Hollie Sebire, head of events at Paragon, explains how to deliver a successful corporate charity event
Hosting or organising a corporate charity event is a highly effective form of sales and marketing and a valuable boost to your company’s corporate social responsibility profile. It is also, however, a complex logistical and practical challenge, and one which has to be approached in the same rigorous manner as any other part of your business.
All too often the tendency, when organising something with a charitable dimension, is to deal with it as if it is a ‘softer’ option, as if the good intentions informing the event will be enough to carry it through successfully without the requisite attention being paid to detail and the bottom line. If a charity event is being organised, as most are, in order to raise money for a specific cause then it’s absolutely vital that turning a profit remains at the forefront of thinking throughout.
While the average corporate event, aimed purely at sales and marketing, can afford to be run as a loss leader able to recoup its spend in branding terms, a fundraising event that isn’t in the black after everyone has gone home and the tables have been cleared (metaphorically speaking), would have to be regarded as a failure.
Any plan drawn up has to be comprehensive, detailed and, as the name suggests, actually drawn up, or at least written down. Events like BBC Children In Need and Red Nose Day have every aspect of the night planned to the Nth degree. A written plan that details the logistics and budgeting behind your staff, invitations, venue hire, catering, entertainment, transportation, health and safety, security and any other factors required for a successful event represents three valuable tools in one:
1. A guide moving forward.
2. A safety net if things go wrong.
3. A template for future events.
These tools are your one-step plan to getting your corporate charity event right by thinking about the following key factors:
Focus on guests
When putting your event together, consider the likes/interests/needs of your guests before anything else. Don’t simply devise a theme or event to your liking and then set about trying to track down guests who you think might enjoy it. Recent events like Tour de Law or Rugby’s Greatest Year cater to specific audiences and will not be for everyone. Build your event around a dream guest list, aimed at making the most money for the charity involved, while also achieving the bonus of strengthening your brand and creating the perfect networking environment.
Be mindful/think about the expectations
Consider the corporate ‘ranking’, as it were, of your guests and design your event accordingly. This may sound like appalling snobbery, but it’s not. An event attended mainly by CEOs will be one that is packed with people who’ve attended these events many times before and have extremely high expectations, while one arranged for members of staff will probably be more of a novelty. Calibrate your plans to meet likely expectations, or perhaps to confound and upturn these same expectations. Either way, keep the people you’re aiming to impress or entertain at the centre of your planning.
Get your invites out as early as possible
Remember that the higher up the corporate ladder your targeted guests are, the more invites of this kind they are likely to receive. Putting together an attractive package is important, but so is ensuring it lands on the right desk before a host of competing offers.
Go the extra mile
An event doesn’t have to begin and end simply with the basic building blocks of the event itself. Try to eke extra ‘treats’ out of your budget, whether that means a corporate gift at the end of the event like your photo with the 2003 winning England Rugby team, private entertainment at individual tables with well-known celebrities, or something as simple as upgrading any food and drink offered. Follow up the event by sending guests photographs or videos, either of the event itself, or of the ways in which the money raised is being spent.
Venue
Make sure you find a venue with the size, flexibility and infrastructure to handle everything you’ve got in mind, and make sure you book it early. Consider the travel arrangements as well, since a venue that is difficult or expensive to access might be the wrong choice, no matter how perfect it seems. If travel arrangements look difficult, consider providing it for your guests. It’s an extra expense, yes, but it will guarantee an event packed with people who arrive on time and in a good mood.
Innovate
Mention a corporate charity event and most people will probably imagine an evening out, a room full of tables, some after dinner speakers and perhaps a charity auction. All or any of these can be hugely successful, but why not try to come up with something a little bit different. A family event held during the day, for example, so children can attend as well, or based around a specific sporting event like the Six Nations or Cheltenham Festival, or a participatory activity.
Start big, end small
When you start planning, work on the strategic sweep of the event and the overall vision. As the big day (or night) draws closer, focus in on the finer details, such as technical requirements, chasing up RSVPs etc. By now, the overarching structure of the event should be in place, and the handling of these details will ensure it’s delivered smoothly.
Say thank you
Make sure you thank guests, volunteers, staff and everyone else who helped to make your event the staggering success it doubtless was. It’s not only good manners, it’s also effective forward planning.
