7 Essentials For A Kick Ass Launch Party!

The key to any successful new tech product is a kick-ass launch party! (Don't worry all the customer acquisition, fund raising and scaling stuff can wait till after the party…) Every kick ass launch party has to to have the key elements in place to ensure that everyone is talking about the new product as a rocket ship rather than a sinking ship. So below you will find a short guideline to throwing a truly kick ass launch party!

7. Energy Drinks

First things first, when planning for a party full of techies you've got to serve energy drinks in copious amounts. Most likely your party is during the workweek and you'll be asking a bunch of over worked and under rested folks to show up on a school night. You've got to fight their urge to be responsible and go home early and your greatest weapon is free energy drinks for all who attend.

The great thing about energy drink companies is they are started almost as frequently as daily deal startups which means with a little networking and a bit of hustle you can most likely talk one of them into donating cases for your party. If not there is always Costco.

If you really want people to stick around, however, make sure the energy drinks are palatable so that your partygoers can suck them down without turning green.

Pro Tip: Try out Plus Red Elixir, it’s a new brand that tastes so good that your attendees won't feel like their drinking jet fuel, its also all natural and has a ton of energy packed in a can that its kind of scary…

Photo credit Rodale

6. Pizza

When it comes to a tech party don't waste your seed financing on fancy food, just make sure there is enough pizza to go around (and that it’s edible). Let's be frank, people love them some pizza.

People will probably eat before or after the party so don't be too worried that your culinary selections leave much to be desired.

Pro Tip: Pepperoni and Cheese will do, add in mushroom and your really gonna wow ‘em!

Photo Credit Weheartit

5. Stickers

Every good launch party should have a few swag items and takeaways for its guests. For tech crowds stickers are always a hit. If you have kick ass stickers they will find themselves on the walls of the guests cubicles the next day.

Perhaps if you're lucky they might make it to the hallowed grounds of a MacBook Pro cover.

Pro Tip: They better indeed be badass otherwise they'll end up in the dirt.

Photo Credit Francescomugnai Blog

4. Photobooth

People love photos. People love photos of themselves even more! Photo booths are a must have at your launch party and if done right can help you spread your new product's brand name across the social sphere through photo tagging and sharing.

Find a photo booth company that can provide the lighting, camera and after effects, there are ton of awesome companies offering these services in most metro cities these days, one of the best however is a company called FoxTales. Make sure you watermark each photo with your company's logo and then get those photos posted to Facebook as soon as humanly possible.

ProTip: Tag everyone you can as soon as you can get the photos up on Facebook and let the photos do their magic as everyone claims their latest party face photo for their personal profile.

Photo Credit New Yorker

3. Old School Hip Hop

I was going to write, "hire a DJ” here but then I was like "what kind of party doesn't have a DJ?" A lame one would be the correct answer…

The real point is what the DJ is spinning. People might try to hype you on having the DJ spin the latest dubstep banger, but they are wrong. No one can hear themselves or find their groove thang when the music sounds like an air raid gone spastic.

The key is a healthy playlist of old school hip hop. You'd be surprised at how many people have hidden break dancing skills buried deep down inside. No matter how tailored the suit, there isn't a Tech party goer who can resist their inner badass when Jay Z breaks out the H to the izzo…

Pro Tip: Old school hip hop will take your party from simmer to a boil in minutes so make sure to time it right!

Photo Credit Weheartit

2. Booze

Vodka, wine and Mexican beer are the ultimate trifecta. "But what about an awesome local microbrewery on tap, people can get a Corona anywhere?" you ask...

Well my good sir despite agreeing that your local microbrewery has a delicious IPA, not everyone can stomach its malty hop delicacies. Oh and keg beer is a sticky affair, people like bottles because they won't smell like a frat house when they are "networking."

Simplicity is key here as well. Vodka for the Hard A, and one or two mixers. Anyone can stomach a vodka cran.

Pro Tip: Whiskey on the other hand puts hair on your chin and if everyone has hair on their chins at your party it will probably most likely end up being remembered as something other than a tech launch party.

Photo Credit Weheartit

1. Bouncy Castle

Yes you read that right, a kick ass launch party includes a bouncy castle. There I said it. How many times have you attended a tech party and sat there with your hands in your pocket wishing you could show the world how awesome your colored dress socks are and bounce with abandon in an inflated castle with out anyone hassling you? Too many times right!?

Well here's the best part, bouncy castles are cheap to rent, you can inflate them just about anywhere (see picture of the bouncy castle inflated in the office lobby), and people LOVE bouncy castles!

Unlike a clown or a piñata a bouncy castle is fun for everyone! At the recent launch of PromoJam's new no hassle social marketing platform we welcomed guests with a "No Hassle Castle" and had attendees bounce for their Beta invite, and bounce they did. In fact we had to eventually deflate the castle on a rowdy couple who we couldn't get to leave their castle of love.

Pro Tip: If people aren't making out by the end of your party, it might not have been kick ass enough…

Photo Credit Weheartit

Reference Material

Dun & Bradstreet Credibility / Via youtube.com

For a real life example of a Kick Ass launch party, check out the party wrap up from the recent PromoJam 2.0 launch party in Santa Monica, CA.