Do you host exclusive events for your high-caliber clients? I do. But the PLANNING of them events can be anxiety-inducing and overwhelming if you don’t have the knowledge, skills, time (or money to outsource it) which is why I figured I’d write this blog post sharing all that went into the planning of my influencer dinner—an event I’m hosting for members of my high-end Mastermind.

I’m cordially inviting my Luxe clients to join myself, my husband James, and some esteemed special guests for an elegant dinner, which will give them the opportunity to expand their network and broaden their view of what’s possible for them. 

It’ll give them the chance to get to know one another on a deeper level, for one, connect meaningfully with new, interesting people (all leaders, authorities, and experts!), and identify ways in which they can support one another to grow in their businesses and beyond as well.

The influencer dinner is a momentous occasion that’ll encourage my clients to dress up and STEP up into the highest version of themselves—and for that reason, it’s to be held at a prestigious location, hand-selected for its opulent aesthetic.

I couldn’t be more excited for it, because I know it’ll not only uplevel my client’s experience of the container but activate an energy of abundance, and in this blog post, I’m sharing all the steps I took to plan it so you are inspired to host (or perhaps just attend) an event of your own, too.

In case you’re interested, my Luxe Mastermind members also receive:

• In-Person Mentorship at Luxury Locations, including Austin, Bora Bora, and Santa Barbara
• 1:1 Coaching with Myself and James
• Intimate Group Coaching with Myself and James
• 24/7 Slack Access to a High-Level, High-Impact Community
• All-Inclusive Access to our Resource Library

…but without further ado, let’s dive into the steps I took to plan this year’s Luxe influencer dinner, shall we?

1. Curate the cohort

Firstly, it’s time to decide who’s going to be in attendance! Before you jump into names and faces, I suggest you spend some time strategically thinking about how many people you want to be there. At the Luxe Mastermind influencer dinner 2022, we are going to have 22 guests. I believe this to be the optimum number for us because it’s going to feel intimate and allow for an immersive experience, while at the same time allowing for a diverse group! This leads me to my next point…

Remember, everyone invited to the dinner needs to be there for a reason. We want the guests to take lots of value away from the experience, which means that each and every attendee needs to have something incredible to offer the group. I advise you to spend some time thinking about your clients and who they would be excited to meet. (In other words: what kinds of people could benefit them?) Then, it’s time for the fun part—curating a list of influential people to invite! This list should be based on a couple of things—first and foremost, the work they do. But it’s also very much about a certain attitude. You want people who are givers (as opposed to takers who are going to attend purely so they can pitch their business to people!). For that reason, with Luxe, we always have an ‘ask’—people share what they’re expecting to receive and what they’re able to offer the group, too. It’s all about connecting and sharing knowledge! Of course, you need to make sure that the guests you invite have something different to share, as well—the more varied the guest list is, the richer the event will be!

Once your list is finalized, it’s time to send out invitations that reflect the essence and energy of your event. If you’ve prided yourself on building a beautiful brand, then every detail needs to be just that: beautiful! (I opt for Paperless Post, but our invites are always super luxurious, as I’m sure you can imagine!

2. Secure a venue

Next up, it’s time to choose a location. For an event like this, finding the right venue is of utmost importance. Remember, for your clients that are attending, this is an opportunity to show them what their life could look like if they commit to doing the work necessary to change it. Because I run events like this often (in-person is my favorite way to work!), I have a list of locations I love to make this part of the process as easy as possible. But make no mistake, I don’t just repeat the locations without putting special thought into the particular event I’m running, and I’m always on the lookout for other grand spaces. (Instagram is great for location sourcing, as you can click on the ‘tag’ for a location and pull up tons of images to look through!)

For our current Luxe Mastermind Influencer Dinner, we chose the Commodore Perry Estate. I saw it for the first time on Instagram, and then made my husband go with me to visit it on the way to the airport during our first trip to Austin. It’s stunning. (If you can’t view a venue in person, I really recommend you check out the location before booking or have someone confirm that it’ll meet your expectations, as sometimes photographs don’t tell the full story!) This particular property is a 5* resort with tons of old-world charm that you wouldn’t expect to see in the heart of Austin.

For an event like mine, you want it to feel expansive for your attendees as soon as they step foot in the door, so find a place that really helps you realize the vision you have for your event. It’s about bringing your guest list into a space they wouldn’t normally inhabit in their day-to-day lives, to show them what’s available to them and possible for them when they level up.

3. Add special touches

Another aim with this kind of event is to make your guests feel cared for and considered, and the details make all the difference, here. Think about what it would take for your guests to say yes to attending. What would they want to spend their time doing? What experiences would they want to have? What would they not expect, and see as an overdelivery?

One of the things I like to do is take note of the things I’m surprised at (and impressed by) whenever I stay overnight in a hotel, dine out at a restaurant or go for drinks in a bar. You see, I view my influencer dinners as an occasion to be super generous and giving and to me, that means providing our guests with a top-class experience from start to finish. A true 5* experience from my perspective is a varied menu of fine food that caters to everyone’s dietary needs (even better if there’s a diverse SET menu, as it ensures smooth and seamless service), low and no alcohol options for those who only drink a little or not at all, a signature cocktail, perhaps, to really put my stamp on the evening…

…yes, I’m all for adding your personal touch when it comes to event planning. Perhaps you want to display gorgeous flowers on the tables that are in your brand colors? Perhaps you want to have beautifully-designed place cards with people’s names on them that they can take away and keep as a memento to remember the evening? Maybe you even want to offer your guests a gift? 

4. Perfect the format

Then, of course, it’s time to get to thinking about the format of everything. This includes how long it will be, and what the schedule will consist of. For us, the Luxe influencer dinner will be 3 hours long, and we’ll have introductions before food is served. We ask each person to stand up and tell the room a little about themselves so that everyone knows who they’re in the company of. This includes what their business is and what their ‘ask’ for the day is.

After dinner, there will be plenty of time to mingle, network, and sip champagne. To top things off, we always have a photographer to capture the experience—which gives us incredible stills to use, and our guests yet more reminders of their amazing day. I like to make sure there is space carved out for intentional for photo opportunities too! Your aim here is for the day to feel relaxed and leisurely, though, not rushed or regimented!

5. Pre-event prep

Finally, I want to share a few logistical/admin pieces you can tick off ahead of the event to ensure that it runs smoothly and is the best it can be!

• Decide on a budget. This will help you determine how many people you can include, and narrow down your options when it comes to venues.
  
• Follow up with desired guests to confirm spots. Influential people are busy! Top tip: getting them to take some kind of action—like choosing an entrée or submitting food allergies—can encourage early RSVPs!

• Create your seating chart. You want to be strategic about who sits next to who! The whole point of an influencer dinner is to make connections you haven’t made before, so seat people next to those they don’t already know, and think about which people would most benefit from each other’s company.

• Be sure to gather preferred contact information (this could be social media handles, emails… however, you think your influencers would best communicate with each other), and have this information ready to share post-event so that everyone can stay in touch!

And there we have it—everything you need to consider to host the most incredible influencer dinner.

If reading about ours has got you feeling left out, you might be pleased to hear that we still have one space left for the Luxe Mastermind 2022.

The Luxe Mastermind is an annual, experience-based mastermind for established business owners led by both myself, Emily, and my husband, James Williams, with retreats in luxurious locations such as Bora Bora, Santa Barbara, and Austin… and members receive 1:1 and group coaching, plus so much more!

Our cohort is packed full of interesting people who all have something special to offer the group—they’ve also been heavily vetted by me, as acceptance into the mastermind is via application and interview only!
If you want to apply for the last spot before it’s too late, click here to do so.