BOX Launch: the party of the century?

The Tank team worked with BOX to launch its newest venue in the heart of Nottingham; managing the guestlist for the exclusive launch party, inviting press and influencers to get a sneak peek ahead of the official opening and getting tongues wagging about the newest bar on the block.

It seems like it has taken a few years for the hospitality industry to bounce back post-pandemic but we have noticed a sudden boom in the number of new venues opening their doors in Nottingham in the last few months.

Not only is this good news for those of us who like to venture out for a drink or two after work on a Friday but it means that the PR team can get back to doing what they’re really good at – helping brands to plan unforgettable events – and, the BOX launch was one of the biggest and best yet.

The BOX team came to Tank with a simple brief – they wanted to create a buzz around the brand’s newest venue and make a mark on the Nottingham hospitality scene. Oh, and they also wanted to fill the venue for a huge VIP party the night before the official launch date.

It has to be said that BOX is not your average sports bar. Set in a Grade II listed building in the heart of the city centre, it was originally designed in 1882 by esteemed local architect Watson Fothergill and is one of 100 buildings that he designed across the city (they’re easy to spot once you know what you’re looking for; he had a penchant for elaborate turrets, decorative balconies and stone carvings).

The building has been sympathetically renovated with many of the original features including a huge domed ceiling and decorative pillars being worked into the bar’s modern décor (the giant disco ball suspended from the dome was a recent addition). The result is an interior rich in detail and far from what you’d expect from a venue that’s main draw is its 35 HD flat screen TVs and 2-4-1 cocktails.

The team couldn’t wait to get their teeth stuck into the launch project and used their extensive experience of ‘buzz generation’ to develop a launch strategy that would put BOX on the map as the ‘go-to’ destination for sports fans and weekend revellers in Nottingham.

They crafted the ultimate guest list to fill the unique venue with all of the city’s movers and shakers for a string of events in the run up to the launch. As well as a rich architectural history, the sheer size of the multi-level venue generated an air of intrigue ahead of the launch and the RSVPs came flooding in.

Activity during the week of the launch included a media ‘first look’ for local journalists, a giant ball pit challenge in the local shopping centre, as well as three evenings of free food, drinks and live entertainment to give Nottingham’s press, influencers and stakeholders a taste of everything that BOX has to offer.

Having a week of pre-launch events was a tactic that gave the team the opportunity to build excitement and ensure that those who could not make the main event could still preview the venue before it officially opened to the public.

Nottingham’s party people turned out in their droves on the night of the VIP launch party – the team welcomed over 800 people through the door throughout the course of the evening and the bar staff could barely pour the welcome drinks fast enough.

The PR activity generated over 20 news articles in both regional and trade publications, copious amounts of social media coverage and culminated in what one woman in the girl’s loos hailed as “the party of the century”. A success? We think so.