Run an open house day that converts
An open house has a measurable goal: sign-ups, leads, hires or local awareness. Everything is designed around the visitor journey — what the visitor sees, in what order, and with which highlight. Allow 6 to 8 weeks.
Win back the first three hours.
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The timeline, phase by phase
6 to 8 weeks out
- Set the numeric goal (visitors, qualified contacts) and the date
- Design the visitor journey with an entry point and a highlight
- Check safety and insurance for hosting the public (off-limits zones, capacity)
- Plan the communication: local press, social media, posters, direct invitations
3 to 6 weeks out
- Mobilise the teams: who presents what, at which station, at what time
- Prepare the demos and activities at the announced times
- Open online registration (even optional: it qualifies visitors)
- Order signage, badges, materials and goodies
The final week
- Walk the journey with fresh eyes and time a full visit
- Signpost the site: welcome, direction of travel, toilets, closed zones
- Brief every station with the FAQs and the key message
- Re-push the local press and registrants
The day and after
- Count entries and capture contact details (prize draw, QR, form)
- Fixed-time demos to give rhythm and hold visitors
- Hot debrief with the teams that same evening
- Follow up with every qualified contact within a week
The mistakes that cost you
- Opening with no designed journey: visitors wander, miss the highlight and leave.
- Not capturing contact details: no contact, no conversion — a headcount is not enough.
- Underestimating safety: hosting the public means obligations (exits, extinguishers, machine zones).
- Communicating online only: for a local event, posters and local press drive half the footfall.
On the budget
An open house mostly costs internal time; the external budget (signage, light catering, local communication) usually lands between €1,000 and €5,000.
This checklist is generic — your event isn't.
TadaPlan tailors the plan to your date, headcount and budget, then alerts you the moment a critical task slips.
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