Fundraising events seldom happen exactly the way we plan them. There are often unexpected turning points with the potential to completely change the nature of the event. When those moments happen, it is important to quickly react and adapt in order to keep the event on track.
It helps to have a plan in place for foreseeable contingencies. What do you do if there is a power failure? What happens if there is a medical emergency during your event? Do you adjust your timeline if catering encounters challenges?
But not everything can be planned for. The whole point of unexpected moments is that they are, well, unexpected. And that is why it is important to have a team of creative people who are motivated by the success of your organization.
Build partnerships with your vendors, encourage their creativity and empower them to have agency in your event’s success. And while it is a bit much to expect every member of the wait staff to be wholeheartedly committed to the success of your fundraising event, it is not unreasonable to expect the catering manager to be part of your event team.
Whenever possible, ensure that the people who take the stage at your event will be solid representations of your mission and the goals of the evening. When and if one of those turning points happens onstage, you want someone whose motivations skew towards supporting you. Someone who is motivated by your success will respond in a more beneficial way than someone whose first reaction would be self-serving.
And when stuff goes sideways, it is okay to acknowledge it and be in the moment with the crowd. There is no point in trying to misdirect the crowd’s attention from something that everyone knows is happening.
