3 Ways Non Profits Can Use Trade Shows

3 Ways Non Profits Can Use Trade Shows

Non-Profit, Trade Show

Trade shows offer a great opportunity to gain exposure and emails for both business and non profits. Here are the best ways for non profits to leverage trade shows.

Have a Booth

This is the most obvious thing to do at trade shows. You can have a booth to promote your organization, sell merchandise, or collect donations. I have also seen organizations sell art work done by those they serve. Whatever you are doing, make sure you are collecting name and emails so you can convert the people who you talk to into volunteers and donors later on. Do a giveaway to collect leads. Your giveaway can be a gift baskets with your branded swag, bottles of wine, or anything that you think the trade show audience would like. 

Partner with a Business who has a Booth

Does your non profit have a business that ir normally partners with? Ask them if they are attending the show and have a plan on how you can partner with them. Do you split the cost of the booth? Do you bring in an audience that the business would not normally bring in but wants to have? Does the business want to sponsor your booth and you will give them credit for the sponsorship along with tickets to the event? Can the business set up a donations box in their booth and promise a match? 

The thoughts on this are endless and can be lucrative for both parties. A business can showcase their commitment to the community while you gain exposure and donations. 

When you do approach a business about partnering with them, make sure that you show them what is in it for them. 

Partner with the Trade Show

I have attended many trade shows that have a non profit associated with them or they rotate the non profits. Trade Show Management will donate a certain percentage of the ticket costs to the non profit and provide space for them to accept donations and spread the word. Again, this arrangement can work for both parties. When you reach out to Trade Show management you need to showcase what they will be receiving from the partnership and how the partnership will benefit them. 

No matter how you decide to leverage trade shows, always make sure you have clearly defined goals that link back to your yearly goals. Knowing these goals can also help your partners decide how they can help you and what is your best move. 

Knowing When to Cancel an Event

Knowing When to Cancel an Event

by | Aug 6, 2019 | , ,

Canceling an event can feel like you have failed. It is a hard decision to make and many valid reasons to do so. I have canceled or postponed events for a variety of reasons and it is always hard. But, it is better to cancel or postpone an event than have a Fyre...

Gain More Sponsorships for your Non-Profit Events

Gain More Sponsorships for your Non-Profit Events

by | Jul 9, 2019 | ,

Sponsorships are a great way to raise a significant sum of money for your non-profit. Now, if you are offering a table of 8, an ad in the program that no one reads, and a slide on the presentation deck... ...you are doing it wrong.  Now, I take that statement back if...

3 Books Non Profit Leadership Should Read

3 Books Non Profit Leadership Should Read

Events, Non-Profit

Leadership in non profits comes in many different ways. You can be elected to the position, you can be hired, or you can start the non profit yourself. No matter how you have come to hold a leadership position in a non profit, you have now been tasked to grow and nurture a business that will help and serve others. 

I have three books that I suggest to every non profit leader.

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber

This book is well known but when you think about the businesses from the lens of a non profit, you can see how to avoid volunteer burnout, how to systematize items, and allow the organization to grow beyond the leadership.

The Accidental Creative: How to Be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice by Todd Henry

I love this book because it shows you how to generate ideas for your non profit on a consistent basis. You cannot do the same thing over and over and expect better and better results. You need to shake things up and this book helps you do that. It will also help you balance your time between the non profit and other responsibilities.

Making Ideas Happen: Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality by Scott Belsky

I love this book because it helps to take the ideas you get from the others and put them into action. 

These books are not long or complicated and all come in audiobook versions as well. They are great business books but take the practices that they discuss and apply them to your non profit and your organization will thrive.

Once you are done with these books take a look at How Non Profits Can Eliminate the Lean Months.

 

One Tip to Keep Your Non-Profit Meeting Short

One Tip to Keep Your Non-Profit Meeting Short

Uncategorized

Meetings for your non-profit can often drag on and on as people debate ideas endlessly. I hate meetings where people are saying the same thing over and over. This can be especially true for big decisions and officer elections. So here is the solution.

Each item debated gets 3 pros and 3 cons. 

This means that only three people get to speak up for the idea and three people can speak against the idea. 

Example:

Idea: We should do an Under the Sea theme for our next gala.

Pro: I like this, it will be easy to achieve with uplighting and limit the decorations we need. 

Con: Three other organizations doing an under the sea theme this year. 

This idea requires the following

  • Someone who is “running” the meetings and calling on people as they raise their hands.
  • Someone to keep a tally of the pros and cons
  • Explanation of the rules to your members.
  • Strict adherence to this rule.

This rule forces people to really think about what they want to say and the listen to what others are saying so that they do not simply repeat a point and “waste” a pro or con. It keeps those who simply want to hear their own voice from speaking up at every point.

Once the three pros and three cons are stated, a vote is held on if you move forward with the idea or not. 

This may seem extreme but you can also break ideas down into small chunks to vote on.

Example Proposal: I think we should have a gala fundraiser this year with a theme of Under the Sea that will be held in September. 

This can be broken into three parts to vote on and should so people do not skate bad ideas through on the coattails of a good idea. 

The three parts

  • Have a Gala Fundraiser
  • Have the theme be Under the Sea
  • Host the gala in September

You can debate and vote on each section. This allows you to say yes to hosting a Gala Fundraiser but no to the theme and hosting in September. This simple tip can keep your non-profit meetings on track and under hours. 

Learn how to Navigate Everyone’s Wishes While Event Planning. 

5 Things You Need for a Great Corporate Tailgate

5 Things You Need for a Great Corporate Tailgate

Business, Events

College football is starting back up and that will hopefully include tailgates and fans in stadiums. A tailgate makes a great corporate event if done the right way. It offers you a chance to wine and dine customers outside of the normal “business” confines. People let down their guard and can be more open at a tailgate than a dinner or educational event. 

You need 5 things for a great tailgate and then are in order of importance. 

1. Good Food

Food is crucial for any event in my opinion but tailgates revolve around food. Your best bet is to find a local restaurant and have them cater it for you. If you have more than 50 people, ask them to come out to set up the food and keep it refilled. You do not want to have to be pulling food out of your vehicle all night – or have to find a place for the leftovers at the end of the night. 

When picking the caterer you should consider the following:

  • What is their reputation in the community?
  • Is their food portable? (Pasta does not work well at tailgates)
  • Do you want a full meal or just appetizers?
    • Some of my most successful tailgate caterers just had heavy apps that people could walk around with and enjoy.
  • What is your budget?
  • Do you have any customers or close business connections that cater?
    • I am a big believer that you should use your own customers to do business whenever you feel comfortable and it is in your budget. This builds greater loyalty from your customers and potential customers know that they have a better chance of getting your business. 

2. Drinks

Tailgates are often synonymous with beer but you should also consider bringing in wine and potentially mixed drinks. You also should always have water available. (I get the small water bottles because people will often drink half a bottle and then forget where they put it.)

When you are deciding what drinks to bring in you need to think about these things:

  • Are you going to card? 
    • I strongly suggest that you do if you have alcoholic drinks at your event. Even if you have a closed tailgate, carding people and wrist banding them keeps you out of the liability. 
  • Have a bartender. 
    • This can be some of your staff or someone you hire, but having the drinks behind a gate keeper helps to keep people from getting out of control. 

3. Tailgate Space

You need to have enough space that all the people you invited can fit comfortably inside your space, along with your food, bar, tables and chairs, and a tent. You can often rent a space for one game or you can purchase the space for a full season.

Know the rules of your space. Read the contract that you sign and the back of the parking pass you are given. 

  • Can you bring in glass bottles or kegs?
  • What kind of tent stakes are allowed?
  • What type of bbq’s can you bring in?

You do not want to have a major part of your event shut down because you did not know the rules. 

4. Event Staff

A good tailgate requires that you have people to help you. You need people to:

  • Mingle with the guests
  • ID the guests
  • Pick up after the guests
  • Serve food
  • Serve drinks
  • Set up and tear down

You can hire people or assign people from your team or do a mixture of both. I prefer the last option as it allows your team to really mingle with the guests which is why you are hosting the tailgate in the first place. 

5. Rentals and Decorations

You will need tables and chairs for you and your guests to sit at. I would suggest a mixture of banquet height tables and cocktail height tables. I like the look of fabric table coverings with a centerpiece on the bigger tables as it keeps the space from looking cheap.

You also need to think about:

  • Do you need shade or rain cover for the space?
  • Do you need to bring in a generator for anything?
  • What happens to the trash? Do you need to pack it out or are their trash bins for your area?
  • Who is bringing in the ice chests or buckets to keep the drinks cold?
  • Do you need cups for any of the drinks?
  • Do you need a bottle/ wine opener?
  • Who is bringing in the ice for the drinks?

If you have any questions about how to host a corporate tailgate, please reach out to me and I am happy to answer your questions. 

Best of luck to you and your team this season!

Bonus: Think about who you can partner with to do a better tailgate and get a better audience.

One Change to Increase Your Yearly Non Profit Sponsorship Raise

One Change to Increase Your Yearly Non Profit Sponsorship Raise

Events, Non-Profit

Sponsorships are often the main way to raise money at non-profit events. They are the high ticket items that allow you to get a higher dollar amount for less work. The biggest issue can be gaining sponsorships for multiple events a year and the businesses you solicit can feel that they are always signing checks. 

You cannot go to the same well over and over without it running dry. 

So what are you to do?

Create a Yearly Sponsorship

This sounds like an easy thing but it requires some serious planning.

You need to know the following

  • What events are you hosting for the next year?
    • The year period is 12 months, it does not have to be from January to December. Decide what 12 month period works for you the best.
  • How much do you want the sponsorships to cost for each event?
  • What else are you going to offer the sponsors?
    • Offer space on your website, email marketing, and social media posts. You want the potential sponsor to feel like they will gaining from the big check they are writing. 

Once you know the above things you need to set the following

  • What levels are you going to offer?
    • Will you have a “title” sponsor for the year? Will you have a three tiered system? 
  • How much are these tiers going to cost and what is included in each level?

The final thing you need is your goals and your plan to gain these sponsorships

  • How many of these sponsorships do you need to sell to raise your goal amount?
  • How many businesses will each person on the committee reach out to?
  • What are the deadlines?

Learn how to write the perfect sponsorship letter.

Best of luck as you serve your community!