Outdoor Movies Tutorial: Maximize PR at Your Next Event

Outdoor movies are a great way to bring your community together, and an Open Air Cinema outdoor movie system makes the whole process easy. An OAC system comes with everything you need to start your movie-in-the-park series: a giant inflatable movie screen, a powerful outdoor speaker system, a Cinebox audio-visual console that connects to virtually any device, and a bright outdoor video projector. The setup and production are a cakewalk, so all you have to worry about is getting people to show up. Here are a few ways to boost the numbers at your next outdoor movie event.

Increase Attendance at Your Outdoor Movies

Here are a few steps that should boost turnout at your next outdoor movie event or movie-in-the-park series:

1. Snowball your event so it grows every year. Consistency is key — hold events on a predictable schedule (the same day of the week, the same time of year) and your community will know when to show up without a reminder.
2. Use city mailers. If you’re running the event through your city parks-and-rec department, or have the city’s support, the city mailer is a golden tool — it often goes out with utility bills, so every household hears about your event.
3. Inflate a smaller OAC screen as a temporary billboard. If you have a smaller screen in your lineup, set it up beside a major road at night with a projected ad for your upcoming event, or attach a temporary sign and use it as a daytime billboard. You get a portable billboard and advertise the medium of your event — an inflatable movie screen — at the same time.
4. Enlist local businesses and restaurants. They have priceless networks and email lists; encourage them to promote your event, trade for sponsorships, or let them set up a booth. Tapping into these networks pays off.
5. Get into local magazines, newspapers, and TV. Local is the key — you reach your target audience directly. If you’re a nonprofit or a city, local media will often promote your event for free as a media sponsor; thank them with a logo on your posters and a presence at your event.

Enhance Your Organization’s Image Through Outdoor Movies

Documenting your outdoor movies with photography and video is a great way to enhance your city’s or organization’s image. Outdoor-movie images are community-driven and make great front-page material, so hire a photographer or find someone who can capture your event in a larger-than-life way. Landing the local front page boosts attendance at your next event and shows everyone the good work you’re doing.

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