After working with dozens of healthcare and commercial business owners in London, we know that creating a powerful brand is the key to success in a city full of opportunity.

Our experience in the design industry has shown us that successful branding starts with understanding your customers, their needs, and most of all, how you want them to feel when within your space. As we work closely with our clients to create designs that match and expand on their branding while resonating with their target audience and communicating their unique qualities, we often get asked about one final step once their new practices are designed;

What can I do at the launch of my new practice to get maximum impact and exposure?

It's a great question too; as the design of the space is a great investment into the future of your business and how clients and staff will see you, your grand opening event is not one that is to be rushed. Approaching it with time, consideration, and planning will help you make it shine while being able to incorporate powerful branding cues that can help drive engagement from day one. How you present your 'coming soon' signage can have potential too.

At Remarcable, our focus on wellbeing design is driven by our belief that good design has the power to positively impact people's lives, and by creating spaces that are both functional and beautiful, we help our clients create environments that support their customers' wellbeing and foster a sense of community. That's our branding and our purpose rolled into one; we communicate it in everything that we do, and by extension, each of our spaces reflects some of this mission too. Using this as a base, to begin your event planning you need to ask yourself:

How can I use the space I've invested in to positively impact visitors in a way that 'wows' them and encourages them to come back?

We understand that kind of thinking can sometimes be can be overwhelming, but we promise you, thinking about your 'why' paired with the 'action' you want your audience to take will be well worth it in the end.

It's also why we've put together these tips to help you create a successful event that reflects your brand values and creates a memorable experience for your guests, strategically suited to address their needs and to do so by being structured to drive engagement. By using our branding tips and creating an inclusive, welcoming environment, you can create a lasting emotional connection with your customers and foster a profitable community. Let's dive in...

Evolve your efforts beyond traditional flyers; your community deserves your best.

Signaling exclusivity using objects and decor at your new location.

Your practice is uniquely fit to serve the area you are moving into; you would have already confirmed this long before your build even began. But what makes your vision for the space and service for the community stand out to prospective visitors at a moment's glance in passing? Using objects and personas can be a powerful tool in this department, as they can influence a visitor's psychology and signal exclusivity before they have set foot beyond your doors.

Consider using limited edition products, unique decor, or special amenities that are only available at your new location for this event, yet cater to the wider range of whomever you may be hoping to attract for this particular location. Hoping to attract families as well as career-driven single individuals, for example? Set up attractions that can serve them both with breakout areas for each clientele segment so that each can feel catered to exclusively without being pushed into a category that is not their own. By keeping the kid's activities on one side of your space and bar vouchers on the other you are letting each know you care about their comfort while displaying your adaptability. Regardless of how many segments you target, make sure you use your decor to speak about the nature of the day and communicate to your customers that your business is expanding and evolving. To hammer home the event and have your marketing department sing your praises later on, be sure to tie in activities that encourage your audience to drop their contact details for more events and newsletters down the road. This will communicate your drive for growth in the future, and make sure you have a way to get in touch with those that were there from the beginning. Just remember to make it all about them, and not just about you.

Ditch the Kleenex, but keep the emotions.

Using emotional impact to help people gain and retain a positive association with your brand.

Emotional impact can be the thing that separates you from competition both large and small while at the same time can be the thing that creates a bullet-proof foundation for your new location to thrive. As creating memorable experiences is one of the keys to building a successful brand in any business, your grand opening as a practice is by extension an important part of solidifying your position in the market both as a newcomer to the area and a contender in the field as a whole; with this in mind, you'll want to make sure your exclusivity 'bells and whistles' aren't just shiny but have a message at their heart that those at the event can relate to and be inspired by.

At their core, in every successful practice we have worked on over our extensive years of experience in the field one thing has always tied them together; passionate people. If you're not sure where to start on your messaging for emotional impact at your event, we recommend you start here.

With the above piece, for example, we created a bespoke art piece for a permanent fixture at a clinic where the two founders? fingerprints were recreated to convey their union for the company and the work they would be doing together in the new space. Talk about deep and emotional... this did the trick.

With your decor set up for creating a unique and immersive experience, and your new location being designed specifically to reach your new client's needs, it's here where it is most assessable for you too to create a lasting emotional connection with your customers that will support your business for years to come. 

Consider using lighting or other sensory elements to add to any messaging you'll be adding to the event, be that during a speech, slideshow, or through graphics, and make sure that the emotional impact you create is consistent with your brand values and communicates your unique qualities. After all, you're essentially aiming to draw audiences that don't just want to visit but continue to engage with you, so be sure to give them something to be a part of rather than just come and do for the sake of necessity.

Make a scene, in the best possible way.

How to use sound, setting, and entertainment to draw in a crowd.

Never underestimate a clown or a magician at a party! In all seriousness though, Entertainment is an important element of creating a successful grand event, and for more reasons than you may think.

If you've ever heard that people remember how they feel more than what was said, this is where entertainment brings the magic; you can help guests feel a certain way by using entertainment aspects to draw them in and pique their interest with familiar or positive scenes. Be that through hearing their favourite song or seeing an attraction that they always found joyful, moving beyond just a 'grand opening' sign seen from the street can be the secret ingredient all successful events seem to have.

Consider using music, entertainers, or other sound-related interactions that are consistent with your brand values and communicate your unique qualities to incorporate for your special day. 

Also, make sure that once your guest does enter your new space they are not immediately overwhelmed with party favours; even on your welcome day, your setting needs to be well-designed and functional, supporting your customers' wellbeing, guiding them through the space and not just getting them caught at the door. Creating a positive atmosphere that encourages social interaction and community building can help draw in those potential customers and keep them for longer so they have a better chance at building positive associations with your new location.