Yesterday I put together a small event for COLORS (www.colorsalliance.org), an organization for local, independent busineses. It was small, but as big as we wanted it to be, and made a small profit for the group.
At the end of the meeting, we distributed a short (five questions), subjective evaluation. One hundred percent of the attendees gave it back, with varying lengths of response (thankfully, almost entirely positive). Collectively, the evaluations will provide a wealth of information as our group moves forward. For example, we asked for suggestions for programs the participants would like to see in the future, and we received some great ideas.
I find that this evaluation piece is too often forgotten, despite the fact that is so essential. First, because it provides information that can help future events. Second, because it helps people see that their input is valued by the presenting organization.
For this event, I added a second level of evaluation, and we are still seeing how that will work. I received an e-mail this morning from an events consultant I respect, Eugene Loj (www.eugeneloj.com). His suggestion came from someone else -- he said to send an e-mail immediately after the event, thanking people for attending and posing just one question, "What did you not like about the event?"
Loj says the question makes people think and communicates that you are serious about improvement. That makes sense to me and I'm already receiving great feedback that makes me want to make this a permanent part of my event marketing mix.
- sean
Sean Spence
Community Events
www.commevents.com
seanspence@earthlink.net
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
online event registration services
I recently found an online event registration service that I like pretty well.
www.eventbrite.com
So far, I have only used the free functions. It allowed me to create a page for an event with its own URL (mine is www.colors.eventbrite.com -- which I suspect will go inactive after the event, on 2/10/2009). It isn't super fancy, but it allowed me to post my group's logo and descriptive text.
Credit card payments are processed through my PayPal account, but registrants do not need an account, just a card. It allowed me to create several levels of tickets, which was cool, but it did not allow me to restrict who gets which kind of ticket. So, for example, I have to hope that non-members of the organization will not register at the cheaper "member" price. That's a pretty small problem, though.
Setting up my event took no more than 15 minutes.
For a quick and easy way to have online registration for your events, I definitely recommend www.eventbrite.com.
- sean
Sean Spence
Community Events
www.commevents.com
seanspence@earthlink.net
www.eventbrite.com
So far, I have only used the free functions. It allowed me to create a page for an event with its own URL (mine is www.colors.eventbrite.com -- which I suspect will go inactive after the event, on 2/10/2009). It isn't super fancy, but it allowed me to post my group's logo and descriptive text.
Credit card payments are processed through my PayPal account, but registrants do not need an account, just a card. It allowed me to create several levels of tickets, which was cool, but it did not allow me to restrict who gets which kind of ticket. So, for example, I have to hope that non-members of the organization will not register at the cheaper "member" price. That's a pretty small problem, though.
Setting up my event took no more than 15 minutes.
For a quick and easy way to have online registration for your events, I definitely recommend www.eventbrite.com.
- sean
Sean Spence
Community Events
www.commevents.com
seanspence@earthlink.net
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The key to being popular at a potluck.
What's your favorite dish?
Perhaps counter-intuitively, this is not a particularly important question to consider when choosing what to make for a potluck dinner.
The key to being a successful pot-luck guest (i.e. taking something that most people will actually eat), is taking something recognizable, that LOOKS appetizing. It is all about visual presentation, and some level of familiarity. It is about appealing to the lowest common denominator.
My favorite things to take to a potluck are chocolate covered strawberries (cheap and easy to make), homemade chunky guacamole and chips, and stuffed mushrooms. Recognizable. Appetizing to most folks.
Happy Super Bowl!
- sean
Sean Spence
Community Events
www.commevents.com
seanspence@earthlink.net
Perhaps counter-intuitively, this is not a particularly important question to consider when choosing what to make for a potluck dinner.
The key to being a successful pot-luck guest (i.e. taking something that most people will actually eat), is taking something recognizable, that LOOKS appetizing. It is all about visual presentation, and some level of familiarity. It is about appealing to the lowest common denominator.
My favorite things to take to a potluck are chocolate covered strawberries (cheap and easy to make), homemade chunky guacamole and chips, and stuffed mushrooms. Recognizable. Appetizing to most folks.
Happy Super Bowl!
- sean
Sean Spence
Community Events
www.commevents.com
seanspence@earthlink.net
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Rule -- ALWAYS first class stamps!
Mostly, this rule is for fundraising events, but it really applies to everything. And I'm sure there is an exception, but I haven't found it yet.
People are much more likely to open a piece of mail that has come from a real person that they know. So my overall rule of thumb is that you want letters of any kind -- in this case, invitations to an event -- to follow the same rules as for a letter to your grandmother. You want the letter to feel as personal as possible to whomever is receiving it, increasing the possibility that they will respond favorably.
1. If what you are sending is an actual letter, make it to "Dear Bob," not "Dear Supporter," or "Dear Friend," or whatever. You wouldn't send a letter to your grandmother starting with "Dear Senior Citizen" would you?
2. Have the return address be yours or that of some other person (such as the chair of the board, if the event you are doing is for a non-profit), NOT an organization. Nothing seems less personal than a letter from "National Association of...".
3. Use a hand-writing font for the outgoing address (and blue ink, if your printer can handle it).
4. Use stick-on, first class stamps! In the long run, it will be worth the extra expense because more people will open what you have sent them. If you are fundraising, you'll raise more money, and certainly enough to cover the extra postage cost if your list is good. If it is just a social or PR sort of event, these are the kind of personal touches that will set you apart from the very beginning.
- sean
Sean Spence
Community Events
www.commevents.com
seanspence@earthlink.net
People are much more likely to open a piece of mail that has come from a real person that they know. So my overall rule of thumb is that you want letters of any kind -- in this case, invitations to an event -- to follow the same rules as for a letter to your grandmother. You want the letter to feel as personal as possible to whomever is receiving it, increasing the possibility that they will respond favorably.
1. If what you are sending is an actual letter, make it to "Dear Bob," not "Dear Supporter," or "Dear Friend," or whatever. You wouldn't send a letter to your grandmother starting with "Dear Senior Citizen" would you?
2. Have the return address be yours or that of some other person (such as the chair of the board, if the event you are doing is for a non-profit), NOT an organization. Nothing seems less personal than a letter from "National Association of...".
3. Use a hand-writing font for the outgoing address (and blue ink, if your printer can handle it).
4. Use stick-on, first class stamps! In the long run, it will be worth the extra expense because more people will open what you have sent them. If you are fundraising, you'll raise more money, and certainly enough to cover the extra postage cost if your list is good. If it is just a social or PR sort of event, these are the kind of personal touches that will set you apart from the very beginning.
- sean
Sean Spence
Community Events
www.commevents.com
seanspence@earthlink.net
Friday, January 30, 2009
Success secret -- Hand-written notes
Yesterday I spent about forty-five minutes writing personalized, hand-written notes to VIP attendees at an event I had co-chaired.
Note writing is something of a lost custom (much to the chagrin of our grandmothers). Because it so seldom happens anymore, people remember it when they get a hand-written note on appropriate paper. It reminds them of the event; it reminds them of you; and it increases the chances that you will be the one they remember the next time they need someone to do whatever it is you do.
- sean
Sean Spence
Community Events
www.commevents.com
seanspence@earthlink.net
Note writing is something of a lost custom (much to the chagrin of our grandmothers). Because it so seldom happens anymore, people remember it when they get a hand-written note on appropriate paper. It reminds them of the event; it reminds them of you; and it increases the chances that you will be the one they remember the next time they need someone to do whatever it is you do.
- sean
Sean Spence
Community Events
www.commevents.com
seanspence@earthlink.net
Thursday, January 29, 2009
What time should I schedule my after-work reception?
At 5:30 last night I tried to go to an event. I got there right on time... but not really.
The event -- a downtown, stand-up reception targeting business folks -- was actually scheduled for 6:30-8:30, NOT 5:30-7:30, as I had thought.
Total rooky mistake.
If you're hosting an event targeting the after-work crowd, the best time to do it is 5:30 until 7:00 or 7:30. This gives people plenty of time to wrap up work and just go straight to your event. Doing it at 6:30 is about as bad a time as you could possibly choose because a lot of folks won't want to just stick around work, and if they go home, they will be less likely to go out again.
- sean
Sean Spence
Community Events
www.commevents.com
seanspence@earthlink.net
The event -- a downtown, stand-up reception targeting business folks -- was actually scheduled for 6:30-8:30, NOT 5:30-7:30, as I had thought.
Total rooky mistake.
If you're hosting an event targeting the after-work crowd, the best time to do it is 5:30 until 7:00 or 7:30. This gives people plenty of time to wrap up work and just go straight to your event. Doing it at 6:30 is about as bad a time as you could possibly choose because a lot of folks won't want to just stick around work, and if they go home, they will be less likely to go out again.
- sean
Sean Spence
Community Events
www.commevents.com
seanspence@earthlink.net
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Always get more volunteers than you need
This evening I helped execute an event that I had co-chaired for the Mizzou Alumni Association, Boone County Chapter. It was a state legislative forum and, honestly, there was very little for me to do. My major responsibility was to get volunteers to help with set-up, to staff the sign-in table, and to do a few other odds and ends.
As is pretty typical, one of the volunteers e-mailed at the last minute to say that he couldn't make it.
No panic, though, because I had recruited about twice as many volunteers as we really needed. Why? Because some percentage of people who say they will help you, will let you down every darned time. My estimate is a third to a half.
Always get more volunteers than you need; twice as many couldn't hurt.
Sean Spence
Community Events
www.commevents.com
seanspence@earthlink.net
As is pretty typical, one of the volunteers e-mailed at the last minute to say that he couldn't make it.
No panic, though, because I had recruited about twice as many volunteers as we really needed. Why? Because some percentage of people who say they will help you, will let you down every darned time. My estimate is a third to a half.
Always get more volunteers than you need; twice as many couldn't hurt.
Sean Spence
Community Events
www.commevents.com
seanspence@earthlink.net
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