September | October 2018 | ignite | Ignitemag.ca | 45 Define and set goals Whether you’re aiming to raise money, aware- ness or both, it’s important to be clear about what you’re hoping to accomplish, says Caitlin McElhone, owner and lead planner of CM Events in Edmonton. “Typically, organizations bring in an event professional because they’ve seen a decline in sponsorship or sales; they’ve plateaued in their profits and want someone to help rebrand and refocus the event,” says McElhone, whose most recent high-end gala saw 700 attendees gather at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton to raise money for the CASA Foundation, which supports child, adolescent and family mental health. “You can’t raise $500,000 or $1 million if your ticket sales are $150 a person; you need that one per cent of the population that can afford to be there, so that’s usually where we start: Who needs to be at this event and how much money do we need to raise?” she says. As director of events at BC Children’s Hospital Foundation in Vancouver, Carly Jokic works with the hospital to identify its most urgent needs. Funds are raised at three annual galas. “During our campaign to build a new hos- pital, our three galas were structured around delivering towards the campaign, and then we focused on the next big things, such as equip- ment and research,” she says. Team up “Our organization covers the entire province, and we’re a staff of six; we simply couldn't do large- scale events without committees and volun- teers,” says Kate Udle, event lead at the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia in Dartmouth, NS. Udle’s flagship event, the Festival of Trees, spans two days in late November: a traditional holiday lunch and silent auction for 700 guests, followed by a black-tie gala the next night. “We put a lot of trust in our volunteers and give them a lot of responsibility,” says Udle. “Finding people who have the confidence, assertiveness and willingness to leverage their contacts is key, because so much of committee work is asking for things: people’s time, their money or their products,” says Udle. Jokic’s team relies on volunteers’ networks, since two of the organization’s three annual galas target members of the South Asian and Chinese communities. “Our volunteers really help us understand the story to tell that audience,” she says. “We see our volunteers as ambassadors for the founda- tion. Many are parents with a patient story to tell, or business people with personal connec- tions. Others want to give back to where they live and work.” Find your venue vibe Unless your event is so large-scale that only the convention centre will cut it, scout out unique spaces that will lend a distinctive flavour, sug- gests Bassett, such as private homes or airport hangars. “We’ve done events at car dealerships such as Mercedes Benz and Porsche; by incorporating those $300,000 vehicles into your decor, your decor budget is next to nothing,” she says. Consider what kind of partnership can be forged to make your gala budget go farther, suggests Jokic. “The Four Seasons has been a venue sponsor for our Crystal Ball for 32 years, and they’ve also supported our other events, so they've been an unbelievable partner,” she notes. “They anticipate our needs, they’ve really raised the bar, and they give us great discounts because we are able to offer them sponsorship in exchange.” BC Children’s Hospital Foundation For Children We Care Gala 2018 raised $3.3 million.
