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How to have a successful holiday event without breaking your association budget
Although
we are in tough times, throwing a successful holiday party is not something
that should be cut out of the budget! Celebrating and having a successful
event is key to member appreciation and/or fund raising for your association.
Many keys to lowering costs can be found within your own organization. Consider utilizing printing professionals for beautiful invitations. See if you can trade out services of a PR/marketing professional to get the word out. You might even have these types of folks in your own membership - take a look more closely at your own members to get creative and make your event inventive and special.
Here are some of my tried-and-true favorite tips for nonprofits and associations:
- Utilize the beautiful houses of your members to host the party. Offer to pay them for before and after cleaning costs up front. You will spend much less than you would to rent a venue and they will feel like they are being taken care of and get to show off their personal world.
- Borrow a luxury automobile to park in front to enhance the entrance.
- Search through your membership for someone with entertainment connections. Find a dance troupe, a choir for carols, a fun magician or DJ that you can hire from within to lower costs and make the event one of a kind. You never know who may have this type of connection. Once you find it, you may be able to develop the theme for your entire party around that entertainment specialty!
- Centerpieces and arrangements can be created by a charity such as The Children’s Hospital. Have the children create containers for floral arrangements or build one or two large sculptures for the entrance. These can be sold with a portion of proceeds going to the charity. The participants get a sense of accomplishment and the décor has a special flair.
- Build an imaginative holiday decoration with piles of toys or dry goods. They are fun décor and you can donate them to a charity the following day to support families/children in need.
- Serve only wine and beer instead of including hard alcohol. People are happy to be celebrating and will not mourn the loss as long as the party is fun.
- Opening your mind and becoming innovative is not always as easy as it sounds. Spending money on a professional event planner can take some of the “outside of the box” thinking off your plate. The amount that you pay an event planner for their knowledge of how to reduce costs, as well as their connections, will come back to you when your party becomes less expensive and tailored for your audience.
In times like these, taking care of members is important. Canceling your holiday party sends the wrong message to members. There are many ways to host your holiday gathering without breaking your budget. Remember, the more fun that your members and guests have, the more return you will get in the years to come!
About the author
Anne Fanganello is the principal of AnnaFesta, LLC, a full service event planning firm. With more than 15 years of running fashion houses and runway shows in New York, Anne has brought her event planning skills here to raise money and host successful events for nonprofits, corporations, and family milestones. You can reach Anne at fanganello@mac.com or at 720-379-5140
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