This week I watched painfully as I saw organizers of a local fund-raiser scrambling to try and drum up more attendance for an annual event that has traditionally been well attended. A round of emails reminding invitees of the importance of the event helped a bit, but the numbers were just not there.
As disappointing as it can be to watch all your hard work planning an event produce less than desirable results, it will be even more disappointing if you don’t learn from mistakes along the way.
Here are a few things to consider when reevaluating the results of your-not-so-successful event:
- Can you pinpoint why people opted not to attend your event? Many events ask attendees to evaluate the event after the fact. Take it a step further and ask not only the attendees, but also the attendees that did not return to the annual event and the attendees who have never attended.
- Are you reaching your audience in the manner they want to be communicated with? It’s a fast-paced world out there. Many people are becoming more accustomed to the convenience of computers and smart phones. Make sure your event marketing efforts reflect the pace we live in. Consider promoting and selling tickets for your event with online event registration like EventWax. Registering attendees and selling tickets is all completed online. Attendees can use social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook to let others know what they are attending.
- Is it time for an overhaul? Look closely at your event and determine why it did not meet your audience’s needs. Look at your competition or a similar event to see what is different. If you have been using the same venue, consider a change.
- Is the economic climate impacting your attendance? A tough economy will trickle down to your event’s bottom line most organizations are finding, according to Lawrence Henze, managing director of Target Analytics, a Blackbaud Company, and author of the report “Raising Money During Challenging Times.”
Henze makes these suggestions when considering donor relations for your fund-raising event:
- Chart the average number of contacts —through direct mail, telephone and email — different constituents receive from your organization for the entire year.
- Analyze the content and the purpose of each communication.
- Identify areas where these communications overlap. No one wants to be over solicited.
- Ask donors through surveys, email, or telephone which communications they value and those that aren’t important.
- Implement a communications plan reflecting your donors’ needs.
