Last week we were fortunate to attend the launch of a new collaboration between Celebrations and Luxury Cayman Villas to promote luxury destination weddings in the Cayman Islands, as well as a celebration of the recently launched JVBDesignHouse, a new company from JoAnne V. Brown [or "Miss Jo"] that offers design and planning services to elite brides throughout the Caribbean and beyond.

The event was held at the stunning Tranquility Cove in Bodden Town, and we were struck by the uniqueness of the event and how well the teams executed a campaign and product launch all in one evening. Here are some of the tactics they incorporated on the night, and how you can make the most out of your own launch event:

1. Think About the Experience

Event extraordinaire Celebrations certainly knows how to throw a party. However, what makes them the leaders in their field is their ability to design extraordinary experiences for their guests and create an atmosphere like no other. From the brilliant Don Drapers of the 1960s to today's digital marketers, there is one marketing golden rule that remains – your brand needs to make an emotional connection with its audience. Instead of just throwing another networking event, Celebrations created an experience that allowed guests to interact with and buy into its brands.

2. Don't Under Estimate the Power of Collaboration

Miss Jo has more than 30 years' experience in the event and wedding industries. Within that timeframe, she's built a contact list of everyone from service providers to media to social influencers. Her list of contacts is what helps her to create her success. Leveraging Miss Jo's wide reaching network, Celebrations was able to pull on the strategic partners that she trusted most – from photographers/videographers Picture This Studios and hair and make-up visionaries Rock Gorgeous Hair! to wardrobe mistress Isy B, renowned event caterers Mise en Place and of course the event host itself, Luxury Cayman Villas. Strategic partnerships not only help from a budget perspective, but you'll widen your event's reach tenfold by tapping into others' customers, contacts and followers.

3. Build Your List

An event is an excellent opportunity to capture attention, make an impression and build buzz about your product and brand among your target audience. Rather than inviting the 'who's who' of the local wedding industry, Celebrations and Luxury Cayman Villas took a slightly different approach. Keeping the guest list small and specific, the team was able to create a truly intimate gathering of key stakeholders and strategic partners who would be able to further the reach of the initiatives. Building anticipation in the run up to the event, 'plus ones' were vetoed and honoured guests were given sparse details which piqued interest and provided a sense of exclusivity as invitees weren't able to imagine the evening in advance or the type of audience that would be in attendance.

4. Invest in Your Relationships

You can't just build a list and expect things to work, you need to make your invited guests feel special. A lot of people who network just meet people once, store their card and never contact them again. Beyond the event you're planning or the company you work for, the type of person you are matters. Being genuine allows people to gain your trust. The evening's hosts are part of a service-driven industry, and strong relationships are the basis of their foundation. They took the time to meet, chat and spend time with each person at the event, making them feel special and appreciated.

5. Surprise and Delight

Emotional connections created by real life interactions simply can't be replicated online. On arrival at last week's event, we didn't have any idea what we were walking into until the 'big reveal' – a white curtain unveiling of an extravagant but intimate wedding wonderland designed by JVBDesignHouse constructed on the luxury villa's white sandy beachfront. Tables of seven lined either side of the infinity pool and a delicious three course dinner was served under the stars. Creating a fun and memorable experience stirs genuine positive emotions within people, who are then more likely to associate those emotions with your brand – which is a far greater return on investment than any advertisement.

6. Choose a Unique Location

Many companies hold events at bars, restaurants or hotels. But people have been to many of these places, especially on a small island like Cayman. They get used to them and know what to expect. Because of that, people lose interest in attending. Celebrations decided to think outside the box and host their event at Tranquility Cove, a newly renovated villa in Bodden Town, and part of Luxury Cayman Villa's growing portfolio. By having the event at a location people weren't expecting, it created a sense of curiosity while showcasing the high-end, unique locations available to local and visiting brides.

7. Build Content 'Moments' into Your Event

Events are the ultimate catalyst for content creation and, more importantly, distribution and social amplification – and many savvy brands are now designing their event experiences with content generation top of mind. Celebrations designed the event for sharing and seeded specific 'content moments' into the evening, calling out specific elements that made great Instagram-friendly photo opps – plus a branded hashtag got people talking about the experience online. You know what they say, 'but first, let me take a selfie!'

Why You Should Consider an Experiential Event for Your Launch