Event Planning - Event Management - Part V

Prizes and raffles

Enhancing events with prizes or raffles can create a more enjoyable and memorable experience for attendees. Ultimately, people have a strong affinity for receiving complimentary items!

There are numerous innovative strategies for distributing prizes that can make the process interactive. For instance, concealing a golden ticket within the event space can spur participation, with the individual who discovers it being crowned as the fortunate prize winner. Whether through a trivia game, icebreaker activity, or a raffle, offering prizes can amplify engagement. Consider implementing one of these approaches at your event to gauge attendee response and foster interaction among participants.

The key question is: What should I offer as prizes? It is important to avoid incurring costs for these rewards. Ideally, seek to secure prizes from sponsors. By doing so, you can acquire complimentary items from sponsors to distribute at your events, while also affording your sponsors the opportunity for increased exposure and promotional benefits.

There are alternative items you can offer as prizes at your event that won't cost much. For example, you can give away your own products or services. The advantage of this approach is that it allows you to promote these offerings to all attendees - not just the winner. For instance, if you have a $10 widget, you can give it away at your event. While announcing the winner, you can talk about the widget to capture the attention of other attendees. If someone else shows interest in the widget and makes a purchase, you can recover your costs.

If you can offer digital products as prizes, that's even better as there is no cost associated with giving away digital items.

Sponsors

Getting sponsors on board can be a lengthy process as they typically require you to have an established audience before committing to sponsoring your events. Therefore, especially at the outset, concentrate on increasing your event attendance and engagement. It is more likely for a sponsor to show interest in a well-attended event. Once you start demonstrating growth, you can then approach potential sponsors and initiate discussions about sponsoring upcoming events.

Presenters

Presenters play a crucial role in enhancing events by introducing fresh ideas and perspectives. Consider a presenter as an individual well-versed in a particular field who can participate in your event as a guest, bringing in a higher level of interaction and expertise. This can encompass speakers, group leaders, guest hosts, and more.

Even if it initially appears that a presenter or guest speaker may not align with your event's theme, there are innovative ways to incorporate an expert to elevate the event experience. For instance, while my hiking events didn't seem suited for a traditional presenter, I selected additional hike leaders who were familiar with unique trails, guiding participants along new paths that I wasn't aware of. This immediately injected a fresh dynamic into the events I was organizing.

When selecting presenters, it's important to be strategic. Well-known presenters can enhance the appeal of your events and help promote them to their own audience. Additionally, their established reputation in the industry can draw in many potential attendees who are eager to hear or meet them. By giving these influencers, a platform at your event, you not only benefit them but also potentially establish a valuable long-term business relationship.

While there are significant advantages to having top speakers at your event, there are also risks to consider. For example, what happens if a presenter falls ill, cancels, or reschedules at the last minute? If you have heavily promoted the event around that presenter and have already secured a large attendance and venue, you may find yourself in a difficult situation. It's wise to have contingency plans in place, such as alternative event themes that you can implement without relying on external expertise.

Contingency plans

What is the protocol in the event of a cancellation involving an event, venue, speaker, or staff?

Ensure that the terms for event cancellation are clearly stated on your website. Keep your event listing page regularly updated with the latest information, particularly in cases of emergencies or unforeseen inclement weather conditions. Sending email or text notifications for updates is also recommended.

Prior to the event, it is important to check certain aspects of the venue to address potential issues proactively. Here is a pre-event checklist for the venue:

• Presence of fire extinguishers

• Availability of first aid administration

• Presence of a first aid kit

• Accessible exits and well-ventilated stairwells

• Availability of security staff

• Video surveillance in public areas

• Emergency power source

• Availability of flashlights

In the event of a speaker running late, have a backup program or speaker ready to engage attendees for 5–30 minutes to mitigate the speaker's delay.

If the speaker fails to appear, have a backup presentation on a related topic prepared or obtain their presentation materials in advance to present on their behalf if feasible.

If some staff members are absent, ensure that your staff is trained in multiple tasks so they can cover for one another. You may also need to step in and assist with some of the staff's responsibilities.

It is advisable to have backup equipment in case of equipment malfunctions. While it may not be possible to have spares for all equipment, prioritize based on necessity.

In the event of computer or software issues during presentations, ensure that you or a staff member is proficient in troubleshooting common software problems that may arise.

If event cancellation becomes necessary, you can offer reserved spots at a future free event or provide ticket refunds and discounted tickets for your next paid event.

Genadinik, Alex, Event (2014) Planning: Management & Marketing For Successful Events, Kindle, ISBN: 1519178204, 

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