How to pub crawl?

However, any city worth its salt is bound to have bar crawls galore booked out every weekend. To ensure that yours stands out and attracts the numbers that you want, follow these four steps:

Are you looking to snag college kids looking to get to know their new city? Or do you want to take locals out for a spin of your favorite haunted buildings with the addition of themed cocktails?

Holiday themed bar crawls are always popular, but consider thinking outside the box and getting a little more niche:

To jumpstart some more great ideas, check out this list of 77 event formats.

Decorations. Advertisements. Party favors. Bar crawls may seem simple — get your patrons from point A to point Z — but there are a lot of logistics and costs you may be overlooking, especially when alcohol is involved.

One big pain point for party creators is how much they should be charging for tickets to stay profitable. The only way to answer that is to understand how much money you’re going to spend. And while budgeting isn’t a fun activity, it’s a crucial first step to improving ROI.

Here’s how to set up your budget for success:

Once you have a rough estimate of what the event will cost, set a goal regarding how much profit you hope to make. Those two numbers will help you determine what to charge for tickets. Be mindful that your price should also match the quality and value of your event. In other words, if you’re taking students on a tour of the college bars and not providing any snacks or transportation, charging a steep price will get you nothing more than poor attendance.

Take a close look at a local events calendar when choosing a date and time for your bar crawl. Are there other things going on that night locally that might conflict? Are there holidays that might take people out of town, or weather that would make them want to stay in?

As for your starting location, choose a spot that is easy to find and easy to get to. Even if your bar crawl theme is “Hidden Gems,” don’t send people down a dark alley to find your first stop. In addition, it is crucial to maintain consistent communication with all the vendors on your crawl. Give them a sense of when your patrons will arrive, how many there will be, and what they should expect from the crowd. Your attendees may not want to know what’s coming next, but be assured that the bar owners do. Even if you can’t give exact numbers, make sure to discuss things with your vendors beforehand — like their capacity, how many drinks each patron is allowed per ticket, and how to identify who is part of your crawl and who is not.

Each month, 41% of Facebook users engage with events, making it a powerful channel for event discovery. To help people find your bar crawl, be sure to create an official Facebook Event. Doing so increases your organic reach on the platform.

Want to take your promotion even further on Facebook? Here are a few tips:

• Choose drink types.
• Find the right bars.
• Consider party size.
• Call the bars in advance.
• Look into transportation.
• Plan the order of visits.
• Pick a theme for the crawl.
• Mind the pace.

Bar Crawl

An upcoming bar crawl is enough to get a socialite’s skin tingling. The festive spirit, unlimited drinks, and lots of cheerful people are just some of the things that one should anticipate. If you’ve been on a bar crawl, you probably get the idea.

While any bar crawl has the potential to be an explosive display of pure human happiness, it can go wrong in a jiffy.

So, just like in any other event, bar crawl organizers must set important ground rules for attendees. Whether you’re planning for a bar crawl or participating in one, you need a handbook of rules and basic limitations to follow.

Check out these essential do’s and don’ts for every bar crawl:

A bar crawl without any giveaway items or souvenirs is considered lame. While the focus of the crawl is a fun experience, having giveaways is a sign that you actually care about the partygoers and understand people like takeaways.

Remember, people are natural collectors. If they can take home something from an event, they’ll be able to connect it to the positive experience they had. They can even show off these giveaways to their friends; instant marketing on the spot!

You don’t need to go overboard or over think your selected giveaway items. Consider what may be the best fit for your crawl: t-shirts, colorful caps, novelty shot glasses, stickers & brand logos, are just some creative options.

Be creative in planning your giveaways!

Join us in a variety of cities for our New Year's Eve Bar Crawl. Save 20% with code DWF (drink with friends) and see all the perks of the event and great venues by clicking below.

To the Next Crawl

Here’s a catch: bar crawls don’t necessarily mean that you have to crawl to the respective venues. After all, crawling and drinking liquor doesn’t seem like a nice blend right?

The distance from one venue to another is important. We can't stress it enough: distance is important! A distance of one to a few blocks is acceptable since crawlers don’t need to and may not want to travel too far. You definitely want attendees to look forward to the next venue without getting tired.

If the next venue is a mile or more away, then crawlers might lose their spirit and trail off to the next burger joint, a spot not on the designated side of destinations, this is a big no-no!

3. Inform the Venues of Your Arrival

At the Venue

It may seem like an obvious idea, but bar crawlers are like a rising wave of positive nationalism – they arrive in force, ready to bring down the roof of any venue. Within minutes, a jovial crew can turn any silent bar into a wonderful celebratory hub!

But what if you arrived to the venue unannounced? It’s very likely that the venue management won’t throw you and your crew out. That’s bad for business, but what you may experience is poor and rushed service. If the staff still manages to handle your crew properly (as if no mishap occurs), then hat’s off to the venue, but better safe than sorry, right?

As a bar crawl organizer, you must inform the venue of your arrival, ahead of time, with enough lead time for necessary planning. Doing so will make all the difference. Not to mention, this will get the balls rolling and will help the staff prepare for your arrival.

4. Select The Most Interesting Venues

Great Night Ahead

For a bar crawl, you wouldn’t dare to pick an orphanage or a car dealership yard. What you need is a thriving bar, club, or any social place that handles events. Nowadays, you can find many nearby areas with a refined Google search.

Once you have a list of venues, you need to pick the best options. You can check out the venue’s website or a bar/pub review directory. Analyze how a venue can fit your bar crawl’s goals and specifications. You should also determine if the venue has some restrictions or other complex policies.

Picking the most interesting venues will ensure the success of your bar crawl event!

Learn how to produce your own Bar Crawl. Sign up Below!

DJ Revving Up

DJs are the focal points of every party or bar crawl. At a venue, there might be small gatherings and fun clique-based discussions. Party promoters will also do everything to keep the crowd entertained. But without a DJ, there’s no unifying ground. There will be no huge spark to look forward to, thus causing the enjoyment to fizzle.

As much as you can, you should hire a DJ. He/she will get the beats started, fueling the bar crawl throughout the night. Live bands are also necessary because they extend the flow of the music vibe up to the last hour. If you have a second DJ, that’s even better!

Just prepare – DJs tend to be expensive, especially the best ones!

6. Get the Party Vibe Going

Get the Party Started

No matter how many DJs and live bands perform on a bar crawl, the party vibe will decline if you don’t take action. Instead of being a mere night owl, you must be keen enough to see if people are getting bored. Find the ‘silent souls’ and talk to them about the crawl. Hand them drinks if possible. Drop ice-breakers to restore the mood and ensure that the crawl is lively.

One great way to liven up the party is to run a mini-drinking contest. Anyone interested can participate and have a great time. Really, games are ideal to use to keep the crowd engaged.

And the reward for the drinking contest? More drinks!

Join us in a variety of cities for our New Year's Eve Bar Crawl. Save 20% with code DWF (drink with friends) and see all the perks of the event and great venues by clicking below.

Some Insights

Once the bar crawl is over, you should gather some key insights from attendees. This sounds like work, but it’s necessary for the success of future bar crawls. Think of your current successful bar crawl as a performance benchmark.

A short interview of selected crawlers will do the job. To save time, you can leave a short questionnaire to be filled out by chosen crawlers. Give them additional rewards like a keychain or something small.

Insight gathering is beneficial for all. Your company will gain more exposure and sales, and bar hoppers will have a remarkable experience for the coming months. Win-win.

Wrong Day for a Crawl

A successful bar crawl organizer knows how to pick the right day for the event. Practically, you shouldn’t pick a day that’s jam-packed with other events.

There are several reasons for this. First, the venue might not have enough resources to accommodate your crew – especially if your crawl is on the last slot. Second, people’s attention might be divided. Attendees of the first few events might stay longer in the venue, sapping the spirit of the bar crawl. And lastly, if your event is the first in line, your time will be extremely limited, and you don't want that to happen!

Freebies

Bar crawls are known for their free stuff – free drinks, free gifts, and a free ticket to a night of happiness! Who wouldn’t love that, right?

Unfortunately, a free-for-all scenario will deplete your company’s resources as fast as you can shout “Patron!” Does this mean you have to remove all of your free offers? Not at all! You just need to limit the free stuff and add fair promos instead.

A great example: Buy one drink, get one free! This is a popular promo in so many bar crawls today. There are lots of promo ideas – you just need to be creative enough!

Get them Home Safely

Whenever liquor is involved, you can’t ignore potential security issues. If an attendee has too many drinks, he or she might have troubles returning home. To avoid unnecessary risky situations, you need to think ahead.

Partner up with reputable transportation companies – like Uber or Lyft. These companies are more than happy to work with events and social functions.

Learn how to produce your own Bar Crawl. Sign up Below!

Sad

Whether you’re a bar crawl organizer or a willing participant, you shouldn’t be a Downer David or a Sad Sally. In short: don’t spread a wave of sadness or negativity!

A bar crawl must be a positive event where camaraderie occurs. Everyone must contribute a smile, a cheer, or a leap of joy. You should leave your troubles and anxieties behind!

What Happened Last Night?

Bar crawls are destined to be memorable. They must create an impact for all attendees so they won’t hesitate to be on the next crawl event.

If you happen to forget about the experience, you’re doing it wrong! As a responsible crawler, you must share the experience with your friends and colleagues. Tell them about the free drinks, giveaways, promos, and other wonderful stuff. Once your friends are satisfied with your bar crawl suggestions, they will always consider you as a fun-loving socialite!

Social Scene creates a “scene” an environment to connect people, build relationships and create memories through online campaigns and on-premise social events; focusing on providing exposure to our partnering brands, venues and clients to connect with a great social audience - Experiential Marketing. Social Scene builds brand awareness for partnering venues and brands, connecting them with a targeted audience to build relationships and create memories.

Visit BeSocialScene.com for the most up to date events and to partner on an upcoming experience. Want to build a live or online experience around your company’s brand or venue? Email info@besocialscene.com or send a message directly at BeSocialScene.com. Be Social. Be Seen.

Ivan Junatas

It is a bar hopping experience that will take you through several bars, pubs, and a club. Pub crawl (or bar crawl) will bring you together with an amazing group of people from all around the world. Everyone from locals to tourists and student. You will spend the evening dancing, drinking and partying until the early morning.

As we mentioned in our previous article, Pub Crawl is something everyone should try at least once in their lifetime. A pub crawl is not only a great way to meet new people. It also helps you save money.

Imagine yourself in a new city, on vacation or otherwise, not knowing what bars are worth it and what not. Now imagine you have to pay an entry fee before entering most of the venues. Not only is this approach quite risky. It might also leave you with a night you did not enjoy and paid a lot of money for.

With a pub crawl, you’ll get free entries to all the bars, pubs and clubs you visit. The best part is that you’ll also get free shots everywhere you go, and you’ll be offered a special menu with discounts on drinks.

There are several things you should keep in mind when you join a bar crawl. Drinking, dress code, and more. These things might be clear to some people but could come as a surprise to others. In the next paragraphs, we’ll tell you what are the crucial things to survive a pub crawl.

This is probably clear to everyone. Pub Crawl involves drinking. Now, keep in mind, it is not compulsory to get absolutely waited. What is compulsory thou, is to have fun! So, don’t try to compete with others to see who can last longer. Remember to drink at your own pace. No one wants to finish early just because they cannot handle their liquor.

This also shouldn’t come as a surprise, but to join the Bar Crawl you need to be at least 18 years old. That is at least in most of Europe. If you decide to do a Pub Crawl elsewhere in the world, be sure to check out the legal drinking age there. And of course, do NOT forget to bring your ID as proof of your age. You might be checked not only by the Crawl stuff but also before entering the bar. So keep it close.

Keep in mind that some bars and clubs might have a specific dress code. Don’t worry, most likely, it’s not anything too fancy – like a cocktail dress or formal wear. However, most bars have certain rules for e.g. safety reasons or just general decency.

Some basic dress code rules for pub crawls include no flip-flops, no swimwear, or tank tops (that usually doesn’t apply to girls). Generally, dress casually and you should be fine. To be 100% sure, check the website of your pub crawl to find out any specifics.

The core of every Bar Crawl is to visit more than 1 bar throughout the night. That involves transporting yourselves from one venue to another. The usual transport is on foot; however, it might include some other means as well.

Be sure to know what the plan for the night is. Ask your guides what are the bars your visiting and how are you getting there. Also, don’t forget to ask what the time schedule is, therefore, how long are you staying in each venue.

If you know all these things you shouldn’t have a problem finding the group in case, you get lost.

The guides are always doing their best to gather everyone before leaving each venue. However, during the night you will almost surely mingle with the locals and other people visiting the bar. If your group is big, it is almost impossible for the guides to keep track of everyone. Try to keep that in mind before you get mad on your guides for accidentally leaving you behind.

Keep your calm and use the information about the venues and timetables you got from the start.

Lastly, but most importantly, stay safe. Always follow the instruction of your crawl guides and use your common sense. Stay out of the traffic and be careful when crossing the street.

Be sure to know the name of your hotel or the place you’re staying at. It will come in handy, in the morning, when you’ll be coming home. Also know, how to get there – have a map, or address to that you can let your taxi driver know.

Most important to know is that the Pub Crawls are here for you to have fun! The guides will do their best to make sure you’re having fun, but at the end of the day, unless you let a little bit lose, you will not enjoy your evening.