The problem
Office Christmas parties are booked from late summer, and the person who booked the band last year has often forgotten its name by August. A band that played 10 work parties last December and contacts none of them leaves easy rebookings to chance, in the one month every Friday and Saturday could be full.
What the AI does
Brevo is an email marketing platform; its pricing page says the Free plan sends up to 300 emails a day once your account is approved. Make a list of last year's work party bookers with name, company and work email. PECR lets you email people at companies about relevant services without prior consent, as long as each email says who it's from and has a working unsubscribe link. In early August, send one short email with the December dates still free, packages and prices, and how to book, and a reminder in September to those who haven't replied.
A worked example
A 6-piece function band in London played 10 office Christmas parties last year. In early August they email those 10 bookers, plus 15 other corporate clients from the past two years, with this December's free dates.
Before
Christmas bookings left to whoever got in touch; 3 of last year's 10 clients rebooked
After
All 25 past corporate bookers emailed in August and September, with 2 extra parties at $1,862£1,400€1,666A$2,688C$2,632 assumed
What it's worth
About $266£200€238A$384C$376 a month averaged over the year: 2 extra Christmas parties at $1,862£1,400€1,666A$2,688C$2,632 less an assumed $266£200€238A$384C$376 each for fuel and running costs, is $3,192£2,400€2,856A$4,608C$4,512 a year. That's counted in full because it's almost all the players' own pay. The 2 extra bookings are an assumption, not a promise, and Brevo's Free plan costs nothing for 25 emails.
How to set it up
- List last year's work party bookers and other corporate clients from the past two years, with their work email.
- Create a Brevo account in July, since Brevo approves accounts before you can send.
- Write one short email with December's free dates, packages and prices, and how to book.
- Send it in early August, and a short reminder in September to those who didn't reply.
- Remove anyone who unsubscribes, and add this year's bookers to the list in January.
What goes wrong
- PECR treats sole traders and some partnerships as individuals, who must have agreed to marketing. If a client was a sole trader, only email them if they opted in.
- Bookers move jobs. A bounced email means finding the new contact by phone, not guessing addresses.
- Brevo's free plan adds its logo to emails; removing it needs a paid plan.
- Two emails a season is enough. A monthly newsletter to office managers will get unsubscribed.