everything is ready, let people know about the upcoming event. You can use the following tools for marketing your Pop-Up Market:
· A website
· Social media
· Paid advertising
· Influencer marketing
· Hire a PR agency.
9. During The Event
Do the following to ensure the Pop-Up Market runs successfully:
Do a dry run of the event before the start time and troubleshoot the on-site hick-ups.
Have a contact person available for all enquiries and keep your team engaged.
Share a live update and engage your audience.
10. After The Event
This is a point where you express gratitude to all events stakeholders and prepare for the next edition. You need to send post-event surveys to attendees and to get feedback that can help improve your next event. Update your website and social media platforms with photos and testimonials for all to see what happened.
Conclusion
Planning an Pop-Up Market can be a tall order, but following a procedure like this will help to stay organized. All the best!