Event Plan: Mingxi Tea Customer Appreciation Evening
Worked example. All names, figures and details beyond the original brief are fictional and for illustration only.
1. Overview
| Item |
Detail |
| Event |
Customer Appreciation Evening |
| Host |
Mingxi Tea (fictional brand) |
| Date |
Saturday, 28 November 2026 |
| Time |
19:00–21:00 (guest arrival from 18:30) |
| Venue |
Lakeside Leaf Café, 12 Nanshan Road, West Lake District, Hangzhou (fictional) |
| Format |
Private, invitation-only tasting evening |
| Invited |
60 top customers |
| Budget |
18,000 yuan |
| Team |
Four staff |
2. Purpose and goals
Purpose
To thank the brand's most loyal customers in person, deepen their connection with the tea master and the brand story, and give them a first taste of the 2027 spring harvest before it goes on general sale.
Measurable goals
- Attendance: at least 50 of the 60 invited customers attend.
- Pre-orders: at least 30 pre-orders of the spring tea placed on the night or within seven days.
- Content: a set of event photos for the membership channel within three days.
- Feedback: a short satisfaction survey completed by at least 30 guests.
3. Audience and expected numbers
- Who: the 60 customers with the highest purchase value over the past twelve months, drawn from the membership database.
- Profile: mostly Hangzhou residents aged 30–55, repeat buyers of Longjing-style green teas, already members of the brand's WeChat membership channel.
- Expected turnout: 50 (target), with a planning range of 45–55.
- Plus-ones: not offered, to keep the room intimate and the tasting manageable; the café seats 64 comfortably.
- Staff and guests on site: 4 team members, 1 tea master, 1 photographer, 2 café staff — about 58 people in total.
4. Time and venue
- Venue: Lakeside Leaf Café, a quiet 120 m² café with a private room and a view of the lake path. Booked exclusively from 17:00 to 22:00.
- Layout: six round tables of eight to ten seats, a tasting counter at the front for the tea master, a small display table for the spring tea and gift bags near the entrance.
- Facilities confirmed: hot water stations, a projector and screen for the talk, a wireless microphone, cloakroom, and an indoor waiting area so no one queues outside in bad weather.
- Access: 5 minutes' walk from Longxiangqiao metro station; limited parking nearby, so the invitation recommends metro or taxi.
5. Agenda
Setup (team only)
| Time |
Activity |
Lead |
| 17:00 |
Team arrives, table layout and signage set up |
Logistics |
| 17:30 |
Tea master and photographer arrive; tasting counter and lighting check |
Event lead |
| 18:00 |
Sound and projector test; gift bags placed by the door |
Logistics / Host |
| 18:15 |
Final briefing of all staff |
Event lead |
Guest programme
| Time |
Activity |
Notes |
| 18:30–19:00 |
Arrival and welcome tea |
Guests checked in by name; warm cup of autumn Longjing on arrival |
| 19:00–19:10 |
Opening words |
Host welcomes guests and explains the evening |
| 19:10–19:45 |
Guided tasting |
Tea master brews three teas, including the spring tea preview, at each table in turn |
| 19:45–20:15 |
Talk by the tea master |
"From Leaf to Cup": the 2027 harvest, the growing season and how to brew at home |
| 20:15–20:35 |
Q&A |
Open questions from guests; host moderates with the microphone |
| 20:35–20:55 |
Pre-order window and free mingling |
Pre-order desk open; photographer takes group and table photos |
| 20:55–21:00 |
Closing thanks and gift presentation |
Each guest receives a gift bag on leaving |
| 21:00–21:30 |
Pack-down |
Team clears the room; café returned by 22:00 |
6. Budget
| Item |
Detail |
Cost (yuan) |
| Venue |
Exclusive hire 17:00–22:00, including staff, hot water, projector and microphone |
6,000 |
| Tea and tasting |
Three teas for 60 guests, disposable tasting cups, spring tea preview samples |
3,500 |
| Gifts |
60 gift bags: 50 g tin of autumn tea, branded tasting cup, printed brewing card |
5,000 |
| Photography |
Professional photographer, 3 hours on site, edited photos within 48 hours |
2,500 |
| Printing and signage |
Name cards, table signs, pre-order forms, welcome banner |
500 |
| Contingency |
Reserve for last-minute needs (umbrellas, extra cups, taxi for the tea master) |
500 |
| Total |
|
18,000 |
Spending rules: the event lead approves any change over 300 yuan; receipts are collected on the night and reconciled within one week.
7. Roles and responsibilities
| Role |
Name (fictional) |
Before the event |
On the night |
| Event lead |
Lin Wei |
Overall plan, budget, venue contract, tea master liaison |
Runs the schedule, makes go/no-go calls, handles problems |
| Host and sales |
Chen Yu |
Writes the script, prepares the pre-order form and payment QR codes |
Welcomes guests, moderates Q&A, runs the pre-order desk |
| Logistics |
Zhao Min |
Orders tea, cups, gifts and printing; confirms café setup |
Setup and pack-down, guest check-in, gift distribution |
| Communications |
Guo Lan |
Invitations, reminders, photographer booking, survey design |
Briefs the photographer, posts live updates, collects survey responses |
Supporting people: the tea master (guided tasting, talk, Q&A) and the photographer (event coverage, delivery of edited photos by 30 November).
8. Promotion
All promotion runs through the brand's WeChat membership channel; the event is not advertised publicly.
| Date |
Action |
Owner |
| 30 October |
Personal invitation message with RSVP link sent to the 60 selected customers |
Communications |
| 6 November |
Reminder to non-responders; phone call from the host to the top 20 customers |
Communications / Host |
| 13 November |
RSVP deadline; headcount confirmed with café and gift supplier |
Event lead |
| 20 November |
"What to expect" message with venue map, timing and a teaser of the spring tea |
Communications |
| 27 November |
Day-before reminder with weather note and travel advice |
Communications |
| 28 November |
Two live photos posted to the membership channel during the evening |
Communications |
| 1 December |
Thank-you message with photo album and a seven-day pre-order link for guests and non-attendees |
Communications / Host |
9. Risks and mitigations
| Risk |
Likelihood |
Impact |
Mitigation |
Owner |
| Rain on the night |
Medium (late November in Hangzhou) |
Fewer guests arrive; wet arrival area |
Fully indoor venue; umbrella stand and towels at the door; weather note in the day-before reminder; taxi suggestions sent |
Logistics |
| Low turnout (under 45) |
Medium |
Goals missed; room feels empty |
Personal phone calls to top 20; RSVP tracking from 13 November; a waiting list of 10 further customers invited if confirmations fall below 50 by 20 November; tables can be reduced from six to five on the day |
Host / Event lead |
| Tea master unavailable |
Low |
Core content lost |
Confirm attendance one week and one day before; the host is prepared to lead the tasting with the tea master's notes |
Event lead |
| Pre-orders below 30 |
Medium |
Sales goal missed |
Pre-order window built into the agenda; on-the-night discount on the first tin; seven-day follow-up link to all 60 customers |
Host |
| Equipment failure (microphone, projector) |
Low |
Talk hard to follow |
Test at 18:00; printed talk outline at each table as backup; room is small enough for an unamplified voice |
Logistics |
| Over-budget spending |
Low |
Financial overrun |
Fixed quotes from café and gift supplier; 500 yuan contingency; approval rule for changes |
Event lead |
10. Success review
Within one week of the event, the team will meet to compare results against the goals: attendance, pre-orders, photo delivery and survey responses. Lessons and the final reconciled budget will be recorded for the next customer evening.
Names, figures and dates in the example are made up for illustration.