Ep 62: 10 Hidden Keys to Make Events Engaging and Profitable

EPISODE 62

Transform Your Events

 
 
 

What if you could discover how to craft experiences that leave your supporters, donors, and attendees more connected, more engaged with your mission? 

In this captivating discussion, I unveil the secrets to creating events that deeply resonate with your audience. I explore the art of infusing the heart and meaning of your event into every aspect, from captivating programming to vibrant lineups. I share valuable tips on igniting anticipation even before the event kicks off and stress the significance of curating a guest list that aligns perfectly with your cause.

Yet, it's not all about glitz and glamour. Events can also serve as ideal fundraising platforms. I delve into how to craft engaging and effective activations that diversify your revenue streams. I guide you in comprehending your audience's interests and shaping your fundraising requests with confidence and persuasiveness. We also explore the impact of relationship building, harnessing technology, and even leveraging coaching to boost your organization's growth. Whether you're planning an informal gathering or a grand charity gala, I've got you covered with insights that will revolutionize your event-planning approach!

Think you’ve reached out to “everyone” in your network? Out of ideas to get noticed and get funded?  Generate leads for your nonprofit or social impact business: https://www.splendidcourses.com/prospect

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Resources mentioned:

 
 
 

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TRANSCRIPT:

00:02

Welcome to the Purpose and Profit Club podcast for nonprofit leaders, mission-driven creatives and social entrepreneurs. Get ready to stop dreaming and start doing. Here, ideas become action. We prioritize purpose and profit. You ready, let's go. We are going to dig into events today.

00:22

I've been to quite a few events recently and it got me thinking about what makes a, what makes it not only like an unforgettable event, but like a meaningful event, a rich event, an event that has your audience of supporters want to come back next year, has your audience of supporters tell other people about it, has your audience of supporters say, oh my gosh, you should have been there. What makes a great event? And what are some pieces that are missing in typical events, including some that I've attended lately, that are often overlooked but so important. And I think that the part that I said I've got to record this episode is these aren't complex Like these. These. I'm looking at a list of 10 things. These are not complex. 10 things. Okay, this isn't about having the biggest budget or most amazing event planner. These are about thoughtful moments that make an event stand out and add depth to it. So when I say event, I could mean a fundraiser, I could mean an annual gala. I could mean a fall festival, a coffee, coffee chat with your supporters. What am I trying to say? It can be as casual as a kickball event, as formal as a fancy black tie gala, doesn't matter. These things are all true.

01:53

Let's dig in to this list, let's go. The first thing I want you to think about before you step foot into that fundraiser and really in the planning phase, is the first thing is creating an event that is like no other. What do I mean by that? I don't mean get make sure you have the best band or the best flowers. I mean identifying what is the heart and meaning of your event and how is it weaved through your event activations, your event lineup, your event programming. Okay, so the heart and meaning of the event is this, but how does somebody attending the event actually get that experience? Okay, it shouldn't be an afterthought and yet many, many times it is. So. What I see happen a lot of times is where you guys are very, very concerned with, maybe, the ticket sales of the event and the caterer and what color the tablecloths will be or whatever the logistics of the event are, and you're missing the part of like what is the actual purpose, what is the heart of the event and is the event guiding our audience through that? If you need help with that and cannot under overstate reading Priya Parker's book, she talks about the art of hosting. Let me double check the name of that book. Okay, new, I was close the art of gathering. That's what it's called, the art of gathering, and she really talks about. Events are just Just chunks of people together. Events should have a mission and a meaning attached to it. It's not a place to just dance and party and have full bellies. Okay, so read her book. Make sure that the purpose of the event and the actual programming of the event align and match. That's the first step. The second piece is so the big one.

03:47

Your event actually starts before your event. What do I mean? If your event is this Saturday night at 7 pm, your event already started. Your event started up in the lead-up, the pregame to that event, which could be a few days or a few weeks in advance. If I bought my ticket on October 1st and your event is on October 15th, that time, those 15 days, the event has begun.

04:11

For many of you, you're thinking Amazing, I sold a ticket, whoo, I'm done, but you're missing a part of Cultivating that, meaning cultivating that purpose. In that pregame phase. You can do it through an email, a note, a text message. This can be a mass email that you send to people, but you want to actually start seeding Some things. You want to start seeding. Maybe that there's gonna be a special announcement, there's going to be an ask, there's going to be something cool happening. We want to answer the questions what should I bring? What should I wear? Is there a fun thing, anecdote, activation that you want me to bring or share? Okay, so are we going to event that serves high school students? Right, maybe there's a program that serves high schoolers. Maybe an activation would be bring your most embarrassing high school photo, bring your senior portrait, bring a moment or memory for you to share with a guest that talks about your favorite moment in high school. Right, seeding. That starts to actually get my wheels turning in the weeks in advance or a week in advance of this event. Do you see how that works? Again, this is actually a note from Priya's book. She talks about making and don't laundry list people. Don't give them all of the examples I just gave you. Give them one or two things. That starts that pregame process.

05:34

Third step curate a guest list that makes sense. What I mean is don't just plunk everybody you know and everybody in your email list and everybody in your CRM and everybody in your city and say they should all come. Think about curating a guest list that makes sense, that has an unnatural alignment with your cause. Who are the people that should be there, not just who are warm bodies that will help you sell $50 tickets. Okay, there is a difference, there is a nuance, and it doesn't mean you can't have a huge goal and ticket sales, but it means you want to really think about who are the people that I really. What do they have in common? What are their attributes? What are their interests? What are they? Where do they like to hang out? Who are those people that should be there? And I find that makes it very, very Like. It makes it easier to figure out some new prospects to invite when you've narrowed in right, versus thinking about it a lot of times of like. So I got a cell tickets. Okay, that's a third piece. Create a guest list that makes sense and if you're doing something smaller like maybe you're doing a More of an intimate dinner or something like that then you really want to think about curating a guest list of folks that really make sense to be there. And really make sense to be there doesn't mean they're already all friends. That, I find, isn't the best thing for a meaningful dinner or a meaningful event. Sometimes it's thinking about who who you want to have a seat at the table, who are the people you've been wanting to connect together.

07:03

I saw a post on social media recently that was like we should, there should be a party where everybody wears like. The prompt is where something that's been hiding in your closet or in your closet and you have yet to have the occasion to wear it. It's like what a fun party that could be. It could be a costume party, but not really for me. It would be like all the heels I have on my top top row of my shoe shoe shelf in my closet that I'm like they're so high. I would be like the person I bring three pairs of shoes and I would outfit change my shoes, my amazing heels, throughout the night. Right, so like what would be a prompt and who would be the people who would have the most fun with that prompt, and you could curate a guest list that way.

07:46

Okay, step four have more than one way to fundraise during the event. This actually came off of a recent experience I went to From an event where I could tell that the front end of the event, the revenue generation in the event, was the ticket sales, and it left something missing in the actual attending of the event. There was a gap for me, and I think there was a gap for for many of us, because the event itself told many, many stories of Need more, need right, and there wasn't an ask like there wasn't really a, it was more and it. This was not an event that was designed as like a non-ask event. Okay, so this was not like a donor Thank you event. It should have been like all. It should have had more fundraising components. So what does that look like? It can be, of course you've got your presale, like you're selling your tickets. That's amazing, but then the event itself should make more revenue. Okay, so some ways you could do that would be a raffle, an auction, whether that's a live auction or a silent auction. Individual asks, thinking about a workshop I hosted recently and this particular founder is hosting an event and she was like I'm gonna be eyeball to eyeball making the asks during this event, and it was. I was just smiling because I'm like, yeah, absolutely, that's what you're gonna do, like she has an audacious goal, she's going to hit it and she's not gonna hit it without making direct asks during the event.

09:20

Okay, sponsorships, sponsorships are great. So sometimes we can do sponsorships for the event itself sponsor a table sponsor, the event sponsor, any sort of piece of it. Right, that could be a kind of like a marketing sponsor. Or you can think about sponsors by maybe inviting your annual or prospective sponsors these could be local businesses or organizations to attend to the event and inviting them to be a 12 month sponsor and annual sponsor. Okay, that's a great way. I've worked with organizations before who? These are businesses who have become sponsors of Nonprofits just to have placement in their newsletter, just to have the visibility at their their annual event. These are businesses who are like yes, we see alignment with what you do. We would like to partner with you and get in front of this audience. So think about that annual sponsorship piece. Another way to fundraise during the event would be to invite people to join your monthly Giving program, and not in the fine print of the program or in the fine print of the postcard or handout or brochure, but like literally asking, like having an activation for that. Okay, so you want to make sure you're not making the revenue strategy.

10:27

One note, and that if I'm looking at an income statement from this event, that the only way people that you, that you Saw income come in was through the ticket sales. No, no, no, no, no, let's, let's diversify it. Fifth step I want you to think about the components of your event. So let's think about the Agala and let's say you've got a rock band playing or you've got a band that's playing like 80s cover music, or you've got a jazz band playing. Does that piece a line with your audience Interest? Does it make sense? Or have you chosen that Because it's what you always do, or because it was free, or because it was available? Like, was it thought out? And underneath that, if there's any sort of live band or even a DJ component, is the music going to be a barrier to connecting and conversation? Why am I bringing that up? Because this was in another event I was at recently where and this is coming from somebody who used to work at a rock club you guys, so I can hit a log music. But this music was a barrier to connection and conversation, which is going to make it very, very hard for you to fundraise, for you to make those asks and for other people just to celebrate, for other people to celebrate what you're doing. If we're like talking loudly waiting for the band to stop, right that whole thing. So you want to think about that piece?

11:49

Okay, sixth step don't bury the lead. Attendees should know it's a fundraiser. So this is kind of a funny one. This comes up when we call something like a kickball tournament or a fall gala or a fall festival or a Friday party or whatever we're doing, and like tucked underneath is that ticket sales will go to the proceeds will go to this right, and what happens when it is tucked in and baked into just the overall language of come to my party is a few things. You end up inviting your friends and family and then they treat you. They treat it like a party.

12:31

Okay, like we're having a barbecue at my house, like we're going, we're just having to hang out, and that's not what this is. If you want to have a barbecue at your house, have a barbecue at your house, but that's not what this fundraiser is, particularly with a little bit more of the casual events. That's when I'm seeing this gray area come in and again, your audience friends, family, colleagues, supporters, donors, kind of like the catch all. They're not primed that this is a fundraising opportunity and they're not. They're not primed themselves, they're not bringing people themselves.

13:02

With that in mind, I am actually going to an event this weekend that is very casual. That is, you know, a neighbor's event. Think of it like a backyard barbecue. But they have primed us. This is a fundraiser. Okay, this is a fundraiser. So they're probably I don't know, I'm going to have like 40 people there. This is their close friends and family. They feel very tied to a specific cause. They're like come, hang out and this is a fundraiser. Here's why they've included that and weaved it into the invite. Okay. And they've even said here's how you can support the fundraiser and like linked out to places, okay. So they did that in advance in the invitation and then they did it. I haven't been to it yet.

13:41

They've made it very clear that, should we want to make a gift at the actual event, they will have a way to do that. Okay. So people should know it's a fundraiser again, so they can kind of step in or step out and say this is for me or this isn't for me. Right, this isn't just like I'm going to crash this, all a wedding crashers. Go get some free food and drink and leave.

14:00

Okay, you want to make sure that people know it's a fundraiser, thinking of another client who is working on this amazing fundraiser, and we have weaved in activations that make sense not only for her audience but for her cause. And even though the brand, the name of the event isn't ABC fundraiser, the name is like a fun name. It is throughout the narrative, throughout the event page, and then, as people come to the event, it is very clear. This is a way you can support, this is a way you can give. This is, this is our goal. This is how much we're trying to raise tonight. Be very clear on those pieces. Don't be apologetic.

14:39

Step seven don't be afraid to ask. Remember these people if you followed these six steps previously. They're at a fundraising event, so let them be at a fundraising event. Okay, so if you're fundraising, you have to actually be fundraising. Then you need to be hosting the event. Whether it's you and your staff, you and your board, everybody should be moving through the crowd, connecting, celebrating, having conversations, sharing the wins and and and making the ask.

15:07

This was a huge component missing in a recent event, that it just felt like who's going to make the ask? You guys, come on, go get out there, who's going to make the ask? It felt way, way, way too soft, way too soft. Okay, it was like you've got us all here. We're all here when we're, we're probably not all going to be together. You've got us engaged. We're listening, we're hearing. We're hearing about the problem. We're hearing about some of your programs Make, make a bold ask.

15:37

Don't make a generic ask. Don't just be. Don't, don't keep it soft. Make it bold. We're trying to raise $10,000 today. Our goal is 50K today. Who's, you know, like that piece? Step eight don't kitchen sink it.

15:51

Okay, for my creatives, for my folks that love an event, for my folks that just have lots of ideas and this is me too you may have a dozen good ideas or two dozen good ideas, but don't chunk them. Don't like like a packing a suitcase. Pack them all into one night. Okay, been working with one of my clients on this and listen, we got a lot of good ideas. We got a lot of good ideas, but what we've had to do is we've had to curate an event so we're not firehosing attendees, and that meant that we had to edit out some great ideas and we know those are going on the shelf for next year. Those are things that will be weaved into other events next year.

16:31

This isn't the only event you'll ever have. Same thing for anything that's an online event. You may have an amazing idea, but don't force them into the suitcase of this event, because what will happen is your audience will be confused. Your audience will feel overwhelmed and a confused mind doesn't buy. That means a confused mind doesn't open their raise their paddle, open their wallet, make a gift, right, because there's just two inch stuff. Don't make me have to decide if I should give a one-time gift or join your monthly giving program or participate in the raffle or sign up for this thing or sponsor that thing, right? So you want to make sure that you've narrowed in to a couple of things that make really great sense for you.

17:11

Step nine some tough love on this one Don't be or not don't be. Do be willing to reimagine a signature event. So the don't on that would be like don't be just so stuck to an event that you do year over, year over, get or year and think we have to continue doing this. It's okay to evolve, it's okay to sunset or just shift or adapt something that's been working but maybe has had a little less buy-in year over year, a little less um, a little less excitement around it. So it's okay to make those changes. One example would be a golf event. I think there was a time I feel like golf events had their heyday, I don't know, in the last 10, 20 years, and for some organizations they've kind of petered out, and so I've been noticing some folks reimagining or just completely sunsetting their golf event and making it something else. Maybe the golf event becomes a putt-putt event, which actually I'd be super excited about. Like, maybe the golf event just becomes some other event. Now I do have a couple of other organizations where their golf event is awesome. People are so thrilled to be a part of it. It is something that they look forward to year after year. You know which one you are, and it may not be a golf event, it may be something else. If it's like ooh, yeah, it's, it's just feels like it's just the enthusiasm and the participation on this is just petering out and we're hanging onto it and we don't need to. So don't be afraid to reimagine a new event.

18:42

Step 10, so important for everyone. Create a retention plan. Okay, meaning all those new donors that are connected with your organization now for the very first time because they came to the event, or all those supporters who have been longtime supporters or newish supporters. Make sure there is a retention plan in place beyond just a thank you call or a thank you email and a tax receipt. Okay, what does that look like? Automation Make sure there's an automated email welcome series to to further that connection, that warmth, that celebration they received in person. Find the people who you connected with most and ask them to coffee, ask them to a Zoom call, reach out, develop that connection deeper.

19:28

If you've ever been down an event and you kind of hit it off with somebody and you're like, ooh, I kind of want to grab coffee with them, like, do that if you have that moment right, pick five people from the event that you thought were interesting and ask them to coffee. Okay, don't make it a stressor and keep it simple, meaning don't feel like the retention plan is all on you. This is a great time to ask your board members, staff, volunteers, like do one day where it's like we do we're doing a thank-a-thon one day, a call-a-thon one day, an email-a-thon, a handwritten-a-thon one day to knock it off the list where you really do some high-touch work one day and really welcome new people into your world. Okay, follow those steps and I promise it will make the next event you have so much more clear, more fun, more celebratory and more meaningful. When we have more meaning attached to it, people will have more connection to your organization. When they have more connection to your organization, they're going to talk more about your cause. They're going to show up and support your cause more often.

20:30

I'll see you next time. If you ask me, everyone should have a coach, especially you. I want to invite you to schedule a free discovery call with me. Go to splendidatlcom, forward slash contact. You'll see my calendar there. Book a call with me. You'll learn about my smart growth method, where we can grow your business or organization sustainably with ease and massive impact.

You Get To Have Purpose And Profit. I’ll Show You How.

 
 
PodcastChristina Edwardspurpose and profit, marketing, entrepreneurship, purpose driven, nonprofit, social impact, mindset, productivityComment