July was an extremely busy but exciting month for the team at SBPR with multiple events and new client wins. One of the projects the team worked on was the launch of the new 1805 restaurant in Bournemouth, a luxury Chinese venue serving traditional yet contemporary cuisine.
SBPR were invited to work alongside the newest brand in town to organise a VIP launch event supported by an integrated PR and social media campaign.
After meeting with the Company Director, Lin and General Manager, Andy, we gained an insight in to the ethos and story behind the restaurant which is inspired by ancient Chinese history.
The name of the restaurant marks the year that the first Chinese man became an established British citizen, a significant moment in history and a move so rare it required an Act of Parliament.
We had only a week to secure 50 guests for the launch event, including VIPs, regional journalists, lifestyle bloggers, and the town’s hospitality and tourism professionals. We researched and created a targeted contact list using our connections and sent out personalised invites, following each one up.
Within just two days we had exceeded our target and secured 90 guests for the launch. We invited and organised for the Mayor and Mayoress of Bournemouth to attend the event, deliver a welcome speech and take part in a ribbon cutting, alongside Jeff Mostyn, Chairman of AFC Bournemouth.
The celebration featured a spectacular lion dance to bring good luck and fortune, and guests were treated to bespoke cocktails and an exquisite three-course meal.
To enable us to capture the evening, we sourced a professional event photographer who we thoroughly briefed and directed to ensure we had newsworthy press shots. As a seated event, we created table plans and strategically placed guests so that they had the chance to meet and network like-minded professionals and most importantly, to make sure all the guests enjoyed the evening.
The SBPR team provided on the day event support which included welcoming guests, checking off the guest list, liaising with journalists and bloggers, and introducing guests to the 1805 management team.
Alongside managing and co-ordinating the VIP launch event, the SBPR team used their social media expertise to create the 1805 Facebook and Instagram business pages. We posted engaging content ahead of the event to create a social media buzz around the event and handles that bloggers and guests could tag on the night increasing reach and engagement.
During the event the team posted images, live videos and stories across and reposted the bloggers’ content on to the 1805 profile. Following the event, we shared reviews, testimonials and photo highlights from the launch event, all of which resulted in an increase in followers, likes and overall engagement across Facebook and Instagram.
From a PR perspective, we compiled a post-event press release highlighting the restaurant’s history and ethos, details of the launch event and the venue’s key USPs. The press release was distributed with images to key target titles and followed up to secure first-class coverage.
The event was a resounding success, with an amazing turnout of over 90 guests who thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Attendees raved about the food and service leaving glowing 5-star reviews across the restaurant’s Facebook page and on TripAdvisor.
The event created a huge buzz around Bournemouth, making a name for the restaurant, and posts on social media rolled in from sought-after influencers.
As a result of our excellent media relations strategy, we secured 10 pieces of regional coverage, smashing our target of five pieces, with a further two pieces of coverage set to come out in long lead titles over the Autumn.
The Company Director Lin Xin said: “You have truly proved that I’ve made the right decision to work with your team. I can’t believe how quickly you get back to me and with great news as well!”
1805 is located on Beacon Road, Bournemouth. Visit the website at www.1805.co.uk.