Each month, you'll find new promotions here
designed to  increase customer count & generate sales
using the latest marketing & promotion techniques
for nightclub, bar, restaurant & hotel operations.

Halloween

PLEASE NOTE: Although the promotions listed each month on this page are designed primarily for a nightclub environment, they can be easily modified so as to work in a bar/pub, restaurant, café or any business open to the public.

The key here is to be organized, have a game plan. Promos are like little mini-stage productions: They need to be planned, budgeted, cast, rehearsed & directed. Just like in pro sports, each member of your team needs to know what his/her role is, what's expected of them. Together, they make the promo succeed and, the cash register ring!!

 Package Halloween This Year 
as a 3 day major event with over $10,000 in cash & prizes!

Ah, we do love it when St. Patrick's Day, Halloween or New Years Eve fall on a week night. That way, we get an extra week end nights sales for those weeks.

This year, Halloween falls on a Wednesday night. This means that we need to get creative to take advantage of a potential extra weekend day's sales this year. And, if you are NOT usually open on Wednesdays, make a decision whether to be open on the 31st..... or, plan all your celebrations for the preceding weekend.

What to do:

Prudent strategy - Plan on starting your Halloween celebration with an alternative or techno-rave night, prepare a Rocky Horror Halloween Warm-Up party on Thursday, the 25^th.

Next, Plan a "Halloween Warm-up Party" so as to stretch Halloween out over the 3 day period & gain that extra big day's sales.

Objective: To make Friday & Saturday just as exciting & as much fun as the actual Halloween Night party on Tuesday.

Another Thursday or Friday night angle…. Hold a Halloween Warm-Up Pimp & Hookers Ball. We’ll be awarding $200 cash to the best-dressed hooker & $200 cash to the best-dressed pimp plus $100 each to the two runners up.

MAJOR OPPORTUNITY! Organize a Halloween After-Work Block Party at your facility on Friday, the 26th.

Invite all the merchants & businesses in the area to a special party.

Put together a nice deli spread for your guests. Budget $150-250, cook off a carving roast with ham, cheese, veggies. Do it up right, complete with a carver/server to assist in the service.

Stage a costume contest for the group. Winners might automatically qualify for your big contest later on.

How about a cash prize or a free party for the company or group that brings the most people to the party?

We all know that Halloween costuming has gotten very sophisticated in recent years. A killer costume can cost over $100 to make & the renting a great costume can cost an equal amount. Tell your guests to get their costumes early this year so they'll have a chance to wear it more than just one day.

Hold separate costume contests with similar prizes on Thursday, Friday & Saturday.

Thursday & Friday Prelim Halloween contest:

$300 - 1st prize
$200 - 2nd prize
$100 - 3rd prize
====
$600 - Total cash each night

Primary Saturday Halloween night costume contest:

First prize - $700
Second prize - $400
Third prize - $200
====
$1300 - Total cash Saturday Night Finals

Now, you're up to $2500 cash for the event Plus.... what if you award 30 VIP free admission passes (10 each day Fri. Sat. & Sun.) good for 6 months..... each with a value of say, $250. That totals $10,000 in prizes!

Another hook - The top three contest winners on Thursday & Friday automatically qualify for the finals on Saturday night. That way, the winner has a chance at $1,000 cash! ($300 for 1^st on Thursday or Friday plus $700 for 1^st on Saturday) Plus, this provides more incentive for building your Sunday night traffic.

Power in numbers! - Now, you can capture the market by telling everyone your Halloween is 3 days, has "….over $10,000 in cash & prizes."

Get Your Employees Involved, In Costume

Remember that "People support what they help to create." Set a standard that all employees are to be in costume the preceding weekend. (you may choose to omit door & security people)

Thursday evening, prior to shift or as part of the evenings agenda, conduct a special costume contest for your employees. Offer cash & prizes to the top 8-10 best staff members. Then, early in the evening, have you DJ parade your top costumes for the crowd to see.

Make a big deal about how great your team looks. Great opportunity to build pride, develop teamwork & add impact to your Halloween festivities.

Depending on the circumstances, you might even let your top 2 or 3 employees with best costumes enroll in the finals.

Halloween Website Update

We produced & maintain the website for one of our favorite people, Larry Luttrell & his Gables Nightclub in Bunker Hill, WV. Take a look at how we edited the home page of GablesNightclub.com for October to show off our calendar of events for the month.

Here's a killer Halloween flyer that we helped to create for our.3-day "FREAK WEEK" promotion at Gables Nightclub. Check it out here.

Here's another sample Halloween flyer you can adapt for your own use.. Simply print it out then strip in the copy & graphics where needed to customize the flyer to your own facility. Check it out.

Next, Budget an amount for props & goodies to enhance the show for Halloween week....over & above the usual for decorations.

Prepare a caldron of kamikazes, add orange food color & call it "Witches Brew." Display the caldron on the back bar with foaming dry ice in it. Use your shooter girl to sell.

Feature Rhumple-Mist or Fire Water packaged to sell as "The Blood of Dracula."

Brainstorm with your bar crew. Look for other weird drink specials to merchandise.

Order multi-colored glow necklaces & bracelets......also, how about using glow straws or swizzle stick to garnish your specialty drinks. (start this activity the week prior to help promo your planned weirdness)

Hire a fortune teller or taro card reader, set up a special area & decorate it so as to really showcase this person.

Consider having a body/face painter on the premises for your parties. Person could be a good make-up artist who’s not afraid to stretch. Use lots of glitter.

Change all of your lighting gels to oranges, yellows, blood red & other ghoulish colors the week before Halloween. Don't forget those black lights.

Also, good idea to video all of your activities, contests & show them throughout the club.

Example: Station your camera person at the front door so as to video each group as they enter. Very theatrical, show biz, like a glitzy movie premier of "Rocky Horror Picture Show". Remember: That night, everyone who comes to the club really is a star !!

Contests are a big part of the whole Halloween experience. Here are a few examples:

Pumpkin Carving Contest

Six or eight contestants on the dance floor or designated area carving pumpkins. No mess if you use a plastic drop cloth to cover the floor.

Mummy Wrap - Very entertaining, crowd pleasing. Allow 12 to 15 minutes. DJ & manager task assignments:

DJ or manager recruits & signs up couples during the evening, MCs, does play by play of event, awards prizes to top 3 winning couples.

DJ/MC is the key to this event.

Manager organizes & briefs couples just before contest, then distributes 2 rolls of toilet tissue per couple, keeps time (5 min.) & assists in judging.

Mummy Wrap order of events:

Each couple decides who is Wrapper & who is Wrapee.

Mgr. distributes toilet tissue.

Wrapee assumes some creative position & cannot move once the contest begins.

DJ gives "go" signal & plays Rocky Horror type music.

Wrapper has 5 min. to wrap Wrapee to look like a mummy.

DJ does play by play..... describes the event as it happens.

Judges and/or applause determine top 3 winning couples.

DJ & Manager quickly award prizes.

Lights down, mummies lead off dance as DJ introduces an automatic, packs the floor & "MAKES 'EM SWEAT !!"

Music for the week - Dust off a few of those classic Halloween treats like:

Monster Mash - Bobby Boris Pickett
Witch Queen of New Orleans - Redbone
Witchy Woman - Eagles
Werewolves of London - David Naughton (available on video)
Thriller - Michael Jackson (available on video)
Ghost Busters - Ray Parker, Jr. (available on video)
Time Warp - Rocky Horror Picture Show (available on video)

Ambient Movies for Halloween - Here are 40 classics all available on video:

NOTE: This entire event should be treated exactly like a major big time social event. Plan the entire evening A to Z... Most important…. have a great time and…."MAKE ‘EM SWEAT!!"

More promo ideas.... We’ve just scratched the surface here. If you want to learn more, I’d like to invite you to read more about "Success Management Systems" by ordering our new book, "Bar/Nightclub Management & Marketing - 101 Ways To Make The Cash Register Ring." It's a  powerful tool for creating traffic & increasing sales using proven marketing, promotions & improved operations techniques. Details here.