Fill your calendar: booking holiday parties

The office manager planning this year's team event may have never thought of your studio - she thinks you're where her kids paint on Saturdays. It's your job to change that. 

Office teams, church groups, book clubs and neighborhood crews all want an easy event before the year ends, and your studio is it. They just need to hear it from you.

Build your list

Start close to home: current customers, friends, all of your family's providers (doctors, dentists, etc.), your church and clubs. Next onto your staff: who do they know? Who do their families know?

Someone who already trusts you and your studio will take far less work and time to book than someone new to your business.

Corporations, big and small:

• Small business owners planning an employee appreciation event

• Remote or hybrid teams wanting an in-person gathering

• Real estate agents, insurance agencies, and other client-facing businesses

• The offices near your studio  

Church, social, and community organizations:

• Churches: women's ministries, Bible studies, small groups

• Nonprofit boards, volunteer groups, and civic organizations

• Sororities, alumni groups, and other social clubs

• Ladies' night out groups

• Book clubs

• Neighborhood and HOA groups

Now cast a wider net of businesses who are likely to book. Using ChatGPT or Claude, copy and paste this, and fill in the brackets:

I run [STUDIO NAME], a paint-your-own pottery studio in [CITY, STATE]. This fall and holiday season, I want to book adult holiday painting parties with local businesses, churches, and community groups. Search for organizations within [X miles] of [CITY, STATE] that are likely to book a holiday-season group painting event, such as: local businesses and offices (HR departments, small business owners, real estate and insurance agencies) planning employee or client holiday parties; churches (women's ministries, Bible study and small groups); book clubs; neighborhood and HOA associations; nonprofit organizations and volunteer groups; and social clubs, sororities, or alumni associations.

For each one you find, list this info: 1. Organization name 2. Best contact (name/role if you can find it, plus email, phone, or a contact form link) 3. Why they're a good fit (e.g., "hosts an annual holiday party" or "home office nearby" or "organizes a women's ministry event each December"). Sort the list by how likely they are to book a paid group event, most promising first. Flag anything you're not fully sure about instead of guessing.

Add the organizations and people you already know to the top of the list, then sort AI's results by most likely to book.

Marketing

A full-color flyer (no AI for this part!) is the perfect marketing piece for clearly showing what hosting a holiday painting event at the studio or at their place is all about.

Keep your pricing simple and lead with the benefits of hosting this year's party at your studio: "Perfect for a weeknight get-together! Enjoy painting and celebrating together. Food and drinks welcome. We handle the setup and cleanup." Mention that November and December dates are limited and include a QR code for quick access to booking online.

Drop off flyers at the offices and organizations on your list (get them in the right hands!), and put the rest to work in the studio:

• Coach your staff to catch the opening. If a customer brings up an office party, a church group, or their book club while they're painting or checking out, that's the cue to tell them about booking a group – and make sure they leave with a flyer.

• Mention it in your regular emails and social posts; there’s a very good chance your customers are the office manager, event planner, or church volunteer you're trying to reach in the first place.

• Post one in the restroom, your party room, the front window - anywhere there is heavy foot traffic.

• Create small signage for your tables: "Book a holiday party for your office, church, or club! Ask us how."

Follow up

Give it three to five business days after the drop-off, then follow up (a call beats an email!) to ask if they have questions about booking a party.

• Name the timeline: bring up the holiday season directly, and ask what evening or date will work for their group. A little urgency helps: "we only have a few November and December slots left."

• Still no answer? One more nudge about a week later is worth it before you move on.

• Stay organized: a simple spreadsheet is all it takes. Log who got a drop-off, when, your follow-up date, and what came of it.

• Once it's booked: secure the date, headcount, price or deposit, and get the event confirmation to the host in writing right away.

• If it's a no: ask if you can check back down the road, and leave the door open for next time.

The bottom line

Drab is forgettable. Fab is what gets your studio booked again next year. Reach out first, make it easy and your studio becomes the most memorable spot on their holiday calendar, this year and every year after.