You’d think donuts and beer would be an easy sell. I mean, carbs and craft brews, what’s not to love?
That’s exactly what Billy Sammons thought when he planned a beer and bakery pairing event. Creative, fun, and honestly, delicious. There was just one small problem. No one came.
Billy knows referral marketing inside and out, which made this flop even more memorable. Because when a great idea falls flat, there’s always something to learn if you’re willing to look.
And there definitely was.
Takeaways:
• A great idea still needs an invitation
You can’t just open the doors and hope people wander in. Even the tastiest event needs consistent promotion and personal outreach.
• Don’t keep all the donuts to yourself
Billy partnered with a brewery and a bakery, but didn’t tap into their audiences. Big miss. When you collaborate, you share the spotlight and the guest list.
• Give them more than a sugar rush
One activity sounds fun, but a few extra vendors or experiences turn curiosity into commitment. More to do means more reasons to show up.
• Turn the flop into a formula
Billy didn’t just shrug this off. He built a checklist from everything that went wrong. That became his playbook for better, fuller events going forward.
Planning your own event? Make it fun, make it memorable, but most of all, make sure people know about it.
Because even the best donuts go stale if no one shows up to eat them.
