Tools for Tomorrow: Holiday Seminars

As you continue to plan for the holiday season ahead, you might want to give some thought to hosting a holiday seminar or class for your customers! Remember, a great way to stand out from your competition (at any time of the year) is to prove yourself as the expert in your industry! And, a great way to prove yourself as the expert in your industry is to share knowledge with your customers!

Here are a few fun and creative ideas you could modify for your business:

Holiday Cocktail Class

We love this idea for any small business (that has the necessary permit to serve alcohol to customers). The obvious businesses that come to mind are wine, beer or spirit stores – but this idea could also work well for gourmet food shops, upscale retail shops, or restaurants/bars. In addition to offering a class to the public, you could also opt to host private parties for groups of friends or co-workers. What a great way to expand your service offerings! 

Holiday Cooking Class

This seems to be a popular idea for kitchen appliance stores (since they have the facilities to demonstrate), but it could also work well at a gourmet food and wine store or small grocery store. Retail shops could partner with a local restauranteur or caterer to lead the cooking class, and in turn, they could highlight products that the retail shop sells. Diverse offerings (we love the idea of a kids’ cooking class!) will only increase the chance that you appeal to current and prospective customers!

Holiday Crafts Class

This idea would work for so many different types of business: retail, wine/beer, grocery, home decor, specialty gourmet stores… the list goes on! And, you can make it any type of craft you want: wreaths, candles, ornaments, decorations, etc. It’s the perfect opportunity to invite a local artisan in to teach your customers about something new. Create a party atmosphere by playing festive music, serving refreshments, and decorating your location. Not only will it bring in a new type of customer (maybe someone who is a fan of the teachers’ work) but will provide a time and place to have fun and celebrate the season with your customers! 

What will you be teaching your customers this holiday season?