A Transformative Event
“Soulsearchin’films is a film and theater production company that acts as a platform for youth and young adults within our inner city communities who have a passion for theater arts to hone their skills, build their resumes as performers, and embrace the opportunity to showcase their talent as actors, singers, and dancers,” Dawn Blair told me, this past January, of her Oakland, California based production company.
Events can entertain. They can also transform communities. Ghetto Magnolia, performed early in 2012 was a “gospel stage play production,” Dawn said. “The purpose of the production was to provoke change within the lives of our inner city youth and young adults, through the message of its story line. It was not a fundraiser.”
The story follows Magnolia Brown, an aspiring gospel singer faced with “harsh realities of the ghetto and the redemptive power of God.”
“There was nothing that did not go as planned. The production was a total success,” Dawn said. “The best part of our event was actually seeing the audience enjoying the production as the story unfolded on stage. The turnout was tremendous, and the production was a hit!”
Getting the Good Word Out
In order to get the word out to attendees, Dawn and her team relied heavily on print collateral and word of mouth. They designed posters and flyers using TicketPrinting.com. The stage play was produced on a limited budget. The professionally printed collateral gave it an extra “Bling Factor.”
Relationship sales were also very important to the success of this event. Many tickets were sold in advance. Each cast member was tasked with pursuing advanced ticket sales. With thirty cast members, the ticket sales were sure to be a success. This allowed the cast members to interact with potential attendees as well as promote themselves as performers.
Every Event is Different
The team behind Ghetto Magnolia was pleased with its success. The event was highly attended. The cast, crew, and audience had a great time. For this event, print collateral played a central role, defining the tenor of the event and portraying a professional production.
Some events benefit from a spectrum of marketing efforts. Some will advertise through online social networks and event websites. Others will take to the airwaves, advertising over radio and television or doing the interview circuit. Others will rely solely on word of mouth.
Every event is different, and each event’s success is defined by its organizers and attendees.
Use QR Code Posters to Market Your Website
Who has time to type in an entire website anymore? When you get down to the nitty gritty, it’s just a pain to try to read and memorize all the parts of a URL, and then type them in on your keyboard. It’s even tougher to try to type them into your phone.
If you miss a letter or leave out just one keystroke on the tiny virtual keyboard, you’ll end up, well, who knows where. It is for this very reason that there are high-tech shortcuts out there that save you from keying in the exact address.
One such shortcut, and a sure-fire way to increase traffic to a website, is a QR code. These nifty salt and pepper colored squares are made to be scanned by Smartphones, and they direct anyone who scans them to a predetermined website, chosen by the creator.
The Special Treatment
QR codes are the latest and greatest way to market your product, business, website, or all three. All you have to do is create the QR code, and set it up to take anyone who scans it directly to your website.
If you want to gain some real momentum, create a special offer that corresponds to the QR code, so anyone who scans your code will get some special treatment just for visiting the site. This works well as an incentive for people to explore your business and products more too.
Where Do They Go?
Now that we’ve covered what the QR codes do and how they can help market your business, what about the question of where to put them?
QR Code Posters are made for QR codes. All you have to do is create a code by entering the web address you want the code to link to, save the image of the QR code you’ve generated, and TicketPrinting.com will take care of the rest.
There are literally hundreds of different designs to choose from when it comes to QR Code Posters. You’ll want to pick a unique look that speaks to your brand, and entices people into scanning the QR code that’s displayed with it.
Post-Printing
Once your QR Code Posters are printed, start posting them! Put them up in places you know people are likely to have their phones handy. Two great places are bus stops or the train platforms. Or, if you live in a smaller town, try your local café or community center.
The more people see these easy-to-scan posters, the more people will visit your site and know about your brand.
by Lance on April 30, 2012
Catch the Spirit!
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Hosting an Annual Event
On March 15, the Mary Louis Academy held its annual Spirit Night. The Mary Louis Academy is an all girls Catholic Academy in Jamaica Plains, New York. Spirit Night is “One of TMLA’s oldest traditions…dating back to 1940 when it was known as Sports Night.” All four class years join together in a variety of competitions. The 2012 Spirit Night Theme was “Hollywood Movie Studios.” The Student Council Coordinator, Beth, explained, “It is a school competition used to bring unity among the grades.”
Something to Look Forward to
Many organizations such as The Mary Louis Academy host annual recurring events. Annual events are a traditional way to bring members of the organization together, raise awareness for a cause, or bring in funds for projects that exist outside the regular organizational budget. While all events have similarities, there are special expectations for ones that reoccur.
Annual events build community and loyalty among attendees. Some families look forward to attending the same cultural festival each year. A proud alumni might looks forward to returning to her alma mater for the homecoming celebration. Traditions build around the tradition.
Tradition and Success
Annual events rely on wisdom and tradition. Often there are elements that absolutely must be included, an opening dinner in honor of a Provost or a Sadie Hawkins dance. Some are formal, some are strange, like MIT’s annual Piano Drop. Whatever the tradition, it is an important feature of the event.
Each year, organizations and planners learn from the past year’s event, so they’re able to host more effectively and more efficiently the next year. Organizations can learn what worked and what didn’t. By reviewing the event when it’s over, the committee can come up with ways to make the following event more enjoyable and memorable to everyone.
Marketing Annual Events
While it’s true, annual events will have more built in buzz than one time gatherings, organizers shouldn’t rely solely on word or mouth or loyalty to ensure attendees. For even the most established recurring events, it pays to look at different ways to advertise in order to keep bringing in new folks.
Traditional print media is great. Posters, flyers, and bill boards will get the message on the streets, but if the budget is tight, events can benefit from plenty of free advertising. It’s simple and quick to build Facebook and Google+ pages where information about the upcoming event can be posted and shared. A Twitter account dedicated to the event can be used to share small snippets of information. A more traditional website, even a simple one, can help keep folks informed. For organizers who aren’t comfortable with technology, it might help to arrange an interview on the local radio or news station or with the local newspaper. There are many ways to share information about the event.
Have Fun!
The event at the Mary Louis Academy was run by the school. “Students sold tickets and got the student body excited about the event,” Beth explained. For her the best parts of the event were the “students dances and cheer and the general vibe in the gymnasium.”
The most important part of hosting an annual event is the outcome. Have fun and enjoy your tradition.
by Lance on April 17, 2012
Fly Fishing, Cancer Survival, and Movie Ticket Sales
The tranquil waters of the Middle Fork River in West Glacier bring peace and a strong sense of belonging to the hearts of 14 women each year. For three days, these women cast their flies into the water and allow their battles with breast cancer to drift away.
Western Montana’s Casting for Recovery program currently has 11 community volunteers who support women with all different stages of breast cancer by providing them with an all expenses paid fly-fishing retreat. Community volunteers lend a guiding hand and are “River Helpers” who share their knowledge of the river with participants. Those struggling with cancer may find it hard to remember that they are not alone, but Casting for Recovery works to reverse this trend. As one participant expressed at the end of last year’s retreat, it was the “first time she felt strong community support.”
“My Heart Just Keeps Smiling”
The three-day retreats include more than just fishing. Medical counseling and group sessions fill the last day, providing time to reflect and build a network of support. Participants leave with new friends, new skills, and renewed hope. “It was an incredible weekend,” one woman stated. “My heart just keeps smiling.”
Casting for Recovery is a national organization but is rooted in local communities across the country. It was brought to the winding banks of the Middle Fork River by a woman moving from the East coast who had herself been a participant. While she was unable to make the first retreat in Western Montana, community members helped continue her mission to bring women with breast cancer closer together and provide them with therapeutic skills through fishing.
The Connection Between Fly Fishing and Breast Cancer
While the connection to fishing and breast cancer recovery may not at first seem apparent, participants come to an understanding by the end of the weekend. A participant shared with the group, “I was grateful to have been chosen, but I didn’t yet see the connection between fly fishing and breast cancer. Sunday morning, standing in the river, I got it.” At the end of the weekend she shared her experience:
Fly-fishing is a “be here now” activity. It takes focus, balance and being centered, physically and emotionally, to stand in the river and cast. Living well after the diagnosis of breast cancer is best done in the moment as well. It takes focus, balance and being centered to avoid feeling victimized by the diagnosis or anxious about any future recurrence. In both fly-fishing and living with breast cancer, the best that one can do is “be here now” and hope.
Fundraising with Film Tickets
Casting for Recovery in Northern Montana typically has one major fundraiser each year to support the program. This year, they have teamed up with the Fly Fishing Film Tour to show a screening of the film to the community. Admission tickets, donations, and raffle tickets sold at the event provide the funds needed to make the special annual retreat possible. TicketPrinting.com has been thrilled to be able to play our small role of printing to help make their fundraiser successful. We love working with nonprofits and small community organizations which are making big changes in lives across the country.
To learn more about Casting for Recovery, visit their website: castingforrecovery.org
by Lance on April 13, 2012
Fundraising Like It’s Second Nature
On March 10, 2012, the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, Wisconsin held a fundraising event: A Ride on the Wild Side with Jack Hanna. All proceeds from the event went to the Arctic Passage Project to fund new habitats for polar bears and seals.
Jack Hanna is a well-known zookeeper who was once the director of the Columbus Zoo. He is a recognized celebrity zookeeper who has done much to raise awareness about conservation and wild animal issues for many years.
Keeping Everyone in Mind
The sold out, adult only event offered both VIP and general admission ticket opportunities, so individuals of varying means were able to attend and contribute. Tickets for the event cost $75. There was also a VIP reception with Jack Hanna at the beginning of the evening offered to individuals willing to purchase a $150 ticket; this included a bottle of wine and preferred seating. For $1000 individuals could purchase a table. There was also a wildlife show hosted by Jack Hanna.
The lead up to the event included a raffle for a Toyota Prius, in keeping with the conservation theme.
Different funders learn about events in different ways. The organizers of the Ride on the Wild Side event reached out to their potential patrons through many different types of media: postcard invitations sent to 20,000 people, ads in local magazines, newspapers, newsletter, e-blasts, Facebook, Twitter, and a digital billboard
The organizers relied on traditional forms of media and word of mouth, which remains the most important and effective selling strategy even as technology advances.
Defining Success
“We received the most comments about the digital billboard. However, we did not survey attendees, so we do not have an accurate way to measure this,” Cathy Sheets of the Henry Vilas Zoo told me.
For those planning similar advance, Cathy offered this advice, “Begin planning a year in advance. Lay out the event in as much detail as possible, monitor advertising effectiveness. Define your goals clearly. Remain flexible and calm under pressure. Don’t forget to enjoy the event, and make sure you have a great photographer and/or videographer to record the event.”
After the event, the zoo posted galleries of photos to its site, so visitors could remember the experience.
For Cathy, the highlight of the event was, “The ability to share an important conservation message and raise funds for a vitally needed capital project by providing attendees with up close animal experiences and the opportunity to meet Jack Hanna and be inspired by his experience and stories.”
by Lance on March 21, 2012
Print Marketing: Use Posters and Flyers to Promote Your Business
These days, the Internet dominates many marketing channels. But don’t throw away those hefty catalogs in frustration just yet. Our perceptions of print marketing have changed, but our need for it hasn’t. In fact, it may be just what your business needs.
Here are 6 reasons not to put all your eggs in the e-commerce basket:
- You can’t draw on the Internet. Well, you sort of can. It’s called Paint. However, I can tell you from first-hand experience that it doesn’t match up to Posters or Flyers in all their paper glory. Think random notes, local artist tags, or space for doodling.
- The Internet doesn’t jump out at you. Well, it used to. But thank goodness it doesn’t anymore. And any site that still has pop-up ads is probably going to give you a virus anyway. A bold and colorful Poster will stand out to anyone who passes by.
- Posters and Flyers stick around. Unlike a web page, you can’t close a Flyer when it’s posted to your local café window or bus stop. Flyers get passed on and tend to end up in some pretty interesting places, so they can reach people you never thought possible.
- The Internet doesn’t stay the same. It changes constantly. It even has bugs that prevent it from working properly. I guarantee you’ve never missed a Poster or Flyer due to technical difficulties.
- You can’t pass the Internet out on the street. Again, you sort of can. It’s called Foursquare and people use it to advertise locally. But for those that don’t have Foursquare and for those that do, you can advertise with an interesting Poster or Flyer. No download or plug-in required!
- Posters and Flyers are REAL! Yes, of course the Internet is real. But it’s certainly not physically present in the same way a well designed Poster or Flyer is. Give people something tangible, something they can feel, something they can touch. Give them Posters and Flyers!
With Posters and Flyers, you have the option of choosing from hundreds of templates. You can also create a custom Poster or Flyer that is completely unique to you and your audience. Or if you’d like to add your own, personal touch, choose a template that lets you upload your own image!
by Lance on March 12, 2012
Coffee Rock Live: For the Love of Good Bands
Talent isn’t always enough. Many great artists and musicians lack exposure and audiences miss out. Recognizing this, friends and music lovers Kevin DeMine and Jim Callery joined forces to found Coffee Rock Live. Their organization helps local bands from the Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Washington DC areas get the recognition they deserve. By promoting local and independent music through online means and local concerts, Coffee Rock Live gives talented bands a much needed boost.
The First Event
The first event of the year took place on February 25th and featured the bands Minimus the Poet, Words On Paper, Evergreen and Jane Rittenhouse. It was “held at a local community hall in Hagerstown, MD where many members of the bands playing were originally from.”
The First Promotion
Kevin explains how the bands were promoted: “Our promotion for this event was done by social media outlets, flyers, and word of mouth. We used Facebook to create events and event notifications, which were sent to each of the bands who were able to invite all of the fans, friends, and families. Flyers were made by a local production company and placed at locations throughout Maryland in which they were appropriate such as coffee houses, open mic nights, and music retailers. By word of mouth associated with the event through its staff, bands, and advance ticket selling we were able to spread the word through much of the local community which assisted the most in helping us reach our goals.”
Coffee Rock Live was able to engage their intended audience through a variety of outlets, online and off. Social media allowed them to reach a wide audience, and it allowed for many people to take place in the promotion. Information about the show could be posted and reposted by others.
For the event, the bands were tasked with selling the tickets themselves. Presales were made at a lower price and allowed the group to gain a better understanding of how many people would be attending the event.
The Night of the Show
“Each of the artists that had performed did a fantastic job and we could not have asked for better,” Kevin says. “The reception to the event was our biggest personal highlight, as most attendees were impressed by how the show was presented. We had also been noted by some of the visitors that it had been the best local show they’d seen in that area.”
Preplanning To Prevent Problems
The show went great, but it didn’t take off without a hitch. There were some issues with timing that first night. The venue wasn’t ready at the expected time. Thanks to good planning, this was only a temporary obstacle. The team had planning meetings before the show and worked with checklists to ensure that foreseeable issues could be dealt with ahead of time.
Kevin also suggests keeping in touch with the talent, saying, “We would suggest making sure that all participants in the event are in contact with the event staff in case there had been any changes in their arrangements.” This ensures everyone is on the same page the day of the event.
by Lance on February 27, 2012
Event of the Week: Dive Bar Crawl Wig Party
Every January, Christi, a registered nurse organizes a party bus “dive bar crawl” for a group of healthcare professionals. Each year has its own theme, and this year’s was wigs. Christi talks with the bars ahead of time to let them know the bus will be coming. She also plans on-board activities for the partygoers on the bus.
The Dive Bar Crawl Wig Party was “not a fundraiser.” No money was made. Christi and the organizers charged just enough to cover the cost of the event, and at $45, it was well worth it for a night out!
This year, attendees wore hot pink wrist bands Christi ordered from TicketPrinting.com. This helped identify the group at the various venues they visited. Christi was able to keep track of attendees because she could tell by the wristbands who had paid and checked-in. It also gave the bus driver an easy way to know who was allowed on the bus. Christi, “thought they would be fun especially because we printed ‘adult supervision required’ on them.”
Of course, the wigs also helped to raise the group’s profile. Most of the bars on the dive crawl were even thoughtful enough to mix up a hair or wig themed drink just for the attendees.
This year’s event really drew a crowd, though it wasn’t advertised beyond word of mouth. There was a similar event last January, and folks were eager to attend again. In fact, Christi had to turn people away because the bus was full.
Not every great event has to be planned on a grand scale, nor do all events require complicated and coordinated marketing and advertising strategies. As Christi and the attendees of The Dive Bar Crawl Wig Party proved, some events just speak for themselves.
What’s next for Christi and her group? In July, they’ll host a party barge. It should be a great success!
by Lance on February 24, 2012
Event of the Month: The Big Bucks Raffle
The benefits of music education are vast and varied, but sources for fine arts educational funding are, unfortunately, not. A commitment to music education is all too often a commitment to seeking out donations to music programs, and every school has its own solution.
Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy has made good on both those commitments.
Serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, the private Catholic school is located on multiple campuses in the Dorchester and Mattapan neighborhoods of the city of Boston. The faculty, administration, and staff, including M. L. Greenidge, the Director of Advancement, pride themselves on an “exciting and challenging curriculum based on high academic benchmarks,” including, the “largest fine arts music program in Boston for elementary schools.” Every week, six hundred fifty students at PJPIICA take music classes.
PJPIICA’s year-round fundraising campaign involves the sale of Bishop’s Blend Coffee, a premium coffee roasted exclusively for the Academy by Caffe Appasionato Coffee Company in Seattle, Washington. One half of the proceeds support overall student experience. More information on purchasing Bishop’s Blend Coffee can be found here on the school’s website.
But, as in most schools, there is always a need for more funding.
To help support this amazing music program, along with other student needs including scholarships and reading and writing literacy, the school runs their annual Big Bucks Raffle, a cash raffle. This year’s raffle will be held on March 30th, with the students selling tickets beginning in March when they return from their vacation.
For the last two years, raffle ticket printing was done in-house, but this year the decision was made to outsource the job to a professional online ticket printer. Greenidge had never used such a service, and didn’t really know anyone who had, so she went to Google and came across TicketPrinting.com.
The website, she found, was “easy to use,” so she had no trouble designing the tickets just as she wanted them. She chose the Color Money Raffle Ticket, and when her order arrived a few days later, she was impressed with the product and the quality. “I didn’t know what I was buying,” she explained, and had never purchased raffle tickets online before, so she “just went based on the website, which was accurate.”
The turnaround, Greenidge says, was “faster than I expected.” Her tickets actually arrived before she thought they would, and she was very happy with the order, which exceeded her expectations but was still very affordable.
by Lance on February 10, 2012
Print Wristbands to Promote the Cause You Support
You need a great way to get the word out about your cause. Word of mouth is a good start, but you need some pizzazz to attract a wider range of supporters within the community, something that will shine. You want to draw people’s attention to the cause you support and invite them to support it with you.
Promote your cause easily and stay within budget by printing custom wristbands. Print wristbands in any color or design for you and your supporters to wear around town to show others how important the cause is. You can raise awareness for a cause any time or place with wristbands.
When printing wristbands, it helps to choose a bright or bold color that people can easily associate with your cause.
Help Others Spread the Word
If you want to plan an event to raise awareness for a cause, you can print event wristbands for each person who attends your event to wear. When the event has come to an end, attendees will have a nice piece of memorabilia to take with them and remind them of how crucial it is to support your cause.
Encourage people to keep their wristbands on for a day or two after the event is over, so they can proudly show off their support for the cause. Other members of the community will see these wristbands, and that will prompt them to support your cause, too.
3 Most Popular Causes to Support
- Breast cancer awareness is one of the top causes supported today. You can easily print wristbands and also event tickets that include the breast cancer support theme and design right on them.
- Military support awareness is another cause that many people support. Get the local community on board with supporting the military by hosting an event and printing event tickets and wristbands with a military support design and theme.
- Drug abuse prevention and awareness is something else that strikes home for many. Promote drug abuse prevention at any event with wristbands, and print event tickets with the drug abuse prevention design template.
Wristbands are simple to print, inexpensive to order, and comfortable to wear. They are made out of Tyvek, a flexible paper-like plastic material that is easy to secure on anyone’s wrist quickly. People will take notice when they see unique and bold wristbands supporting the cause that really matters.
A Transformative Event
