What does a one-year-old’s birthday party and a product launch event have in common? They’re both the celebration and unveiling of something new and perfect to the world. But unlike the toddler’s party, there won’t be any crying at your product launch—especially if you follow this list of the six key elements you need for throwing a successful event:

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1. Select a good audience

Make sure you’re inviting all the right people and that you know them like the back of your hand. Of course prospective clients will be on the top of your list, but who else? Reporters are always good for the press, but also consider reaching out to active bloggers, tweeters, and reviewers (think Yelp or Amazon) who write about the products similar to yours.

2. Choose the right venue

Pick a venue that reflects you, your product, and your audience in the best possible light. This is your stage to surprise and delight, so make sure it’s setting the tone you want to convey.

3. Make it an unforgettable experience

There is no detail too small when it comes to planning any event, but some details are more important than others. You’ll want to give extra special attention to the following:

  • The Invitation. Snail mail is mostly ignored these days, while email inboxes are overstuffed. Cut through the clutter with an enticing e-vite that makes the benefits of attending your event impossible to miss. Check out our video invitations for a unique way to get your invitees to sign up.
  • Bring your partners. Do you have any business partners that you’d like to highlight at your event? Showing off who you work with—and giving them a space to display their products or services—is a great way to attract even more business and strengthen the relationship you have with that connection.
  • Printed materials and giveaways. A demonstration or explanation of your product is all well and good, but you’ll want to give attendees something solid to walk away with. Provide little forget-me-not tokens of gratitude for attendees with printed marketing material or useful giveaways that feature your company’s logo.

4. Book a photographer or videographer

Having someone capture key moments of your event through photos or video is an absolute must. Why? Because it makes for great shareable content for your social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Vine, etc.

5. Follow up with everyone you invited

Your event was a smashing success, but before you dive back into your normal business routine, you’ll want to send a crucial follow-up message to your invite list. Be sure to craft different messages to those who were invited but could not attend versus those who did attend. You’ll also want to end any follow-up with an incentive to check out your company’s social media pages.

Here’s to a great launch—best of luck!