Episode 39: Seven ways to refresh your event

Planning

Mar 19

Don’t Get Caught in the Doom Loop

The doom loop is when you try something new for a little while, hope for big results, and then you change course right away when the desired result doesn't happen as quickly as you'd hoped or expected. Focus on making small changes over time that build momentum and lead to big results.

Refreshing Your Event

When I'm talking about refreshing your event, you should only make changes if you have an existing event that has, for the most part, been working pretty successfully. It just needs a little breath of fresh air.

Don't continually make changes and get caught in that doom loop. You should also only make changes that make sense for your target audience.

Seven Ways to Refresh Your Event

1. Bring in new committee members. Has your committee consisted of the same team members for years? The easiest way to get fresh ideas is to bring in new people. That's not to say you kick your dedicated team members to the curb. If your veteran committee members are open minded and willing to embrace new ideas, they have a rightful place on your team.

However, nothing is worse than inviting new members to your team to get fresh ideas and then having your long-term volunteers shoot down every new idea. It's one thing to play devil's advocate to work out potential weaknesses in an idea. It's quite another to be a constant naysayer and to stick to a “This is how we've always done it” mentality.

2. Switch from a silent auction to a raffle*. If you have a successful auction you should continue to host one. However, if your event is generally successful but you've struggled to get enough quality items for an auction and your committee is starting to burn out. Try switching to a raffle.

Raffles have way fewer items than an auction. Depending on the size of your audience, a raffle of anywhere from 3 to 10 high quality items can work well. I wouldn't go higher than 10. As always, you want to focus on quality over quantity and unique experiences, the same as you would for an auction.

*Before you switch to a raffle, make sure you check your state or your region's gambling rules. Raffles are considered a form of gambling and each state has very specific rules and procedures to follow.

3. Change up the venue. One of the easiest ways to refresh your event is to change your event venue. If you've consistently hosted the event at the same place year after year, it might be exciting for both your guests and the planning team to be in a new space. The obvious caveat to this is to make sure that the venue is easily accessible to your target audience. If most of your guests come from one city or region, don't switch your venue across town.

4. Change up the games or entertainment. You may want to change your games or entertainment if your event has them. The key to this and all the changes I'm suggesting is to know your audience.

If your entertainment is a crowd favorite and a draw for your event, you obviously don't want to change that up. But, if your audience isn't as enthusiastic about the entertainment as they used to be, assuming it's the same entertainment year after year, there's no harm trying something new.

I had a client that hosted a fundraising gala and they would change both the venue and the band every single year just to keep things exciting.

5. Play with your food. If your event has always served dinner buffet style, try switching it to a plated meal or vice versa. If you've always served chocolate cake for dessert, serve a fruit tart or mini dessert shooters. Make the food at your event as fun and as memorable as possible with the resources available to you.

Keep in mind, you're never going to make everyone happy, but with events there are some things you just have to try to see if they work. And food is an easy way to have fun and keep things fresh.

6. Add an element of surprise. The element of surprise is powerful and memorable. Keep one or two event elements under wraps as a surprise for your guests. Don't advertise absolutely everything that's going to happen.

Bring in a surprise emcee, speaker, entertainer, or some other element. This is especially impactful if it can serve a purpose, fulfill a need, or tie into your cause, mission, or event theme.

A great example of a surprise serving a purpose was during the 2017 Academy Awards show, the Oscars. Host Jimmy Kimmel told the audience to close their eyes and wish hard for candy. Little parachutes filled with candy fell from the ceiling.

This unexpected treat delighted audience members. It tied into the theme of the evening, which was movies. And it served a purpose, to give guests a little snack during this very long three plus hour awards show. The audience loved it.

Jimmy Kimmel repeated this gesture at the 2024 Oscars by serving audience members a uniquely shaped glass of Don Julio tequila, an event sponsor.

Having a surprise element is a great opportunity to bring in a new sponsor or give an existing sponsor an opportunity to get in front of your audience in a unique way.

Make sure you keep your surprise under wraps. Only a select few people should know about it. Loose lips sink ships.

Don’t tease out surprises. Here’s why…

Number one: It makes no sense to advertise a surprise, even if you're just hinting at it. By definition, a surprise is unexpected.

Number two: Guests expect big things when you say you have a surprise. When it's unexpected, a surprise can be small and still be impactful, just like those little parachutes of candy.

7. Technology. If you're still using bid sheets for your auction, change it to an online auction. Upgrade your registration software to be even more user friendly or have a better interface for guests. Increase audience engagement by conducting polls or surveys using an app on their phones.

Technology is the simplest way to infuse new life into an event but it’s not necessarily the easiest. Learning new technology can sometimes be a challenge.

Listener Action Item

Pick one of these seven ways to refresh your event and explore it fully. Pick the one that makes the most sense for your audience, your goals, and your team.

Just remember, only look to make these changes if you've had an ongoing successful event that needs a little update or change. Don't get trapped in the doom loop.

Now that…sounds like a plan!