By: Erin Williams, Fundraising Auctioneer & Consultant
A client we support in St. Louis had been at the same venue for many years but they had outgrown the space and made the decision to move to a larger venue this year. Change can be scary, especially when your input cost increases. So we decided to host a preview party. The purpose of this preview part was two-fold. First, to replace anxiety with excitement around a big change and secondly to equip table captains and board members on how to get the right people in the room. It was a huge success!
Table captains and board members were invited to the venue on a weeknight. They toured the new space and were given a layout concept, sampled the signature cocktail and appetizers that would be featured the night of the event and heard from yours truly on how they can help us reach our fundraising goals. I shared some strategies on how to get the right people in the room and the importance of pre-event communication with their table guests.
The whole event lasted an hour and fifteen minutes. It was time well spent! They left feeling excited about the potential of this year’s event and felt more confident in their role. Even if your organization isn’t experiencing a significant change, a preview party can still have a great impact on the success of your gala.
I’d be happy to discuss these ideas further or answer any questions! Please feel free to reach me at erin@raisingpaddles.com or reach out to any of our Raising Paddles Auctioneers.
Happy Spring and Easter!
