Welcome everyone to SPECIAL EVENTS: MAKING YOUR EVENT GO FROM - PDF document

Welcome everyone to SPECIAL EVENTS: MAKING YOUR EVENT GO FROM HUM-DRUM TO BOOM-BOOM-POW 1

You’re probably wondering what makes me qualified to tell any of you about event planning. 2

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Ask for a handful of people to explain what their favorite event has been. This DOES NOT have to be a Special Olympics event. This can be any event. If there is a theme to anyone’s favorite… point that theme out. Ask why the event was special to them. 4

There are 6 major ways to make any event leave a lasting impression on your guests. Remember these guests can be your athlete’s , their families and volunteers. They could also be current or potential sponsors for your program. Either way… it is simple and easy to create something fun that will leave that lasting impression on no budget or a low, low budget. 5

These days, it’s no longer enough to have a simple party or function. People expect more out of events. They like to be entertained and they like functions to be memorable and unique. The right theme can help ensure that your event is both of these things. When you decide to work with a particular theme, you’ll usually find that the rest of your event planning goes a lot more smoothly as well. You can select your menu, decorations, and even entertainment to reflect the theme itself. For instance, if you’re going to have a Luau then finding food (pineapple ham, tropical drinks), decorations (tiki lanterns and leis), and entertainment (traditional luau style music) can help pull your event together in a breeze. It’s a lot more memorable, too. If you want to be creative in choosing a theme then try doing something a little out of the ordinary. Make your October event a Halloween party and have guests come in costume. Have a “Christmas in July” fundraiser event and decorate with mistletoe and Christmas trees. You don’t have to be very extravagant to have a good themed event either. Some people make the mistake of spending a lot of money on big, expensive decorations. Generally, though, as long as you decorate the main areas (tables, food service station, and stage) it will compensate for the rest of the space. 6

Having food at your event does not have to cost you a fortune. There are many restaurants out there who are willing to donate their product just to have their name in front of more people. Don’t always go back to the same restaurant or caterer because this will become monotonous to your guests and that sponsor may grow tired of you as well. Mix it up and ask places that you frequent with your family just to see if they may be interested. Snacks… you can have inexpensive snacks that make an impression. A trend right now is a popcorn bar. Carry-In or potluck is another great and inexpensive way to provide food. Ask those who bring food to also supply a few note cards with their recipe on it. That makes the pot-luck a little more interesting as well. 7

There are several ways to add music to your event which helps create atmosphere. Radio – Just having a radio playing music is good Going to a website like Pandora.com and choosing a type of music to play along with your theme is even better. 8

All of the decorations on this slide are purchased from the Dollar Store. Are any of you familiar with the website www.pinterest.com? If not, you should get familiar with it. It is a fantastic place to get ideas on just about anything you can think of from event planning to light fixtures for your living room. Decorations can set the party off on the right foot along with the theme . Halloween theme? Then stick with Halloween themed décor. Valentine’s Day dance? Then decorate in all things hearts, candy and red. 9

While I included take-aways in my 6 important elements of an event, it is the only one that is optional. It is very easy to find something to give your guests that is inexpensive and still fun for them. This image is of glow-sticks. You can buy 15 of these for $1 in the dollar section at Target. People of all ages think these are fun if you have an evening event. A snack size Zip-lock bag filled with Golden Graham cereal, mini marshmallows and chocolate chips is a great “smores” give-away for your Halloween or fall themed party. 10

If you don’t know how to create a flier, contact a local High School or College…. See if you can locate an instructor in the visual arts department and see if there is a student who would create this for free to bulk up their portfolio. 11

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