How to SELL out your first small business event
From a little idea in my head to selling out and oversubscribing the waitlist, here’s how I sold out my first small business networking event.
What went down:
This summer was a career (and life) highlight for me. Ne’Twerking, my small business day rave for the girls, gays, and theys brought together over 50 people to celebrate.
We had breakfast, mimosas, non-cringe icebreakers, party bags filled with small biz goodies, and – of course – a twerking masterclass!
The twerk class was hosted by Tamara Josephine who is a Movement & Wellness Facilitator, and she taught us the importance of bringing our body into the conversation. The volunteers really brought their A-game and really warmed us up for all the dancing we did for the rest of the day.
As well as having fun, I wanted everyone who attended to come away with some bangin’ headshots, so we set up a headshot bar, provided by photographer and videographer Erin O’Cain. Erin is so sweet and lovely, and she also did the photography for the entire event to capture those unforgettable moments.
Our DJ Nate Notes provided some classic tunes throoughout the day, and we also had a little set from musician Eloise Viola, who sang some tracks from her new album, Glasshouse.
Not to brag, but it was THE MOST FUN networking event I’ve ever attended. For three hours, everyone was smiling, dancing, and making connections that would last a lifetime. I REALLY DID THAT!
How I made it happen:
Be brave enough
It started with an Instagram Story brain dump. The word ‘NeTwerking’ came into my head and I had this idea of a day rave with rum punch, tooth games, and a DJ playing R&B tracks so female business owners could “NeTwerk for their Net Worth.” I posted the idea on my story and the next thing I know, my DMs were flooded with people saying that if I did it, they would buy tickets.
If I listened to my imposter syndrome (who I’ve named Michelle so that I can tell someone off when those thoughts start to creep in), I never would have posted the Story and there wouldn’t have been an event at all.
Starting a waitlist to build hype
Before I had even found and booked a venue, I created a waitlist for anyone who was interested. Just a simple form that said, “If you want to be the first to know when the tickets drop, sign up here.”
As people joined the waitlist, it gave me a tangible number to work with as I searched venues, so I knew what I was working with.
Once I found the venue and locked it down, I sent out the ticket link to the people in my waitlist and my membership, The Content Club. That alone sold half the tickets, and got me even more excited to keep shouting about this insane, one-of-a-kind networking event.
I didn’t care about going viral
None of my Ne’Twerking promotional content got one million views or went viral – but it didn’t have to. I focused on showing up authentically, telling people exactly what they needed to know, and trusted that the right people would sign up and grab tickets.
And it worked! Yes, I posted loads in the lead up to the event because the algorithm be algorithms, but I didn’t focus on ways I could ‘hack’ it, Being authentic, and focusing on the message and the outcome of the event, meant that I attracted super aligned people who were MADE to attend Ne’Twerking.
Bringing Small Business Babes Together
Small business babes deserve to be celebrated, and we really did that. The day completely surpassed my expectations, and it was so wonderful seeing so many female founders come together, makes connections, and most importantly, HAVE FUN. Being a small business owner can be lonely, so networking events like this help remind us that we’re actually not alone in this journey.
And we’re doing it all again! We’re hosting another Ne’Twerking event for Christmas. Being a small business owner is great and has so many perks, but one of the downsides is that we don’t have things like Christmas pastries anymore like we would do in Corporate. So let Ne’Twerking be your party to celebrate all of the hard work you’ve done throughout the year. I wanna see you there!
Click below to stay in the know and be the first in line when ticket sales go live.
Our next Netwerking event
- Saturday 14th December
- 11am–2pm
- Secret location in London
- You’ll leave this event with a bag stuffed full of your new biz besties biz cards, a whine in your waist and so many new connections!
