Maximize Your Holiday Open House: Ideas for Recipes, Prizes, and More!

[pampered2007]

Hello! I'm curious...how many of you are having a holiday open house? What kind of things will you be doing at your open house? What's your agenda? Such as recipe tasting, door prizes, etc. I have not had very good attendance in the past for mine so this year I am really trying to gather all the ideas I can so this years can hopefully be very successful. Thanks for sharing

 

[ChefBeckyD]

My best tip would be to not call it an Open House. For some reason, people tend to not show up if it's an open house.

I'd have a theme - Like "Gifts From The Kitchen Workshop"

OR "Christmas Cookie Exchange"

or "Fabulous Appetizers in Minutes"


Or whatever you'd like to call it - just call it something besides an Open House!


If the title is intriguing, people will be more apt to attend!

 

[RCKmom]

I am having my first one tomorrow. I am new to to business, so this will probally be my trial and error year. I think I am going to serve the bread bowl artichoke dip, tuxedo brownie cups, and probally the bbq chicken sandwiches in the deep dish baker. I don't really have an agenda. That may be a mistake, but I just plan on talking to each person when they come in and going into the kitchen to look at my products and have some refreshments. I have about $75 in outside orders right now. My goal for this is $300. I hope it works.

 

[RCKmom]

I called mine....Holiday Shopping Spectacular

 

[pampered2007]

Great ideas! Thank you Becky! I totally agree with not calling it an open house. My original thought was to have a cookie exchange, but if I end up not having very good attendance like in the past, then it's not really worth it. I really love the "Gifts from the Kitchen Workshop" idea. Very catchy!!! This may work out because I am having my "open house" the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Any ideas on what to include with this "Gifts from the Kitchen Workshop"?

And please keep the open house ideas coming! Let's brainstorm together!

 

[pampered2007]

Another wonderful idea! A Holiday Shopping Spectacular! I will definitely have cookies to serve on the Snowman Platter. Not sure what else...maybe the Hot Pizza Dip or the Loaded Baked Potato Chowder in the DCB with fresh made bread in the Large Bamboo Bowl. Possibly a hot chocolate bar and definitely coffee. And of course pop or punch. Everyone will receive a free Seasons Best for attending and I will have some sort of incentive to encourage bookings, just not sure what yet. I will have gift ideas on display with catalogs and order forms too.

 

[Chefcouts]

I did one yesterday with a friend who sells Mary Kay and another girl who does Uppercase Living. Between the THREE of us, we had pretty good attendance, about 20 people came by from 10a-4p. We had no idea what to expect so we were pretty pleased with the result. I had the most sales out of all 3 of us of course!

We all had our own specials going that day.

I just scheduled to do a small demo at 10a, noon, and 2p. If there were people there at the time I'd do it, if not, I'd just wait until the next influx of people. I did a small garnishing demo (mandoline, zester/scorer, forged cutlery, cutting board, microplane), and another demo making Frosty Lattes in the Quick Stir pitcher. I was going to do the chocolate lava cake, but people were really interested in the garnishing stuff so I did that one twice.

We'll definitely do it again next year, possibly with 1-2 more vendors! Good luck!

 

[jcsmilez]

I haven't had the best turnouts at any of my events either, I do a Spring kick off, a Fall kick off, a Summer Ice cream party and a Holiday event. I'm hoping that perseverance and consistency will pay off because I always hear about other's amazing Open House events. I definitely agree with Becky about NOT calling it a n Open House though. I'm doing a "Simply Elegant Christmas Party" this Friday, where I am showcasing the Simple Additions and easy appetizer and desserts that people can do at their own Holiday parties. On Dec. 9th I'm doing a "Homemade for the Holidays - Gifts from the kitchen event" (I like Becky's title better) where we will be making batter bowl gifts, 1 & 2 cup prep bowl gifts, Apple Cider Spice mix and whatever else I can find between now and then.
Pampered Chef has great ideas and recipes shown in the Holiday mini catalogs. I have also been scouring the internet for great gifts from the kitchen to offer. The 1 qt batter bowls can do any of the jar gift recipes of which there are tons and tons online, the prep bowls are great for vanilla sugar or a little hot cocoa mix. Here are a couple links with some ideas that could work, just imagine the delicious goodies pared with our PC products! Luscious Homemade Gifts
Delightful Christmas Cookie Gifts

 

[milkangel]

i just had one yesterday with tastefully simple. it went over so good i had 13 people here and of corse it was an open house. but pampered chef was the mystery host open house. i have a good lay out for the invite i sent the mini catalogs with the slip in it. and had one order of my web site that was over 97. so i did ended up past 400 and i still have maby 6-10 people yet to order from both of them. i too had a hard time in the past but not any more. thanks to the ood lord above.

 

[pampered2007]

I am so thrilled that I have actually received a few RSVP's that are a yes! WAHOO! This may be the best open house ever! Of course the few people that say they are coming are very supportive of my business so I appreciate them being here. Another is a friend from mine from school that I haven't seen in years.

For those of you that are having open houses too, what recipes are you making??? I have so many ideas but I can't seem to make up my mind!

 

[wmrmgr]

I'm a new consultant also; I'm calling my launch/open house a Holiday Shopping Spectacular. I don't have an "agenda" per se and plan to wing it. I will do up a couple demos at set times assuming there are guests present. Otherwise I plan to have a lot of the product on the table and will have produce on hand for guests to try out the products. I have fliers that I'm going to post at work, plus a few friends said they'd hang one in their break rooms at work. Then I have a bunch that I'm going to mail out to everyone I know! Crossing my fingers and hoping for the best!

 

[pampered2007]

I'm a new consultant also; I'm calling my launch/open house a Holiday Shopping Spectacular. I don't have an "agenda" per se and plan to wing it. I will do up a couple demos at set times assuming there are guests present. Otherwise I plan to have a lot of the product on the table and will have produce on hand for guests to try out the products. I have fliers that I'm going to post at work, plus a few friends said they'd hang one in their break rooms at work. Then I have a bunch that I'm going to mail out to everyone I know! Crossing my fingers and hoping for the best!

I am also calling mine a Holiday Shopping Spectacular! LOL Kinda catchy I think! I am having mine from 4-8 in the evening. I will have products displayed as gift ideas and also appetizers/desserts. I may make the Loaded Baked Potato Chowder and then finish it up with the guests that are here. Hoping for a WOW factor! I am too hoping for the best! Good luck to you!

 

[scottcooks]

Give the guests the mix & chop and let them do the "fun" part of smushing the potatoes. It's a WOW factor for sure!

 

[wmrmgr]

That was my thought exactly! Set all the products up on the table and let them "play" with everything. I plan on making the Taffy Apple Tartlets, and I like the Loaded Baked Potato Chowder idea in the DCB, and perhaps one more thing (undecided, though leaning towards ham/cheese calzone; it'll depend on the turnout). It'll be a learning curve to see what works/what doesn't work. Good luck to you too, Pampered2007!

 

[milkangel]

at the end of my myster host i ended up with a 900 dollar show. and hte host got to pick 190 in free items. so i say go for the mystery host

 

[TheFreddiesCook]

How does the mystery host work???

How do you set up an "open house" with other direct sales products? ( Mary Kay, Tastefully or whichever...) this one sounds like a good idea and I have other friends in those businesses I can contact about getting together for a Spring Kick-off or something like that.