Easy Stages Guide to marketing your Easy stages guide Organising a Club Event

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1 Easy Stages Guide to marketing your Easy stages guide Organising a Club Event Introduction The success of any event is largely down to how well it s been planned and thought through at the outset. So whether it is a fundraiser for charity, or awareness raising on one of the special UN Days such as International Women s Day it is important to allocate sufficient time at the beginning to decide: What it is you want to do? Why you want to do it and what you hope to achieve How you will go about it Events are also a great way of raising the profile of your Club, engaging your existing members in the activities of your Club and attracting new members. Remember to say thank you to everyone who helped and let them know how much was raised if required. And of course send a report and photograph to Soroptimist News and local newspapers and update your own Club website. What s involved? It is possible to breakdown your activities when planning an event into the following steps: The Proposal Setting the Date Gather a Team Financing Event Programme Plan of Action Publicity Evaluation At each stage, remember to think about publicity and how you might attract new members 1

2 The Proposal Someone in the Club will come up with an idea so always try to be supportive and actively discuss it in a Club Meeting. Discuss Objectives of the event such as: Raise profile of Club Promote Programme Action project Recruit Members Celebration Agree as a Club what it is you want to do and why Identify and invite VIPs as soon as possible Federation President, other VIPs such as local Mayor Setting the Date Choose a date that gives you enough time to organise the event successfully. Discuss proposed dates and decide on a number of options, then: Consult with Soroptimist VIPs such as Federation President Consult with other VIPs that you want to be present Check for conflicting events e.g. Mother s Day, Bank Holiday or a major sporting event Agree on date Gather a Team A small sub-committee is probably essential to organise your event successfully so ask members of the club to get involved Match skills and experience to tasks based on the type of event proposed and objectives to be achieved let them take on specific responsibilities such as finance, event programme or publicity. Use experienced and new Club Members to get the right balance in the team Remember to include all members at some level Consider Financing Identify potential costs get quotations Compile budget Identify how costs will be met: Can you borrow items Consider getting sponsorship for all or for specific costs Consider applying for grants for all or for specific costs Keep member contributions to a minimum Agree budget Remember you may need a float for the day

3 Event Programme Decide on itinerary i.e. Opening, Content and Close of the event Work on time estimation and allocation Establish any required formalities Identify Toast Mistress Plan of Action Draw up a plan of action for the event to include: Venue Catering Invitations to attend including deadline for reply List of potential attendees Transport Speakers Entertainment VIPs Audiovisual equipment Stationery Photographer Local publicity Publicity Identify and agree at the outset what publicity you want to attract Invite media personnel Put details of event on Club website and/or Club Facebook page, and update them regularly Put posters up in key places Prepare a number of press releases in local papers Consider local radio and TV Create a Club display for the event Do something to get yourself noticed 3

4 Evaluation Have a debrief What worked well, what could have been done differently? Send in a programme focus report form if relevant Put news of event on Club website and Facebook page Learn lesson for next time. Hold your Event Responsibly Health and Safety Every event organiser has a legal and moral responsibility to ensure the health, safety and welfare of those working at, attending or affected by the event. You will need to look carefully at what you are planning and carefully consider how you will manage health and safety. Your local authority may want to see this documentation before allowing you to use public spaces. Central to your planning will be a health and safety assessment. This does not need to be complicated and the level of detail will depend on what you are doing. Look at the hazards posed by what you are doing, who could be harmed and how, and what you will do to reduce the risk. If you are organizing a concert, for example, then some of the hazards might include noise levels, crowd movement and electrical connections. Check with your local authority to see if they have a simple guide to producing health and safety assessments. Or if you are in the UK, you can visit for information. You may also need to create an Event Safety Plan. It may need to cover organizational structures as well as procedures for fire, evacuations, first aid, stewarding, traffic management and so on. If significant numbers are involved, the safety angle of events can be problematical, requiring qualified safety personnel at a cost. Fencing, toilets and parking facilities may also need to be considered. This element of any event should not be underestimated in terms of time required to put it into place, potential cost implications and skill required to ensure you are meeting the regulations. Insurance Any activity should have appropriate insurance. SIGBI has a policy for UK clubs -May-Concern-Letter-June-2013-June2014pdf. This is in the member s area of the SIGBI website Food and Drink When you sell food at an event, you must follow food safety laws. You can obtain guidelines from your local environment health department. If you do provide food, it is worth considering limiting what s available to packaged snacks and bottled or canned drinks. Avoid cooking as the health and safety regulations are tough. Remember to use Fairtrade foods where possible.

5 Hold your Event Responsibly (Continued) Public Collections To collect money in the street, or a public place, you will need to obtain a licence from your local authorities. When you apply, they will give you regulations for collecting. As public collections are popular, it is a good idea to get permission well in advance. Think about how you will store, transport and pay in significant sums of money. If paying in a lot of cash after the event be aware of personal safety and send 2 people. Lotteries and Raffles Lotteries and Raffles are games based upon random selection or chance. Players buy (or are given) chances and prizes are distributed according to lots drawn. You will need direction from the gaming board in your area or country as to the exact rules and regulations for your lotteries. 5