I may not know what the next couple of months will look like, but I feel like I have an opportunity to work with my fundraising clients on being innovative and to create a hybrid solution to hosting their events in the future. Thinking outside the box is the only way that they will be able to survive in a world where this ‘real thing’ that we are experiencing is bound to have lasting effects on society.

     This hybrid solution consists of a combination of an in-person hosted event along with virtual elements; which I see will be a trend in the future. We must find a way to engage with donors in multiple ways, both in-person and virtually. By looking at a way to host these events, produce and execute them on a smaller scale is critical to getting their message out there, one that people so desperately need to hear right now. If we move forward with these events with true vision and intention, I do not think we can ever go wrong.

     I am not saying that we won’t have to be very creative to do this. Possibly even radical, but I see this also as an opportunity to be innovative, to partner with new vendors who bring new solutions to the table or work with others about using their production skills in a different way. Sometimes what you end up with is more beautiful than anything you could have ever planned or envisioned.

     To do this hybrid solution that would allow limited in-person attendees (depending on what the restrictions that are in place at the time of the event) along with virtual attendees, fundraising clients will need to create an environment where guests will feel safe.

Here are a few ideas on how I see the future of fundraising events:

1. Sponsorships – The original sponsor packets that were created earlier this year may not be relevant to your event now. You would now need to review what is being offered to your sponsors and how you can now add a virtual sponsorship package or a virtual attendee ticket option. Also, this will possibly affect the number of tickets that you are able to give to your sponsors, so coming up with a virtual addition will be important.
2. Contracts and Deposits – Review your contracts and discuss options with your venues and vendors. I am not a lawyer; however, I do recommend that you understand how any federal or state restrictions will affect you financially in a case where you might have to cancel, reschedule or be forced to reduce the number of guests that can attend your event. At hotel venues, this would include the ability to meet your contractual food and beverage minimums; which were based on your original estimated guest counts pre-COVID-19 times.
3. Re-working Floorplans and Registration Areas – Every part of your event will need to be re-worked and additional rules will need to be put in place to ensure that any of the guests in attendance feel and are safe. They will need to follow the guidelines that are put in place at the time of your event. This includes limiting the number of guests per table, having pre-check in procedures along with separate registration areas that will allow the check-in process to be as touchless as possible. Another aspect to consider is creating six-foot queue lines for hallways, entrances and exits, as well as having a quarantine procedure in place. This will be imperative to the safety of all guests and vendors.
4. Cocktail Hours and Dance Floors – Unfortunately, loitering of any kind will be discouraged for events in the near future since moving guests from one place to the next safely will be of utmost importance.

   

5. Food and Drink Service – Clients need to work very closely with their venues and food and beverage staff to ensure everyone is on the same page with social distancing and ensuring a touchless experience for guests. This includes any food and beverage services to making sure there are no lines to or at the restrooms while ensuring there is a clear entrance and exit areas for social distancing. In the short term, buffets will be replaced with plated dinners along with bar service being limited. As some non-profit organizations may rely on sponsors or donations for alcohol at their events, they will need to have real discussions to ensure donation requests do not need to be re-worked, especially with reduced guest counts and possibly limiting the number of drinks per guest. This may be a short-term solution to prevent guests from lessening their efforts on social distancing guidelines during an event.
6. Volunteers – Most non-profit organizations rely heavily on volunteer support at their events. Clients may have to re-think this strategy, if not just for liability purposes. They would need to create strict Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and safety guidelines for volunteers to follow and/or provide additional training.
7. Marketing – In a world where Zoom or Facetime is king, it is an opportunity to use these platforms to create a personal storyboard campaign for your events. Right now, people are craving that personal touch and showing how you are making a difference in people’s lives through your organization and their donations are key. It is exactly what people need to see and hear right now.
8. Program Timelines and Scripting – Moving to a hybrid solution may mean more rehearsals and scripting in order to switch from live to recorded feed and to also do online campaigns and fundraising calls to action while ensuring your attendees (whether in-person or virtually) are fully engaged with your message. You may also need to allow for additional time for sanitizing high-touch areas throughout the event and ensuring there are plenty of hand sanitizing stations for guests to use when moving from one area to the next.
9. Use New Types of Technology – There are quite a few Non-Profit Giving platforms such as MobileCause, GiveGab and GiveButter that can easily integrate with hosting a live-streamed event, give you tools to do call-to-actions along with a variety of other marketing tools. As you research and review them, it would be best to look for ones that can integrate with platforms such as Facebook Live, YouTube live stream or Vimeo.com, to name a few.
10. Weighing All the Costs – About fifty percent of my non-profit clients decided to cancel this year’s events and move them to next year. Their reasons ranged from not knowing whether they will have enough sponsors onboarded by the time of the event to not knowing how many attendees would actually attend the event if they had one. I would strongly suggest to any client that is considering hosting an event later this year to really review what the outcome would be by hosting the event. What are their top three goals and if they can fulfill them by implementing a virtual or hybrid solution. In a world where things are constantly changing, it would be beneficial to understand the pros and cons of each choice. It would allow you to make the best choice for you and your organization, no matter what it ends up looking like in the end.

     In this new COVID-19 world, these are just a few thoughts in a larger list of things that we may have to consider in the near future when it comes to fundraising and events. What I do know for certain is that the world will need to engage with each other again, maybe not in the same way as before, but in a more intentional way. A future guest attending a non-profit gala will choose to go to an event with the intention to show their support to the cause they strongly believe in and are inspired by. They will want to have an engaging experience along with being able to enjoy themselves in a safe environment. It is our duty as event professionals to ensure that no matter the size or platform for these events, we work together to make our clients’ vision become a reality. If we do that, in the end, it will be a win-win for all.