At my local AFP meeting today, we heard from a friend of mine who talked about special events.

Penny Behling of Dynamic Events and Management gave the group some things to think about when it comes to special events.  She said several things that stuck with me and I thought I’d share.

She said that with the economy, some corporate sponsors are not renewing.  But some are.  Don’t get scared and fail to ask.  Go ahead and make your sponsorship request.  With so many people being scared, now is a GREAT time to plow forward.  Now is the time to market your organization.

Evaluate your special events annually to see if there are some that you should discontinue.  Face it – some events are not worth the time and effort you put into them.

Always ask yourself “what can we do to make this event better?”  If you aren’t moving forward, you’re moving backward.

Penny and her business partner Wendy Witsoe run Dragon Boat racing in several cities across the Southeast.  It’s a cool event that raises big bucks for a couple of organizations.  How much?  Think $80,000+!

Want to learn more about Dragon Boat races and how your organization can benefit?  Check out the website at www.racedragonboats.com.