{"id":1810,"date":"2013-11-26T09:19:45","date_gmt":"2013-11-26T14:19:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joangarry.com\/?p=1810"},"modified":"2022-06-27T10:30:14","modified_gmt":"2022-06-27T14:30:14","slug":"tips-successful-special-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joangarry.com\/tips-successful-special-event\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Create a Successful Special Event"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One of the best measures of a successful special event is the Monday morning debrief. You sit with your special events person and you find out how many apology notes you have to write or calls you have to make.<\/p>\n

The shorter the list, the more successful the evening.<\/p>\n

Oh, there are just SO many ways to screw up a special event. Today, I\u2019d like to focus on five things you can do to insure that the odds are always in your favor.\u00a0<\/p>\n

THIS SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF WORK<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

A special event is mostly science with a dose of art.\u00a0My lessons are<\/i> extra work \u2013 I won\u2019t deny it. At first read, you may think you simply don\u2019t have time.\u00a0But trust me.\u00a0It\u2019s an investment with a payoff. After all, this is a\u00a0special<\/i>\u00a0event and these are your\u00a0guests<\/i>.<\/p>\n

You just need to remember a few simple things and my lessons will feel right and not overly onerous:<\/p>\n

1) They paid good money to participate at your event.<\/p>\n

2) They are your guests.<\/p>\n

3) The more special they feel the more the relationship becomes solid and institutionalized.<\/p>\n

4) They want to feel special.<\/p>\n

Split the work between you, your board chair, your development director, and your board members. A special event will of course generate revenue for you, but done well, it is like a big net trailing behind a boat, trawling for new organizational friends, hooked on your organization.<\/p>\n

So, without any further ado, here are five extremely practical things you can do at your special events so you don\u2019t have to write too many apology notes.<\/p>\n

HOW TO MAKE YOUR SPECIAL EVENTS TRULY SPECIAL<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

1) Write greeting notes<\/b><\/p>\n

Before special event hell arrives, sit down and write some notes of greeting. Here is your opportunity for a nice personal touch even while you are either putting makeup on, having your photo taken with what I hope is an A-list celebrity, or staring at the mirror rehearsing your speech\u00a0again<\/i>.\u00a0Greet your guests when you can\u2019t be there yourself.\u00a0Focus on 10-20 folks \u2013 maybe your biggest donor, your most high maintenance donor, someone who traveled a very long distance. Make sure the note is personal enough that it makes a statement. Otherwise don\u2019t bother.<\/p>\n

2) Memorize table numbers and locations<\/b><\/p>\n

Whether you have twenty tables or two hundred, you can\u2019t be stumbling through the ballroom trying to get to the most important people.<\/p>\n