Photo courtesy of Undone Social
Picnicking in the park with 3 woman-owned businesses
With views of the downtown Raleigh skyline, attendees of this event got to enjoy vintage picnic settings by Southern Picnics, snacked on personal charcuterie boxes from On Board Charcuterie, and got creative with a fall-inspired paint-by-numbers from Joy Worthy Co. This 5-star event was even featured in a local publication, WALTER Magazine.
Photo courtesy of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
Scoop, scoop, hooray!
When Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams landed in Durham, NC, we celebrated by inviting over 50 members of the local Yelp Elite Squad to get one scoop of their famous ice cream for free.
Photo Courtesy of Tepuy Donuts
Everyone loves a good (and free) doughnut!
That's why we celebrated National Donut Day with our friends at Tepuy Donuts & Idle Hour Coffee. Attendees of this completely free-to-attend community event received a doughnut of their choice + small hot or iced coffee. We received 350+ RSVPs for this 3-hour promotion and handed out Yelp-branded donut-holding coffee sleeves and special gift bags for Yelp Elite members.
Logo for the event created by me
Peace, Love, and Beer!
We received 350+ RSVPs for this free-to-attend community event. Every guest snagged: 2 complimentary draft beers, a free pint glass, bottle opener, stocked goodie bags, and all-access to food trucks and light bites from a variety of businesses, including what is (probably) the largest charcuterie table North Carolina has ever seen! The event had live music and entertainment including a local DJ, an electric violinist, giant yard games, and The Poetry Fox, who banged out personalized poems on a vintage typewriter all night. The event benefitted the Community Theatre of Greensboro & the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. We worked with over 30 vendors and raised $3K+ and earned a solid 5-stars from Yelpers reviews.
Image courtesy of Surelyne L. on Yelp
"Let them eat (and decorate) cake!" - Me, probably.
When woman-owned, La Recette Patisserie, opened their long-awaited storefront in Durham, NC, we gave Yelpers the opportunity to get a sneak peek of the space and attend a free cake decorating class led by La Recette's very own, Djamila Bakour. While the class only fit 20 people, we had a lot of interest in this event. Attendees enjoyed complimentary snacks before class and took their beautifully-decorated cakes home in a box with special Yelp-branded parchment paper.
Photo by me for Instagram story promo during the event
Let's get lit!
We invited people from across the country to join us for a virtual candle-making party with Hummingbird Candle Company, a Black-woman-owned business. In the weeks leading up to the event, guests were sent a link to an online Scent Quiz so they could order their perfect candle-making kit from Hummingbird's online store. We provided a special promo code giving them a 20% discount and free shipping. As an added "WOW factor," we included a virtual scavenger hunt where two lucky winners each received a complimentary eco-friendly candle provided by Hummingbird.
Dine in the 919
As my first marketing campaign, I created a two-week long Check-In offer series inspired by Raleigh-Durham's zip code, 919. Anyone who used the "Check in" feature on Yelp, would receive a special meal, discounted up to 30%, for $9.19. I pitched the idea to businesses across the Triangle, and ended up including 10 locally-owned restaurants, including 7 minority-owned businesses. I created resources to help business owners set up their deal on Yelpforbiz.com, created promotional Instagram posts, stories, and Reels, and heavily marketed the event to the online Yelp community. The campaign resulted in over 150 RSVPs, Check Ins at participating businesses grew by 60%, and business owners raved about the increased foot traffic and boosted sales during the two weeks of the event.
Photo courtesy of Em Bateman Photography
Let's MEAT up at High Top Burger!
In my first in-person event after 2020, I worked with High Top Burger, a black-owned smash burger joint in Raleigh, NC, to host over 40 Yelp Elites to try out their new menu and cocktails. I brought in my event photographer to capture the night and provided swag bags for each attendee including a VIP Hightop Card (20% off each purchase when presented), t-shirts, bandanas, COVID-19 vaccination card protective sleeves, and more.
Photo by me of the night's costume contest winners!
BOO! Grab your boo & your booze and let's party
I hosted a super fun Halloween Costume Party at Mystic Farm & Distillery for my local Yelp Elite Squad. Everyone came dressed to impress (or scare), got to sample Mystic's spirits, listen to a live band, take a tour of the distillery, and munch on complimentary tacos from a local taco truck. I also set up an outdoor DIY photo booth decked out in webs and faux spiders, ring light with phone stand, and provided a table of spooky props. Winners of the costume contest each won a 750ml bottle of their choice from Mystic Distillery.
