02 /26

Savvy Sleepers Launch Party ‘Behind the Scenes’

Last week, I hosted my official launch party for Savvy Sleepers, my luxury line of unisex satin pillow cases. The ‘Slumber Party’ event for bloggers, media and friends who helped me along the way was last Thursday at #TheVillaSFO featured on Start-Ups: Silicon Valley. All guests were encouraged to wear PJ’s.

I have to admit, I was a little nervous as the party started. I wanted everything to go smoothly and most importantly for people to show up. Thankfully, the night went better than I expected and here’s 10 party planning tips that seemed to work. Many of these I copied from star studded events this awards season and entertaining secrets I’ve learned from watching the Real Housewives…

1. Treat All Guests Like VIP ~ One tip I’ve learned from Lisa Vanderpump on RHOBH is to greet guests with bubbly served by 20-something young men at the front door. I was able to do this thanks to my brother and his friends along with my favorite sparkling wine ever, Roederer Estate. They sponsored the event with magnum bottles of rosé.

2. Hire a Professional Photographer ~ It’s so important to capture pictures from the night to share, tag, add to FB, etc and Michael O’Donnell at Zat Photo is the best I’ve found in the SF Bay Area! Not only does he have pics of the event streaming online on FB while the party is going on, he can create promo videos like this.

3. Collaborate with Brands that Make Sense ~ I called around to my favorite brands in the Bay Area and north Bay like Testa Vineyards to see if they were interested in sponsoring and thankfully, they wanted to. Kara’s Cupcakes was one of them and I was able to meet Stephanie (above holding a Savvy Sleepers in ‘Night Knight’) from Kara’s.

4. Girls (and Guys) Just Wanna Have Fun ~ I met Jesus of Los Osuna Tequila last summer. He’s really fun, his tequila is smooth, so I was very excited when he wanted to attend and offer guests a chance to try his premium tequila. #ShotsShotsWater

5. Create an Environment for Networking ~ Above my business adviser, Mick Savvy, and my good friend and founder of Ike’s Place, Ike, who’s given me invaluable business and social media strategy tips. I love going to events where I know I can meet other bloggers and brands.

6. Be Careful with Themes ~ Since it was a ‘Slumber Party,’PJ’s seemed appropriate. I started getting worried people might not like it and wear regular clothes or skip the party. But it turned out the theme was easy, comfy and people seemed to love it. Before choosing a theme, ask your friends first if they’d actually wear it.

7. You May Need to Ask for Help ~ Thankfully, Hermione, and her housemates offered their beautiful home, #TheVillaSFO, overlooking the city to throw the party. Above: me, @HermioneWay and blogger, Cheryl, of Oh to Be a Muse & her hubby.

8. Don’t Forget About the Swag ~ Who doesn’t love presents? I wanted to make sure everyone who attended went home with a Savvy Sleepers satin pillow case in the color of their choice plus a special discount for InPINK jewelry.

9. Give Guests a +1 ~ Going to events alone can be intimidating so I love getting the +1 option. It’s more fun to go with a friend and increases the chance of spreading the word about your party or product.

10. How to Get Interactive ~ I had the collection for people to see and feel the pillow cases. Also, I wanted to include other female entrepreneurs like Maria of Testa Vineyards and the founders of Lotus Premium Denim so women could try on their jeans. Then I had a Gift basket give away where guests could enter by liking the ‘Savvy Sleepers’ FB fanpage and tweet @SavvySleepers during the party.

See more pics from the Party on FB HERE

Thanks to everyone who attended, gave me advice along the way or if you’ve bought a Savvy Sleepers.

 I’m running a promo ‘Buy ONE, get ONE 50% off ‘ through Feb. 28th. Order your Savvy Sleepers HERE and use promo code ‘xoxo’  at checkout. I just got this email testimonial below after a recent order…

Testimonial ~ My Savvy Sleepers pillow case brings me restful, satisfying sleep and a refreshing beginning to my day. With my busy schedule, sleep is often put on the back burner—but this pillow case is a luxury that calls me away from the preoccupations of my waking life and reminds me of the importance of self-love. Taking into account how much time you spend asleep, you deserve to rest your head on a smooth, gentle, satin pillow case. I love my Savvy Sleepers pillow case! ~Kara, Sacramento