The Secret to Registration and Check-out Ease
When you’re in the event business, you pick up behind-the-scenes secrets at each event. Over the years, we’ve learned a few key strategies to creating a great guest experience, which is crucial for fundraising events. They are the details that make up the bones of each event and, if done right, go entirely unnoticed by everyone in attendance. We’re talking about logistics.
Specifically, one of the biggest pinch points at fundraising events involves registration at the beginning of the event and auction pick-up at the end. These are two crucial moments for your guests—registration is their first touchpoint to the event and check-out is their last. Ideally, you want to welcome people to your event and create a smooth and easy experience from the beginning. You also want to make sure your guests are leaving the event inspired by your work, not frustrated or confused.
This year we worked with Rosemary Anderson High School for their annual gala, and they were excited to alleviate this pinch point for their guests. It took intentional planning and organization well before the event to execute these two components with ease the night of the gala, and it made a huge difference. Here are a few strategies to streamline these key logistics and avoid headaches the day of your event.
Registration:
- Collect as much information from your guests beforehand and pre-assign them to a table and bid number. This helps everyone feel like they’re in the right place and keeps the line moving quickly.
- Avoid putting your check-in tables in an L-shape. This creates a cramped flow of traffic and can create confusion or decrease visibility.
- Create contact forms and a drop box for the forms and place those on a cocktail table near registration so guests can provide their contact information without holding up the line.
- Have a troubleshooting station with your donor data expert nearby in case your volunteers can’t find a guest’s name in the system or a sponsor has last-minute changes to their table.
Auction pick-up:
- Physically package each item with a clear number and label that corresponds to the number and label of the item in your database. This ensures you don’t send the wrong item home with the wrong bidder.
- As soon as the silent auction closes, start moving your items to a consolidated place near check-out so they’re ready to go when guests start to leave.
- Keep your items in numerical order so they are easy to find and you don’t have to keep your guests waiting.
At their big gala, RAHS was able to execute these two moments with ease because of their dilligence ahead of time. So as your event is approaching, don’t underestimate the importance of this leg work. You won’t regret it the night of your event when your biggest supporters are able to interact with you instead of a computer.
Photos by Andie Petkus Photography
