Breathe New Life into Your Annual Event

6/7/2010

Having trouble selling event tickets? As Mark Twain famously said, “A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.” Some things you learn best by experience, and one of those things is event planning.

When you organize an annual event you  can’t help but get savvy about what works and what doesn’t. With each passing year, your neighborhood barbecue, school fundraiser, or fun run becomes easier to prepare for. You book the favored entertainers early, make sure the venue is reserved far in advance and print event tickets and promotional collateral on time. On the big day, everyone has a great time, and when it’s over, you have every right to be proud of the job you’ve done. But, in the final analysis, do you wonder if you could have seen a higher attendance or raised more funds?

Experience and tradition are great. And, while these do serve you well, they can also stand in the way of the true potential of your group’s biggest event. If you’re looking for ways to reach more people and raise more money, it’s not a bad idea to reexamine your approach. This is especially important in an environment where more and more groups are adding their voices to the fundraising chorus.

A good place to start is with your promotional materials. Using the same collateral and print event tickets with the same look year after year may be a part of your tradition.Your regular attendees will recognize your signature marketing strategy right away. However, other potential valuable attendees may tune it out completely.

Freshen Up Your Event’s Look

Freshen up you planning strategy by rebranding your event for a wider audience. Choose a new look for your promotional materials that will represent your occasion and become memorable reminders for your guests.

Meet with members of your group to discuss the look, feel or tone you would like your promotional materials to evoke. Brainstorm about new audiences for your event.Try to think about reaching further and touching more members of your community. What groups from your community would you like to see attend your event? How can you get their attention without losing your traditional attendees?You might choose to print event tickets and promotional materials that speak to completely different audiences.

Choosing collateral and event ticket printing can be a fun task for your group to do together.You don’t have to hire a graphic designer or compromise on the quality of your marketing materials. You can create and order them online by using an event ticket template. Discussing the design and the message, choosing collateral and printing event tickets can bring your team together in new ways and help you get creative when it comes to your tried and true annual event.

You may have years of event planning experience behind you, but it’s never too late to enhance your skills and to broaden your experience. A thoughtful rebranding of your big fundraiser or organizational event can help to enrich that special occasion that everyone looks forward to.