It’s not exactly an industry secret that properly handled bar promotions featuring a local or national celebrity appearance are incredibly lucrative. Simply put, typical patrons will show up if they have an opportunity to mingle with a well-known entity. The experience becomes secondary to the story. That said, as a restaurant or bar manager, it’s imperative to know how to pull off a celebrity appearance and come out ahead. Follow these tips to ensure profits without any blunders.

First of all, your budget is of primary importance. You can book a local celebrity or personality for a fairly nominal fee, but a name universally recognized is sure to come at a high price. Crunch the numbers and calculate what you could stand to make on a packed night and compare that to a fee. If it seems like you’ll have a net loss, weigh the costs and benefits. If it’s a relatively small loss and could generate free marketing and buzz for your location, it may still be worth booking the celebrity.
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In order to capitalize on bar promotions featuring celebrities, it’s of upmost importance that you choose and book the right celebrity. Having a big name is a wasted opportunity if the celebrity doesn’t align with your demographic. If you skew young and are a college bar, don’t book a pro-wrestler from the 80s. Knowing your typical crowd is instrumental in executing successful bar promotions. Who would they come out for? What kind of entertainer interests them?
When you book a celebrity for a promotion, you want to gain as much marketing and traction as possible from the event. Therefore, ensure that you have social media and video clauses in the contract. Celebrities and local personalities will have decent to formidable followings on social media. Stipulate that they must advertise the event, and make sure they’re prepared to do ample video and photo shoots for further marketing and promotion later.

Furthermore, don’t bank on a celebrity booking to do the work for you. Even if you have a big name coming to your bar or restaurant, you still need to fill seats. Market the promotion as you would any other, with a keen eye and shrewd business sense. Make the event visible on social media, and still send email blasts and post up flyers at your standard locations. Hiring a celebrity is no excuse to slack off in the marketing department.

Follow these tips and your celebrity appearance will work wonders as a promotion and as advertising for your bar or restaurant.