Step 1: Come up with your concept
Event will have a theme or focus on a specific set of ingredients. Keep a running list of dish, possible drink, and event ideas, pick out things that sound interesting, and try them out as you narrow in on your event concept. Before the actual event, teams demonstrate concept to the other teams.
Step 2: Find a venue, leading with the idea
Once you have an idea in mind, fit your theme to the space rather than the other way around to avoid ‘boxing yourself in’ creatively. In task we have set the event location in the shopping center of (Espoo Finland) , think carefully that your theme really works for the space.
Step 3: Consider finding a partner
Looking to reach a new audience with your pop-up dining event? Consider teaming up with someone who will complement your food and offer a point of difference to your event — whether it’s another chef or a local producer? Approach each collaboration as a partnership rather than simply asking for donations. Share your promotion plan and make it clear what you’ll need from them to participate. An awesome idea is to use your home country local producers to help you out with this!
Step 4: Setup ticketing for your pop-up dining event
Pop-up dining events can be a lot of fun, but collecting payments at these events at the end of the evening can get complicated. Particularly if you have a manual process for your event knowing who has/hasn’t paid, the administration of such an event can be off-putting. The solution is to ticket your event. By setting up a ticketing selling area for your event, you can sell tickets and accept payments upfront,before quests stepping in the event area.
Step 5: Promote your pop-up dining event
Once you’re confident you have a great idea, venue (Espoo,Finland Shopping center), ticketing area or other cachier idea, and costs are under control — it’s time to attract a crowd. Make a attractive sign or stand to your pop-up event/restaurant.
Create event description for your page that reflects your personality and cooking style. Let the public know about your culinary skills, pop-up dishes and entertainments that you have in your pop-up event.
Tips for planning a pop-up event
You’ve got your idea and you’re ready to roll — here are tips to make sure you succeed your event
Tip 1: Use social media as a tool
Create a hashtag for your event that is incorporated on the event page or menu, and share photo teasers of the can’t-miss dishes leading up to when ticket sales go live. Instagram is especially good for food-lovers and if you do a bit of research in local area(Finland,Espoo) you should find a number of popular hashtags that you can add to be found in search such as #cookingforthefuture or #munomnia #espoocity #espoofood #sello and others.
Tip 2: Let customers meet the makers
Experiential customers want to hear your story! Even if you can’t have a personal interaction with every guest, find ways to elevate the experience — invite guests to come into the event area and ask questions, or explain the inspiration behind the dishes as they walking thru presentation area in Espoo shopping center.
Tip 3: Organise permits and invest in insurance
Especially now, when you are using a venue outside of a standard restaurant kitchen, it’s important to do your due diligence ahead of time and get comfortable with the level of compliance you’re able to take on. Regulations around food vary from country to country, so if you’re popping up in an area outside of your home turf, the rules might change. If you’re using someone else’s restaurant space, make sure their permit transfers to you for an event. In this case, you are using Omnia(Espoo, Finland)kitchen facilities.Make also sure that their equipment’s are right for your dishes (ice-cream machine, rice cooker, pasta machine ex.) For outdoor spaces, look at parks and local city regulations to see what kind of permitting is needed.
Tip 4: Build a great team
Do you have enough members in your team to make this event happen? It’s important to build a great team that can inject fun and passion into service and concept.When budgeting and setting hours – don’t forget to factor in time for training and clean up at the start and conclusion of your event.
Tip 5: Have a plan if your pop-up dining event is a selling out
For exclusive pop-up events, it’s a good idea to have a waiting list. If your event area sells out, you can still capture people’s information for your email list to let them know about your next event or if they can come later on the same day.
Have fun, enjoy!!!!
Sami Syväoja Vamia