Throwing a launch party is an important part of a company’s marketing plan and to do it well requires a serious investment of resources – both human and fiscal. Whether you’re celebrating a new product or a new company, the launch party provides a critical opportunity to make a good first impression with potential customers, to entice the imagination of potential investors and to encourage an enthusiastic army of brand advocates.

As a communications practitioner providing counsel to clients in a variety of industries, I’ve been fortunate to attend a number of launch events over the years, and in most cases, I leave these parties with a mental checklist of things to do differently or to improve upon for future client events. Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a client launch event that had my inner-critic stumped, and rather than leaving the party with my usual list of things done wrong, I left with a long list of things done right.

The party was hosted by Seattle-based startup Lively, a tech company that connects music fans to their favorite artists by providing high-quality recordings of live performances. Staying true to their roots, the folks at Lively threw an over-the-top party featuring live music performances and local celebrities from Seattle’s music, sports and political scenes. And, while the party was certainly a great time, what was really impressive was an attention to detail that kept the Lively brand front and center throughout the evening.

From Lively logoed wristbands to takeaway gifts including a Lively hangover kit, this attention to the details was in large part due to the expertise of Lively’s CMO Geoff Walker. Walker, who recently ran his own event marketing company, has a long history of producing high-profile events for companies such as RealNetworks and Rhapsody, celebrities including the Foo Fighters and Kevin Spacey, and occasions such as the NFL Pro Bowl All-Star Game. From arrival to departure, the party Walker designed was like a drum driving home the beat of Lively’s vision to celebrate music and the artists’ relationship to their fans.

Not every company is fortunate to have an event expert like Walker on staff, but here are some of the evening’s highlights that you can refer to when planning your own launch party:

1. Make a Great First Impression

Upon arrival, my colleagues and I were greeted by friendly valet attendants who promptly ushered us out of our vehicle and toward the reception area. We passed a brass band playing standards, and strode upon a blue carpet (blue to reflect the company’s logo instead of the traditional red) to take our place in front of the logoed step-and-repeat for keepsake images that we can download and share via social media platforms and that Lively can use in its future marketing efforts. From there, we headed down the reception line to receive logoed wrist bands, a raffle ticket and straight to the bar serving a variety of complimentary cocktails.

2. Select a Theme That Compliments Your Company’s Vision

As a tech and music company, Lively played up the music side of its business and provided two stages alternating live performances by LeRoy Bell & His Only Friends, Young Evils, Hunter Hunted and Portugal. The Man. DJ Niros helped maintain the crowds’ energy level by spinning dance worthy favorites in between live performances. Party attendees were given a special promo code that they could use after the party to download high-quality audio and video from the evening because, well, that’s what Lively does!

3. A Great Mix of Attendees

Family and friends, local celebrities, vendors and investors were all on hand to celebrate the startup, bringing a sense of excitement to the event. And while private parties are not typically newsworthy on their own, Seattle’s Mayor Mike McGinn gave an enthusiastic speech to the crowd of 450-plus guests and helped the company secure this follow-up story in a local technology media outlet: “Mayor McGinn spends final campaign hours hanging with the tech community.”

4. Branding, Branding, Branding!

Everywhere I looked I saw the Lively logo. It was on my party wristband, the cocktail napkins and coasters, on the backs of servers passing hors d’oeuvres, displayed in lights with the help of GOBO projections, behind the artists performing on stage and on the takeaway gift bags. It didn’t stop there. Inside the bag was a Lively T-shirt, a logoed guitar pick key chain and a Lively branded hangover kit, among other goodies.

5. Capture the Evening and Make it Social

Capitalizing on today’s culture of sharing, Lively had roving photographers snapping shots of attendees and providing Polaroid images. Partygoers were then encouraged to snap a shot of the Polaroid and upload the image to personal social media pages with the hashtag #LivelyLounge. Smart and effective.

There is so much more I could say about the Lively Lounge Premier Party, but why write about it when I could just show you – take a look for yourself here.