Place North West-ing the night away: Place Party 2023

2023’s Place Party didn’t break from the tradition of its predecessors. It was a barnstorming night to remember for all the right reasons. So much so, a new verb entered our collective lexicon. Ever renowned for throwing a great party, we Place North Wested until the early hours!

This morning, as you gingerly nibble on some heavily buttered toast and sip on an Alka – Seltzer, let’s look back on the night’s festivities. Much more than just a knees up, I always find the Place Party to be a great litmus test for where the industry is at. In between hobnobbing and having fun, you really glean what’s the common threads on everyone’s mind.

What’s more, it’s a positive goldmine of opportunities. More on how to capitalise in that later…

It’s all go go go

The mood was buoyant and filled with positivity. Yes, not unlike any year, there are challenges, but people are resolute about the future and eager to drive forward.

This means business is good, and people are busy busy busy. So much so many are crying out for new people in the right roles to help them achieve their targets. “I can’t get the staff!” was in every conversation.

Fresh blood

The future of Manchester’s built environment is looking like it’s in safe hands with lots of young people in attendance. It seems like more senior folk are sending their team, perhaps as a precursor to passing the torch at some point down the line?

In any case, gone are the days of the homogonous upper crust where everyone looks the same. There’s a positive and diverse web of people eager to make their mark and leave a lasting legacy for the city, and I’m here for it.

A chance to let loose

It’s all too tempting to be in work mode 24/7, but a huge part of the Place Party is about having fun and kicking loose. This was taken to heart by most, and the dance floor was full for most of the night.

There was a photobooth with daft props and a cartoonist with a knack for emphasising your most prominent features. Just like me and Place North’s own Dino below.

If that wasn’t enough, you could get your face painted with glitter, although you might find yourself picking it out of your bedsheets for nights to come.

There was also ample swag to take home courtesy of Hollis, GIA, Castle Green and Close Brothers.

What advice do we give our clients about these events?

Many of our clients were out in full at the event, including main sponsor Euan Kellie Property Solutions. Also in attendance were Mansell Building Solutions, P4 Planning, renaissance, and Placemarque.

We always advise our clients to enjoy these events but to keep one eye on the business and to understand that there are opportunities to be had.

The question is, how do you measure the returns once the fun stops and what can you do to capitalise on the opportunities?

What follows below are some top tips for making the most out of the Place Party and other events like it.

Relationships

In property and professional services, people buy people. How did last night’s shenanigans help you to build good relationships?

You should be able to talk about current clients and collaborators you spoke to, as well as new connections made.

Make a note: who you spoke to, whether you knew them already or not, and what promise you made. Then deliver on your promise.

Most importantly, make sure you follow up on leads. Emails are fine but phone calls are better.

Reputation

Here is how you make your marketing team happy. How many people saw or engaged with your email, social media and online activity related to last night’s event? What was the sentiment of that interaction? Who got involved? How many people engaged with your blog / vlog? If you made some new connections, see if any engaged with your content and socials. Better yet, check out their channels and throw some engagement their way. It’s a great way to continue the relationship you started the night previous.

Revenue

It is fairly simple to identify whether an event contributed to attracting new business or investment. If you talked about an opportunity last night, you’ve helped to move it along the pipeline.

Use the tags on your database to flag who you met so that you can track the results, from contact to lead, enquiry and eventually revenue. You’ll need to be able to prove it in order to have an informed conversation about next year’s investment.

Recall – What did you learn?

Parties and conferences aren’t just about business development.  They are also about having fun – whatever that means to you. What did you learn? What surprised you? What trends did you see? What relationships did you build?

Share that knowledge with your colleagues and your clients; use it for creating content and for making a better-informed decision next time around.

What now?

So. First things first. Have a good breakfast and a strong coffee. Do your follow-ups. Review your RoI. And prepare for the next event: next week has plenty to offer.

Need help with your networking skills or planning your next event? Call Luma Marketing today and we’ll arm you with the right tools to get the job done.