Planning a Successful Golf Tournament:Tips to Ensure a "Hole in One" Event!
Golf is known as a sport requiring a significant amount of forethought, planning, and precision into each swing. This is no different on the opposite end of the spectrum – an event coordinator is planning a golf tournament for a charity organization. The key to managing a successful event starts with asking five fundamental questions before putting a plan into place:
When should the event be?
Where should the event take place?
What is the objective of the event?
What is my budget?
Heather Baker, the owner and principal of Amaryllis Events is seasoned in organizing fundraising events, with The Annual North Shore Mayor’s Golf Charity Tournament being her most successful venture. This annual charity event is a collaboration of the Mayor’s of the City, District of Vancouver, the Mayor’s of West Vancouver, and the Community Trust Funds of each district. Over the past three years, the event has raised contributions amounting to $348,000. Each year the proceeds have been equally divided between a local charity organization of the Mayor’s choice, and the Mayor’s Trust Fund which is managed by the North Shore Community Foundation. Heather is developing their 4th annual charity tournament coming this May 27, 2011, and will share her insights on her experience with holding fundraising events and how to manage sponsors.
Some suggestions she offers with planning a successful tournament include:
1. Know your budget! Aim to not only meet, but exceed your targets.
Have an outline of your sponsorship plan before meeting with potential businesses and vendors. Sponsorship packages should be clear and concise to attract sponsors at all levels. List local companies you wish to approach and those aligned with your event. Your sponsorships should be mutually beneficial, but focus on what they gain by supporting your event.
2. Select the right venue and date for the event.
Choose a venue that appeals to both the beginner, intermediate, and experienced golfer. The Seymour Golf and Country Club in North Vancouver is one of the best courses in BC, with a fantastic green and incredible staff. Make sure your venue meets your event’s space and accessibility requirements. Also, keep in mind other charity events in the city that may decrease attendance.
3. Never make the golf players wait for their food!
Our goal is to keep all in attendance happy. Remember generous donations don’t come from individuals that haven’t been treated properly! Incorporate a mix and mingle format for the after event where hungry golfers can easily grab a beer head to a buffet station with a selection of seafood, deli meats, or pulled pork sliders.
4. Reconsider the silent auction.
Why? They are a lot of work for about 50% of your return on investment at best. We prefer having a live auction with a fantastic auctioneer who can present bidding prices at lightning speed. This builds a sense of excitement and urgency to place a bid on an item that may become unavailable in the next minute. Avoid ordinary items like artwork – they don’t appeal to the attendees! Think outside of the box to create unique and exclusive experiences like the dinner with the Mayor package that raised us $14,000.
5. Use technology
Look for different techniques outside of the traditional print ads to create awareness about your event. Create social networking pages on programs like Facebook and also use Twitter to micro blog about the event. It is fast, easy to use and most importantly, it’s free!
6. Thank your sponsors!
Last, but probably the most important of all, thank your sponsors for their support! Always look for innovative ways to recognize your sponsors at the event. Some of our tremendous sponsors we appreciate are Seaspan, Pacific Arbour Group, and Darwin Constructions Ltd. Thank you all for your continued support!
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