You’ve probably seen the old black-and-white movies featuring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland sitting on the front porch, legs crossed, a puzzled look on their faces as they ponder some kind of challenge, and suddenly one of them excitedly blurts “I know…let’s have a show! Fast cuts, backed up by music, confetti flying, big crowds and happy faces. Sure enough, the “show” — the special event — worked like a charm.

In real life, special events don’t always come out the same as the movies.

They can be enormously time-consuming and, if not properly planned and budgeted, they can wind up being very expensive. Worst of all, they may not produce anything other than a big headache for the client.

Nevertheless, special events do have a place in marketing and public relations, but only if they have clear objectives and realistic expectations.

Why do you want to produce a special event?

In today’s communications-overloaded world, well-produced special events can cut through the clutter and provide publicity focus on a specific feature or moment related to your product or service.

Events have the ability to deliver breakthrough publicity moments. But they must be well-planned and well-produced and possess qualities that can persuade media to generate coverage.

The planning and media persuasion is where Wellons Communications comes into the picture.

What justifies a special event?

Generally, milestone moments offer an opportunity to you to stage an event

Whatever the milestone, it must possess news value that will be important to various audiences, ranging from your current client base to wannabe customers.

If you are launching a new product or service, or introducing a new feature or tweak, a special event might be useful.

If you achieve a milestone moment, a special event can serve to underscore that achievement, like a new service, a new outlet, an anniversary, a new sales record, or an award earned by your business.

How can a special event deliver value?

At their very core, special events deliver great visuals, photos and videos that can be put to use in a variety of marketing channels of communication.

A photo event can attract media coverage with both traditional and trade media, be featured on your website, shared with your client base, and serve to visualize whatever message you are seeking to project.

A more complex event, like a grand opening or new product introduction, requires considerably more planning, rehearsal, and production, but can deliver immediate impact and buzz if properly produced and communicated.

Again, the ability of an event to deliver value will depend entirely on the newsworthiness of what the event is aimed at communicating and the planning and budgeting you put into it.

Wellons Communication has done its fair share of special events

From the grand opening of attractions and restaurants to photo events that bring to life new or special features of a business, Wellons Communications has decades of experience in special event public relations.

From idea development of an event to working with skilled show producers to stage events, our marketing agency has served in virtually all capacities of special event management.

Our results have been, in some cases, astounding. They have attracted national news coverage. They have delivered significant coverage in news media from local media to key trade media.

But prior to generating results, Wellons has served as a key planner for special events, from providing the imagination to produce strong visuals to reaching media well in advance (and afterward) to deliver significant publicity results.

We come up with ideas. We budget and plan. We help find the necessary professional help to make your event come to life (e.g. musicians, banners and signing, invitations, food and beverage, research to ensure no conflict with other newsworthy events) and serve as the publicity resource that justifies all the time and expense you put into the event.

So, when your moment has come, call on Wellons Communications.

Like Mickey and Judy in the movies, “Let’s have a show!” Only a show that works in real life.