Make my Spa Night a success please!
February 19, 2010 10:44 AM Subscribe
Say you won a "Spa Night" for you and some friends at a Body Shop type store. What would you want the evening to be like? What would make it fun for you and your girlfriends?
What would make it fun for you and your girlfriends? Limited budget on the store's end, so alcohol and whatnot is out, however some refreshments might be available. This project has been deemed "my baby", and i really don't want to mess it up. The idea is to have 4 or 5 people in the store for 2 hours or so after the store is closed, in which they would get some sort of special treatment and *hopefully* buy products. So far i know we'll be doing makeup consultations and skin care consultations complete with a facial (the best we can in a store setting), but what else?
What would make it fun for you and your girlfriends? Limited budget on the store's end, so alcohol and whatnot is out, however some refreshments might be available. This project has been deemed "my baby", and i really don't want to mess it up. The idea is to have 4 or 5 people in the store for 2 hours or so after the store is closed, in which they would get some sort of special treatment and *hopefully* buy products. So far i know we'll be doing makeup consultations and skin care consultations complete with a facial (the best we can in a store setting), but what else?
You can add fruits and herbs to water for a very nice, refreshing, and inexpensive drink; I used to go to a spa that served cucumber water. If it's cold out, herbal tea is another inexpensive option (an electric water boiler makes it easy to prepare even in a store setting).
Depending on the range of products in the store, you could also do hair and/or nail (care and polish) consultations... maybe not as in-depth as facials and make-up, but you could ask about hair problems and advise on products, try out nail care products (like cuticle oil, tools, etc.), advise on good polish colours for the person's skin tone, etc.
Be sure you're set up so everyone has something to do, or so that at least two people are waiting at the same time; that way no one person is left without anyone to chat with while they wait for their consultations.
posted by transporter accident amy at 11:32 AM on February 19, 2010
Depending on the range of products in the store, you could also do hair and/or nail (care and polish) consultations... maybe not as in-depth as facials and make-up, but you could ask about hair problems and advise on products, try out nail care products (like cuticle oil, tools, etc.), advise on good polish colours for the person's skin tone, etc.
Be sure you're set up so everyone has something to do, or so that at least two people are waiting at the same time; that way no one person is left without anyone to chat with while they wait for their consultations.
posted by transporter accident amy at 11:32 AM on February 19, 2010
--Comfy places to sit!
--A reasonably safe and nice place to put my coat/purse, etc. so I can relax and walk around unencumbered, especially if it's cold or gross out (a rack in the corner is fine, or a decent-looking break room, but not a scuzzy back stockroom)
--Definitely some little take-home baskets with samples, etc. and maybe a washcloth/bath puff/nail file/something less cheesy that doesn't get used up
--A coupon, preferably for that night but maybe later, that gives a discount on products (even if they're only a certain subset, like "all nail polishes" or "all tools")
--Drawings/raffles :) If you're in a mall or someplace with nearby stores that are similar or related, maybe you could do a cross-promotion. Maybe you could have a drawing that includes a gift card from, say, the clothing store next door. Pitch it to that store by offering a gift card of your own that they could use for their own event or employee recognition or something.
--I think refreshments are kind of a must, even if it's just bottles of water. But you can definitely make it fun and save money by mixing things like punch or mocktails -- something fizzy with a little juice would be really easy and pretty refreshing, especially if people are coming after a long day at work. Also easy and cheap: tea and and pitchers of citrusy water, with a slice of lemon and/or cucumber. There are tons of recipes out there that jazz up water for super cheap but look fancy and make people feel like you took some effort. As for food, Trader Joe's is a goldmine for cheap gourmet nibbles. Anything chocolate covered is cheap and plentiful.
posted by Madamina at 11:34 AM on February 19, 2010
--A reasonably safe and nice place to put my coat/purse, etc. so I can relax and walk around unencumbered, especially if it's cold or gross out (a rack in the corner is fine, or a decent-looking break room, but not a scuzzy back stockroom)
--Definitely some little take-home baskets with samples, etc. and maybe a washcloth/bath puff/nail file/something less cheesy that doesn't get used up
--A coupon, preferably for that night but maybe later, that gives a discount on products (even if they're only a certain subset, like "all nail polishes" or "all tools")
--Drawings/raffles :) If you're in a mall or someplace with nearby stores that are similar or related, maybe you could do a cross-promotion. Maybe you could have a drawing that includes a gift card from, say, the clothing store next door. Pitch it to that store by offering a gift card of your own that they could use for their own event or employee recognition or something.
--I think refreshments are kind of a must, even if it's just bottles of water. But you can definitely make it fun and save money by mixing things like punch or mocktails -- something fizzy with a little juice would be really easy and pretty refreshing, especially if people are coming after a long day at work. Also easy and cheap: tea and and pitchers of citrusy water, with a slice of lemon and/or cucumber. There are tons of recipes out there that jazz up water for super cheap but look fancy and make people feel like you took some effort. As for food, Trader Joe's is a goldmine for cheap gourmet nibbles. Anything chocolate covered is cheap and plentiful.
posted by Madamina at 11:34 AM on February 19, 2010
Be a little careful about the wine. There may be laws in effect regrading serving alcohol, plus the whole drinking-driving thing. Just check it out, is all.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 11:41 AM on February 19, 2010
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 11:41 AM on February 19, 2010
Since it's just for a few people, I'd say having small games instead of a raffle for prizes, and keep them occupied and talking.
Could be fun to have some sort of easy trivial pursuit-style game where the host asks questions, possibly multiple choice, and the girls (incapacitated by having their feet and hands occupied) can just answer. Spa-themed questions could be good too - "citrus is known to have what kind of effect? a) relaxing, b) invigorating, c) angering, d) euphoric? (just as an example). To make it cheaper, you could award points and the first and second place winners get full-sized products as prizes.
posted by lizbunny at 11:45 AM on February 19, 2010
Could be fun to have some sort of easy trivial pursuit-style game where the host asks questions, possibly multiple choice, and the girls (incapacitated by having their feet and hands occupied) can just answer. Spa-themed questions could be good too - "citrus is known to have what kind of effect? a) relaxing, b) invigorating, c) angering, d) euphoric? (just as an example). To make it cheaper, you could award points and the first and second place winners get full-sized products as prizes.
posted by lizbunny at 11:45 AM on February 19, 2010
Free sample goody bags are awesome. Deluxe goody bags if you spend a certain amount are good too.
Giving each guest a custom list of recommended products would be a nice touch, and maybe some sort of offer in conjunction (X% off any items on the list, etc). If you go the offer route, making it a coupon instead of a one-night-only promotion will make it seem less like you're trying to pressure them into buying something.
Do any of your coworkers have special skills that might be entertaining, and would they be willing to participate? I once went to an event kind of like this where someone gave free tarot card readings (I think it was a Halloween themed event?).
posted by Metroid Baby at 12:16 PM on February 19, 2010
Giving each guest a custom list of recommended products would be a nice touch, and maybe some sort of offer in conjunction (X% off any items on the list, etc). If you go the offer route, making it a coupon instead of a one-night-only promotion will make it seem less like you're trying to pressure them into buying something.
Do any of your coworkers have special skills that might be entertaining, and would they be willing to participate? I once went to an event kind of like this where someone gave free tarot card readings (I think it was a Halloween themed event?).
posted by Metroid Baby at 12:16 PM on February 19, 2010
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posted by Kangaroo at 11:26 AM on February 19, 2010 [1 favorite]