Event Development – Commitment (Part Four)

“The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Last weeks Blog started describing the “Commitment” section. This week’s Blog will continue this description. As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!"
Commitment (continued)
8. Is there enough time to plan the event?
“You want to hold it when?!” If that’s the reaction to your timeframe, perhaps you may want to reconsider. To hold a successful event, it must be well planned and well thought out. Although too much time can cause apathy, too little time can/will cause mistakes and will lead to committee stress. All elements you want to avoid at all costs, especially if you want to keep you member after the event. You must be realistic with your timetable. Larger event simply need more time to plan and organize. If you must hold the event quickly, scale it down so that it is doable.
9. Are there other events in the area that could conflict with your event?
A little research goes a long way. Make sure there is no other event that can affect the success of your event. Many communities have event registries. Consulting this could save you a lot of time and money. If there is no central registry, you might want to place an ad in your local newspaper. If this is not possible, well placed telephone calls to other group leaders will help. The more you can avoid conflict, the better your chances of success. A word of caution, just because you think your event is going to be bigger and better then someone else’s, doesn’t mean your event will win. Where there is a potential conflict, it is always better to compromise.
10. Why will people attend your event?
Let’s face it; there are thousands of events being held every week. What is going to make you event special, make people want to attend? Take a long look at why you are holding the event and what you are going to offer. The more you understand the dynamics of your event, the better the chance of success/attendance. Once this is in place, you will know how to promote. (To be continued...)

Event Development – Commitment (Part Three)

“The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Last weeks Blog started describing the “Commitment” section. This week’s Blog will continue this description. As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!"
Commitment (continued)
4. What is the ultimate goal of holding the event?
If it is to raise money, how much money is needed? Will this type of event accomplish this or will it fall far short? If it’s to celebrate an anniversary, will everyone be happy with the final event? What about a community awareness event? Will people come… will they realize what your purpose is? Make sure that you know exactly what it is you want and that this is the best way to reach your goals.
5. Who is going to organize and manage the event?
Someone’s got to do it! Who in your organization is going to run you event? Are they willing participants or have they been “recruited” for the job? If it’s the latter, you better seriously re-consider the project. If they are reluctant committee members, your chances of holding a successful event are slim to none. You need volunteers who are COMMITTED to the project. Who will give up their time willingly and work through the conflicts that are sure to arise. Organizing a new event is not for the “weak of heart”!
6. Who is going to lead the event?
Do you have someone in mind? Have they been “recruited”, or did they “volunteer”? Is this person a proven leader? Are they organized and others follow them through the maze of planning that will take place in the days, weeks or months that follow? A strong leader, who is firmly committed to the project, is one of the main ingredients to a successful event.
7. When will the event be held?
This is another key question. The “when” will determine who is likely able to attend and who your volunteers will be. Every season has its advantages and disadvantages. You have to analyze the type of event you want to hold and then decide the best time to hold it. Whatever your decision, not everyone will be pleased. Just make sure that you please the majority of participants… attendees and volunteers. (To Be Continued…)

Communities in Peril…

We all know that the economy in North America and, for that matter the world, is in deep recession. As a result this has created great turmoil within communities! Businesses have closed their doors. 1000’s of people have been laid off or worse, lost their jobs. Municipality revenues are lower and they are reducing services. People within the communities are becoming more depressed and despondent as time goes on; their self esteem is much lower! Where does it all stop? Even community minded volunteers are starting to have self doubts. Their groups are looking at cutting back or disappearing altogether! All of these negative thoughts feed on one another! However, history shows us that if we can reverse these trends and thoughts that just the opposite will happen! Positive thoughts and actions will create new opportunities! This is where citizen groups can really make a difference! Rather than pulling back or giving up, these groups should move forward with enthusiasm and hope! By their leadership, others will follow! If you run a great event, it will attract others! Success will build on success! I remember a story about a small logging town on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The major employer decided to pull out of the town. The town’s people were devastated! However, instead of giving up, they rallied together to see how they could save their community. They developed a survival plan and strategy. With the help of a small government development grant, they hired artists to paint murals on side of several town buildings. Each mural depicted the town’s heritage. They needed to attract people to visit the town and see the murals, so they asked the artists to paint one anomaly in each mural. They offered a prize to the first person to identify all of the anomalies. The promotion and murals worked! As a result visitors from all over the world came to the small town! The town is now one of the most successful tourist areas in Canada. It continues to grow and prosper. So much so that when the logging company wanted to come back, the town’s people said no! Now the town not only attracts visitors but it attracts investment and wealth, all because there were a few farsighted individuals who wouldn’t give up! It’s a great story and one that should inspire any community facing hardships! Your community does not have to wither up and die! It just needs a few individuals with spirit, determination and imagination to lead the way, to make a difference!
By the way, if you want to find out more about the “Little Town That Did –Chemainus” go to http://cullin.org/cbt/index.cfm?section=chapter&number=4.

Event Development – Commitment

"The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Last weeks Blog started describing the “Commitment” section. This week’s Blog will continue this description. As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!"

Commitment (Part Two)
To help you get started in the commitment process, the following are some of the questions that need to be asked and answered:
1. Why do you want to hold an event?
This is the BIG question. You need to answer this question first. Do you want to raise money for a project? Is it to celebrate an anniversary? Is it just for the fellowship of your organization? Is it a community awareness project? Or is it a combination of some or all of these? Whatever the answer, there must be solid agreement by everyone involved that it is a project that they want to participate FULLY in. If not, you’d better re-evaluate the “WHY”, otherwise you will never obtain full commitment.
2. Who makes the final decision as to whether or not the event is held?
The people who make the final decision have the biggest responsibility. They must take all the information gathered and then make an educated guess on the future of the event. It is important that they consider all questions and concerns before making their decision. Make sure all potential stakeholders are heard.
3. Who else needs to be involved in the decision making process?
It is not enough to ask the immediate members of your group if they want to proceed with your event. There are others who should also be consulted and considered. Have the spouses been asked what they think? If the community is to be involve, have you talked to community officials to see if you have their support? If it involves food or alcohol, can the necessary licenses be obtained? I think you get the picture. Everyone who are or could be involved should be questioned and opinions solicited. You don’t want to get halfway through the planning of the event only to find you’re stopped by some unknown factor. (To be continued)

Event Development

Several weeks ago I started writing about “Website Construction”. I hope that the articles will help festival and event organizers create better and more productive websites! Now I would like to share some thoughts on “Event Development”. In the weeks that follow I plan on writing about the different stages of developing a successful festival or event. I believe that there are five key development areas, “Initial Development”, "Research and Preliminary Planning”, “Leadership”, “Action Planning” and “Event Day Management”. It is my hope that festival organizers and planners will enjoy the articles and will give me feedback about their ideas and concerns! So, here is the first article:

Initial Development
As William Shakespeare’s Hamlet asked so many years ago, “To be or not to be, that is the question.”
When you start thinking about developing a festival or event, after all the questions have been asked and answered, “to be or not to be…” really is the final question.
It may seem like an unnecessary start, but if you don’t ask and answer the questions, your event is likely doomed to fail right from the start.

Commitment (Part One)
I can remember many years ago being approached by someone who asked me what I knew about planning and running an Art Festival. It may seem like a strange question, until you realize that I was participating in a consumer show and my booth was selling art. It was a simple question, but it was the beginning of a life long journey into the world of planning and managing events. Being naive, I thought all we needed was a great idea and the rest would follow. How wrong I was! My partner in crime (the fellow who had approached me at the show) and I started off pitching the idea to the local community services manager. He was all for it and thought that the mayor would like it too. Then he asked 2 big questions! Who’s going to pay for it and who’s going to organize and run it? Fortunately, my partner was a Lions Club member and he thought his organization might be interested in participating. They were, but they had A LOT of questions. They were hard but necessary questions. It took a long while to answer these questions to the clubs satisfaction, but finally they, along with their Lioness Club, agreed that they would take on the project.
Their agreement was not only for money, but more importantly; their membership was COMMITTED to making the Festival a success. Over the last 17 years this commitment has never wavered and as a result, the Festival remains one of the top art festivals in the country and has allowed the clubs to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars back into their community. (To be continued next week)