CHAPTER SESSION: Will Your Members Say “I Do” to Chapter Events?

When association leaders are planning an event for the members of their chapter, there are a lot of components that are accidentally overlooked or not accounted for in the planning and budgeting process. One way to ensure everything is accounted for when it comes to events, is to treat each event as if it were a wedding! Weddings come in all sizes, and they also vary in the degree of formality, but there is still a high level of thought and planning that goes into each one. Chapter events are the same way!

When a couple is planning their wedding, they will sit down together and determine:

• What is the budget for this event? How will we make sure we stay on track with this budget?
• What date and time will this take place?
• Who is invited? How will they RSVP, and how soon do we need the count of attendees? Will we remind them to RSVP?
• What venue will work for the number of people who are invited?
• What is the attire?
• Will anyone give a speech?
• Will there be appetizers, drinks, and/or a full meal served to attendees?
• Will there be any gifts given to those who attend?
• Do we need a photographer, a DJ, decorations, or flowers?
• Will we provide a website that includes all the details?
• How quickly can we follow up to thank those who attended or provided donations to make sure the event was a success?

If a chapter asks similar questions of board members during a strategic planning meeting, they can help ensure the success of their events! They can also work to assign responsibility to volunteers, and periodically check on the budget to make sure there won't need to be cuts. This session will also provide some event-planning resources, provided by an event planner, to help chapter leaders get started in planning their own "wedding"!