{"id":3474,"date":"2025-11-14T08:30:05","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T09:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/buywyo.com\/?p=3474"},"modified":"2025-11-17T11:24:58","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T11:24:58","slug":"you-need-to-be-an-event-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/buywyo.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/14\/you-need-to-be-an-event-business\/","title":{"rendered":"“You need to be an event business”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cIt’s not enough to be a hospitality business anymore,\u201d small-business owner Shelley Pippin says. \u201cYou need to be an event business.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Click<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s why Brewnuts has been so successful at using events to carve out a niche for themselves, and what small- and medium-sized business marketers can learn from \u201cOhio\u2019s first and only doughnut bar,\u201d regardless of your industry<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Meet the Master\"shelley<\/h2>\n

Shelley Pippin<\/h3>\n

Founder and co-owner, <\/em>Brewnuts<\/em><\/a><\/h3>\n

When you think of bar food, you probably think of things like burgers and sandwiches.<\/p>\n

But Cleveland-based Brewnuts has a different vision: As Brewnuts\u2019 \u201cOhio’s first and only doughnut bar,\u201d as co-owner and founder Shelley Pippin puts it, the business pairs a carefully curated selection of beer and coffee drinks with a rotating selection of homemade doughnuts.<\/p>\n

For Brewnuts, their menu is just the (sweet) start, however. \u201cIt’s not enough to be a hospitality business anymore,\u201d <\/strong>Pippin says. \u201cYou need to be an event business.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\u201cit\u2019s<\/p>\n

In addition to a menu of brews and dones, Brewnuts books weekends celebrating holidays (Halloween), pop culture (Twilight<\/em>) and fandom lore (an annual December toast to Taylor Swift\u2019s birthday called \u201cTaylor Fest\u201d). These special events often come with unique coffee drinks or theme-specific doughnuts; for example, a \u201cBoston Scream!\u201d for spooky season.<\/p>\n

\"black<\/p>\n

Photo credit: Emily Drapp<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI love creating things, and I see my job as being responsible for surprising and delighting people<\/strong>,\u201d Pippin says. \u201cThat’s why I love the hospitality industry. It\u2019s a place where you have the opportunity to create experiences for people. It really is about providing that little slice of escape and joy.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n

Takeaway: Don\u2019t underestimate the power of surprise, delight, and joy.<\/strong> Whether you\u2019re selling doughnuts or databases, think about what experiences you can create for people.<\/p>\n

Divide and Conquer<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Pippin cut her teeth working in partnership marketing, sponsorships, and client work, so she excels at handling the creative ideation side of Brewnuts \u2014 a job that encompasses things such as menu development, event planning, and social media content creation.<\/p>\n

\"team<\/p>\n

Photo credit: Shelley Pippin<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI love the inspiration part,\u201d she says. \u201cThose things tend to just pop into my brain, and I\u2018m like, \u2018Yep, and here\u2019s 25 ideas about how I want to do that.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

But from a business standpoint, Brewnuts is well balanced because co-founder (and Pippin\u2019s husband) John has a background in accounting and finance.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe handles a lot more of our operations,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2018s great to have all the ideas in the world. But if you don\u2019t understand how to run a functional business in terms of making the numbers work, it’s all for naught.\u201d<\/p>\n

Takeaway: Even the scrappiest marketing team can\u2019t do it all. <\/strong>Lean into your strengths, and join forces with co-workers (or co-founders) who will provide some balance.<\/p>\n

Sometimes Excitement is<\/em> Enough<\/h2>\n

Pippin will work with one of the doughnut decorators (who happens to be a talented photographer) on graphics and promotional materials. Otherwise, she doesn\u2019t outsource the marketing activities because she has a specific vision for Brewnuts\u2019 brand voice \u2014 and knows it works<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I want to hype something, I want to hype it in a certain way, and I want people to feel a certain amount of energy about it,\u201d she says. \u201cAt this point, I haven’t found a way to communicate that to someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

This confidence translates to event planning. For instance, although the annual Taylor Fests have become bigger and bigger each year (just like Swift\u2019s career!) Pippin wrote the 2025 iteration of the menu in August in about half an hour.<\/p>\n

\"\u201cthe<\/p>\n

Photo credit: Shelley Pippin<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIf I\u2018m getting that excited about it, I don\u2019t second guess it,\u201d<\/strong> she says of planning these larger-scale events. \u201cIf it\u2018s something that I\u2019m having a whole lot of creativity around, that tends to tell me everything I need to know, because I know there’s probably other people out there that are going to feel that same way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Takeaway: Data is important, but it\u2019s not <\/strong>everything<\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>Sometimes you gotta go with your gut. If you\u2019re having a hard time persuading your boss that your excitement merits a budget, follow Pippin\u2019s lead and start small. Pilot your idea, measure the ROI, and grow a little bigger each year.<\/p>\n

\"\u201cif<\/p>\n

Cater to Your Community<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Brewnuts incorporates customer passions into their marketing strategy. Over the years, they\u2019ve planned events centered around The Office<\/em>, Star Wars<\/em>, and Home Alone<\/em>. However, Brewnuts\u2019 events and marketing come from a place of sincerity \u2014 and inclusion.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe really made a point to plant our flag and say what we\u2019re about, and be clear about our values, and [that we\u2019re] about being a space for the whole community,<\/strong>\u201d Pippin says.<\/p>\n

\"vegan<\/p>\n

Photo credit: Emily Drapp<\/em><\/p>\n

This mindset also explains why Brewnuts is thoughtful (and deliberate) about the events they plan, including by making sure their interests and passions align with what guests want.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2018ve had things come up where people say, \u2018Why don\u2019t you do an XYZ weekend?\u2019\u201d Pippin says. \u201cI don\u2018t necessarily want to do that if it\u2019s something that we don\u2019t have a true fans\u2019 perspective on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Takeaway:<\/strong> You don\u2019t have to jump on <\/strong>every <\/em><\/strong>trend. <\/strong>As tempting as it might be to do a Star Wars<\/em> tie-in for your tech company, if it doesn\u2019t reflect your values or build community, it\u2019s okay to skip this one.<\/p>\n

A Hospitality Mindset<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Pippin and her husband are hands-on owners who stay connected to guests via many different channels. For example, Brewnuts sends out a monthly newsletter and maintains a robust social media presence.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2018re definitely not absentee owners,\u201d Pippin says. \u201cWe\u2019re very much present in our space and in our social media.\u201d<\/p>\n

By staying so connected, Brewnuts has a deeper understanding of their audience \u2014 and how to reach new customers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a lot of ways, we try to throw events that are for groups of people that maybe don’t feel like they have a home base,\u201d Pippin says. \u201cI like trying to spot niche groups that maybe feel, like, \u2018Hey, nobody throws an event for us.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, Pippin stresses the importance of gratitude and shares that she never takes any support for granted.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is never lost on me that someone is choosing to spend their hard-earned money at my place,\u201d she says. \u201c[This] is really important to keep in the forefront at all times.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\u201cit<\/p>\n

Takeaway: Maintain a hospitality mindset. <\/strong>Brewnuts doesn\u2019t throw events just for the sake of having a Halloween tie-in; it uses newsletters, social media, and customer interactions to segment its consumers and make them feel welcome.<\/p>\n

\"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cIt’s not enough to be a hospitality business anymore,\u201d small-business owner Shelley Pippin says. \u201cYou need to be an event business.\u201d Here\u2019s why Brewnuts has been so successful at using events to carve out a niche for themselves, and what small- and medium-sized business marketers can learn from \u201cOhio\u2019s first and only doughnut bar,\u201d regardless […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3476,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/buywyo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3474"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/buywyo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/buywyo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buywyo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buywyo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3474"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/buywyo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3474\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3486,"href":"http:\/\/buywyo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3474\/revisions\/3486"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buywyo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/buywyo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buywyo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buywyo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}