4 Ways To Run A Crowdsourcing Campaign For Your Event

April 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Kickstarter has been in the news a lot recently.  Just last week a major motion picture was completed funded (to the tune of over $2 million) in less than 24 hours.  One of our artists has recently completed a successful campaign raising money to complete a new recording.

This recent news reminded me of an email I received from a speaker in Australia who was looking to fund his event via crowdsourcing.  He was using IndieGogo, which is similar to Kickstarter with pledges and rewards, except there is an option to receive the money if the goal is not met.  Side note: I found it interesting that none of his rewards featured admittance to his event.  More on rewards below.

How would running a crowdsourcing campaign benefit your event?

Many events have found themselves having a tough time financially.  But at the same time your event serves a purpose, and has a dedicated fan base.

Getting creative with a crowdsourcing campaign could be just the ticket to keep the event going.

How do you run a successful crowdsourcing campaign?  Here are four ways:

  1. Choosing The Right Platform.  As mentioned above, there are two primary crowdsourcing websites: Kickstarter and IndieGogo.  There are a couple of differences between the two like the all-or-nothing money model (Kickstarter) vs. some of the money (IndieGogo.)  Kickstarter seems to be the most popular, but if you have the platform and database, that will be irrelevant to your cause.
  2. Include A Video.  Both of these sites include the ability to upload a video that explains the cause and need.  Taking advantage of that only adds to the cause.  I wouldn’t worry about making this too long (between 2-3 minutes), and I wouldn’t worry about quality.  Shoot from your laptop or whatever works best for you.
  3. Include Interesting And Creative Awards.  Maybe you include signed notes or books from a speaker, or maybe it’s a backstage hang time with a speaker.  All of these things can have different money amounts and limits to availability set as well.  These can and should be as creative as you want to be to attract your audience.
  4. Hit All Of The Social Media Outlets.  Start a social media campaign that includes speakers or other event organizers.  Ask them to blog and post to their networks, and ask your fans to post to their networks as well.  Getting the word out is the name of the game.

I hope this encourages you to try a crowdsourcing campaign for your event.  This campaign could be a great way to get the word out and introduce others to your event.

Have you ran a successful campaign for your event?  What issues have you had in running a similar campaign?

Filed Under: Leadership Helps, Meeting Set-Up, Pre-Event Planning Tagged With: , ,

Smart Devices At Events

April 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Our society is more connected than ever before.  I try my hardest but no matter what, I feel like I’m always checking my iDevice for various updates.

Want proof of that first statement?

Have you seen the recent picture of the people at the Vatican in 2005 awaiting word on the new Pope versus the crowd in 2013 awaiting word on the even newer Pope?

If you haven’t here’s the picture.

split-vatican-0314There could be (and I wouldn’t doubt it) a small chance some Photoshop is going on here, but this post is not about that.

As an event planner, I bet you’ve seen the same thing happen at your events.  More people are using their smartphones or tablets to take pictures, record video, etc.

What have you done to embrace this change at your events? 

I hope you’re encouraging people to use their portable devices in whatever way they desire.  Some attendees may be taking pictures and posting to social media networks while others may be taking notes or following along with their Bible app.

What are you doing to encourage this change at your events?

In previous blogs posts, we’ve discussed the addition of hashtags on slides, programs and other marketing materials.  That’s always a great way to encourage event attendees to post to their social media networks.

A local school system has instituted a “bring your own tech to school” policy that has allowed students to bring their own portable devices to schools.  Using a similar approach by encouraging the event or retreat attendees to bring their own devices, is another idea you could implement.

What have you done to incorporate devices into your events?

Have smart devices become a distraction at your events?  How have you incorporated them into your program.  Please take a moment to share your experiences in the comment sections.

Filed Under: Marketing and Promotion, Meeting Set-Up, Productivity Tagged With: , ,

Creating An Effective Communications Strategy

March 27, 2013 By 1 Comment

My church, ClearView Baptist in Franklin, TN, is in the middle of writing a communications strategy for events from the different ministries in the church.  Our goal with this policy is to “balance the church’s need to speak with the audience’s ability to listen.”

We started by making a list of communication tools that our ministries are using to get the word out.  Those tools were divided into five categories:

  1. Worship Related Tools: Sunday Morning Paper, bulletin inserts, video annoucements.
  2. Campus-Wide Promotion: hallway TV slides, roadside banners, hallway posters.
  3. Off-Campus Promotions: news release, custom mailer.
  4. Website: front page feature, announcement, video story, video announcement.
  5. Email: church-wide eblast, ministry eblast, monthly ministry eblast.
  6. Social Networks: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

We added a timeline for ministries to use when planning their event.  This strategy was not designed to add stress to the different ministries, but to help them clearly assembly a plan for communicating their events.

Walking through this exercise has helped us identify what we’re doing correctly and what areas need improvement.

Communications and marketing go hand-in-hand.  Marketing is communicating your message.  In the case of the readers of this blog, your message is about your event.  Sitting down and spelling out your strategy for communicating your message before you start is the first step to having a successful marketing plan.  Now that you have this strategy down, add the timeline.  I’m always forgetting to put calendar dates down for this timeline, and then the event is a month away, and I’m scrambling to communicate that message.  Don’t forget to add the calendar dates!

The list of tools your event uses maybe different than what ClearView has.  You may also find different areas have better results, and therefore require time, energy and money spent on them.

What tools have been the most effective for communicating your message?

Filed Under: Meeting Set-Up, Post-Event Follow-up, Pre-Event Planning Tagged With: , ,

4 Ways To Introduce New Technology At Your Event

March 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

The CFO at my office has recently made the change to a MacBook Pro.  She’s been using a Windows machines for many years, and being in her 60’s, the transition has been easier than I expected.

Was this move necessary?  Probably not, but everybody else in the office is using a Mac, which made this a natural transition.

I tell you this story to not only brag on her, but to also encourage you.  If she can make this transition to new technologies, so can your event attendees.

It’s hard to try something new in technology like an app or a social network not knowing what kind of results you might get.  But let’s face it, the majority of our culture is app savvy and social media literate.

In a previous post, we discussed “does your event need an app?” [EDITOR: Link to http://ministryservingministry.com/2012/12/17/does-your-event-need-an-app/#.UTa5W6XA6Vg] I think the answer is yes, but I also think there is a bit of education as far as your attendees are concerned.  There may also be some pulling of your audience in to the 2000’s.  Tough?  Yes.  Necessary?  You betcha!

How do you go about this education?

  1. Introduce the new technology early in advertising.  Make it front and center of your marketing campaign.  Keep reminding your attendees of it.
  2. Introduce the new technology early in your event.  Right at the start of your event, mention the new tech.  Keep mentioning often.
  3. Push special content that is only available in the new technology.  If the new tech is an app, put videos in there.  If it’s a social media component, push links to secret pages on your website or secret meetings.
  4. Keep pushing new technology at your event.  Pretty soon you’ll be so forward thinking, your attendees will start to expect the new technology.

Have you used new technologies at your events?  How have you introduced these?  Were your attendees receptive?

Filed Under: Meeting Set-Up, Productivity Tagged With: , ,

How To Take Charge Of Your Childcare Security

March 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Will your upcoming event involve childcare?  Here are five areas you must address to keep children safe.

Hire trained/experienced staff: Childcare workers should have background checks and First Aid/CPR training. Keep copies of training certificates and background checks on file.  Need help finding childcare professionals?  See if you can find someone who already manages childcare workers for another company, and hire them do some freelance work.  They already have a trusted group of people to contact.  If you can’t find someone like this, reach out to local gyms, churches and daycare centers. They will have lists of childcare workers, and if they aren’t willing to share the names, you might be allowed to send out an email or put up a poster asking for workers.

Create a secure and safe location.  Are the room(s) where the children will be cared for safe for them?  A space appropriate for adults is not necessarily safe for children.  Power outlets must be covered, doors secured, furniture checked for stability, and small objects removed.  Unfortunately, we must now also make sure that childcare locations are also secure from outside intruders.  Do windows and doors lock?  Is there a manned desk or check-in station where visitors must pass before entering?

Capture names and allergy information on each child.  With any number of unfamiliar children in attendance, childcare workers need a way to identify and keep track of their charges.  At the very least, write each child’s name and known allergies on a stick-on name tag and secure it to their back.  (Children will peel, exchange, shred or even eat a name tag affixed to the front of their clothing.)

Identify emergency contact information.  Paging systems have mostly been replaced by caregiver cell phones.  When staff check a child in, be sure they ask for an emergency contact number.  Parents can leave their phone on vibrate and receive a call or text from you if necessary.

Establish a workable pick up protocol.  This is what most people think about when they wrestle with childcare security.  Every childcare professional has nightmares about releasing a child into the custody of the wrong person.  There are lots of options available to you for pick up security.  From simple tag systems, to high tech touch screen check in software, systems differ in situational usefulness.  Since you will most likely be providing care for a group of children for only a few days, any system that takes lots of set up time and training for parents is not a good option.  Do a little research and you will find a system that fits your needs well.

Staff, location, child profiles, emergency contact information and pick up protocol are key to ensuring that the children your attendees leave in your care will be safe.  In addition, your attendees will be able to focus more fully on your event when they are sure their children are not only well cared for, but protected.

Filed Under: Activities/Recreation, Christian Retreat Ideas, Meeting Set-Up Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Goal Of A Hospitality Rider

March 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment

There is a famous story of a big rock band who made an odd request in their rider.  They asked for the brown M&M’s to be separated out from the other M&M’s.  An odd request for sure, but they saw this as a way to test a promoter.  If they walked in the backstage area of the venue and the brown M&M’s were in fact separated, they knew the promoter had read and paid attention to the rider.

A typical rider has two sides to it: technical and hospitality.  We’ve spent some time discussing the tech part, but today I would like to look at the hospitality side.

When you get the rider from the artist, speaker or band you’re having at your event, the hospitality section could appear overwhelming or even that the artist is being a little big headed.

The goal of this section is to make the performer as comfortable as possible at your event.  In case you hadn’t heard, artists are wired a little bit different than the rest of us.  And you’ve asked them to bring their talents to your event.  For them to be effective, they prefer conditions to be a certain way.

As an artist manager, we encourage our artists to make their riders as simple as possible.  We understand the importance of ministry, and the last thing we want, is the rider to get in the way.

Along those lines if you have an issue or question on anything on the artist rider, don’t hesitate to bring that up to the booking agent you are working with or the artist’s manager.  I would imagine their attitude will be the same of not letting any issues be a stumbling block.

What is the strangest thing you’ve seen requested in a rider?  How did you handle with the artist?

Filed Under: Activities/Recreation, Meeting Set-Up, Site Selection Tagged With: , , ,
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