Welcome everyone to

SPECIAL EVENTS: MAKING YOUR EVENT GO FROM HUM-DRUM TO BOOM-BOOM-POW

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You’re probably wondering what makes me qualified to tell any of you about event

planning.

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Ask for a handful of people to explain what their favorite event has been.

This DOES NOT have to be a Special Olympics event. This can be any event.

If there is a theme to anyone’s favorite… point that theme out.

Ask why the event was special to them.

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There are 6 major ways to make any event leave a lasting impression on your guests.

Remember these guests can be your athlete’s , their families and volunteers. They could

also be current or potential sponsors for your program.

Either way… it is simple and easy to create something fun that will leave that lasting

impression on no budget or a low, low budget.

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These days, it’s no longer enough to have a simple party or function. People expect more

out of events. They like to be entertained and they like functions to be memorable and

unique. The right theme can help ensure that your event is both of these things.

When you decide to work with a particular theme, you’ll usually find that the rest of your

event planning goes a lot more smoothly as well. You can select your menu, decorations,

and even entertainment to reflect the theme itself.

For instance, if you’re going to have a Luau then finding food (pineapple ham, tropical

drinks), decorations (tiki lanterns and leis), and entertainment (traditional luau style music)

can help pull your event together in a breeze. It’s a lot more memorable, too.

If you want to be creative in choosing a theme then try doing something a little out of the

ordinary. Make your October event a Halloween party and have guests come in costume.

Have a “Christmas in July” fundraiser event and decorate with mistletoe and Christmas

trees.

You don’t have to be very extravagant to have a good themed event either. Some people

make the mistake of spending a lot of money on big, expensive decorations. Generally,

though, as long as you decorate the main areas (tables, food service station, and stage) it

will compensate for the rest of the space.

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Having food at your event does not have to cost you a fortune.

There are many restaurants out there who are willing to donate their product just to have

their name in front of more people. Don’t always go back to the same restaurant or

caterer because this will become monotonous to your guests and that sponsor may grow

tired of you as well. Mix it up and ask places that you frequent with your family just to see

if they may be interested.

Snacks… you can have inexpensive snacks that make an impression. A trend right now is a

popcorn bar.

Carry-In or potluck is another great and inexpensive way to provide food. Ask those who

bring food to also supply a few note cards with their recipe on it. That makes the pot-luck a

little more interesting as well.

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There are several ways to add music to your event which helps create atmosphere.

Radio – Just having a radio playing music is good

Going to a website like Pandora.com and choosing a type of music to play along with your

theme is even better.

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All of the decorations on this slide are purchased from the Dollar Store.

Are any of you familiar with the website www.pinterest.com? If not, you should get

familiar with it. It is a fantastic place to get ideas on just about anything you can think of

from event planning to light fixtures for your living room.

Decorations can set the party off on the right foot along with the theme . Halloween

theme? Then stick with Halloween themed décor. Valentine’s Day dance? Then decorate

in all things hearts, candy and red.

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While I included take-aways in my 6 important elements of an event, it is the only one that

is optional.

It is very easy to find something to give your guests that is inexpensive and still fun for

them.

This image is of glow-sticks. You can buy 15 of these for $1 in the dollar section at Target.

People of all ages think these are fun if you have an evening event.

A snack size Zip-lock bag filled with Golden Graham cereal, mini marshmallows and

chocolate chips is a great “smores” give-away for your Halloween or fall themed party.

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If you don’t know how to create a flier, contact a local High School or College…. See if you

can locate an instructor in the visual arts department and see if there is a student who

would create this for free to bulk up their portfolio.

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