|
Hosting a successful social function is never without its challenges. Lucky for you, we’re here to help you pull it off without breaking a sweat. Whether you’re thanking members, gathering the community, or recruiting new members, use an event as a time to showcase your club at its best. Event planning doesn’t have to be stressful. Following a few key steps (and taking a few deep breaths) can make the whole process more enjoyable.  1. Commit to a committee Organizing club programs and activities will be much easier if you have a group of event planners. If your club doesn’t already have an event committee, consider asking for volunteers. Ask spouses, family members, and any authorized guests to join in the process. This will allow you to delegate tasks, save time, and benefit from the input and expertise of others. Establish a committee in the early stages of planning your social function. This way, your servicemen and volunteers can be on the same page from day one. 2. Plan ahead  Depending on the type of event your club is hosting, start planning at least four to six months in advance for big gatherings like Airman Leadership School graduations and dinner galas. Make sure to put all recurring annual events on your committee’s calendar. This will give you time to prepare the venue, a caterer, a keynote speaker, or any details that are critical for your event. Give yourself and your team an adequate buffer between planning and execution. Don’t be afraid to multitask, but anticipate event overlap, so separate committees can work in tandem. 3. Create a game plan Set a goal for each of your events and clarify your intentions. Are you looking to recruit new club members? Are you organizing a membership drive? Or maybe the Cinco De Mayo party? Use each gathering as a publicity opportunity to elevate the exposure of your club if your goal is to attract new servicemen. Share your RSVP with other servicemen to generate buzz and entice them to attend. Knowing exactly what you want the event to achieve will help you plan the necessary details to attain your goals. 4. Make a checklist Organization is crucial to making sure the event runs smoothly, so create and distribute a checklist before carrying out your plan, and make sure you stick with it. Once you’ve outlined your goal for an event, program, class, or drive, you can start planning everything else. A discussion board can be a valuable tool because it will keep your event committee on track and informed of how plans are progressing. Here are some basic items to help you start your list:
5. Send invitations It's important to get the word out to club members and their guests early, within six to eight weeks of the big event, so invitees can save the day and make any necessary arrangements. People are more likely to decline last-minute invitations if they don't have enough notice to set aside the time. This may also make the event seem unorganized.  Creating a web page for the event allows you to post updates and pictures as well as answer questions that invitees may have. Increasing communication and member interaction is a great way to build anticipation to boost attendance. Your event page can include: images, branding, ticketing, and a location map. 6. Stay organized This is extremely important to avoid mistakes and limit the stress of your event planning. Keeping track of RSVPs, their guests, meal selections, food allergies, and add-ons like raffle tickets, prizes, and more can be a daunting task. Our member management platform streamlines this by allowing guests to RSVP and purchase tickets online using the events module. Event committees benefit when all the necessary information is organized in one location that they can access from virtually anywhere. A month before your event, schedule weekly check-ins with your team. Increase it to daily check-ins the week before the event ensure that everyone is ready-to-go and on the same page. 7. Have fun!  You and your team have worked hard to create the perfect function and now it’s time to profit from a job well done. Remember, in order, to make a game plan, set a goal, and stay organized. And most importantly, have fun! The hallmark of your successful event is being able to enjoy yourself alongside your servicemen.
Our event functionality, donation and email campaign features, discussion boards, and online payment forms within the event module make it easy to plan for your entire year. Let’s get going!
0 Comments
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. is one of the nation's largest African American women's organizations. The sorority is predicated on the ideals of scholarship, service, sisterly love, and finer womanhood. The Epsilon Rho Zeta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta is the Northern Delaware Graduate Chapter, and has served the New Castle County area since 1955. Despite the chapter’s support of Zeta Phi Beta’s work on prominent community initiatives, Epsilon Rho Zeta struggled to raise the funds needed to efficiently plan its own events. Its administrators spent too much time chasing after bounced checks and outstanding dues. Since partnering with memberplanet, the chapter has streamlined processes, improved fundraising transparency, and increased online revenue for its top three events by 247%.  Chapter-level Challenges Epsilon Rho Zeta was actively involved in prominent initiatives on headquarters’ level, including March of Dimes and American Cancer Society. However, chapter administrators found it challenging to raise the funds needed to support their own operational functions. “It was difficult to plan events and fundraisers as we never knew exactly what resources we would have available — only what we expected to have,” Michelle Mack-Williams, the chapter’s First Vice President, said. New and existing members paid their dues by check or cash, which created a number of hurdles. “We’d have to keep manual records of who paid and who hadn’t, so we could follow up on outstanding dues.” Time that could be spent fundraising or planning events went to chasing down members with an outstanding balance. Bounced checks led to uncomfortable conversations and funding delays, Mack-Williams admitted. Members and donors expect line-item transparency for financial transactions, and Greek organizations that have fallen behind on technology often struggle to help members and supporters understand how and where their dues and donations are being used. Not only does this impact people’s willingness to give, it also affects an organization’s ability to understand the effectiveness of its initiatives, making it difficult to determine what events are most successful in raising funds. Once the chapter teamed up with memberplanet, the ability and convenience of making donations and paying dues electronically, rather than only accepting checks or cash payments, drastically boosted event revenue. Chapter administrators could easily promote and manage events online with mass emailing and tracking tools, online RSVPs, and the mobile app. In fact, revenue for its three most significant annual events has increased a combined total of more than 247% since 2014. Increase of Efficiency Leads to Reduction of Cost Mack-Williams and the executive board of Epsilon Rho Zeta originally chose memberplanet to streamline fundraising for its youth and chapter activities. “I am always looking for new ways to stay organized, and when I first found memberplanet, that was the driver,” Mack-Williams said. “We have been able to streamline our processes, and this has yielded time savings in both manpower and efficiencies. Having the ability to track payments for individual youth activities and to export those reports for reconciliation was a huge bonus. We recently implemented online registration packets, like our youth application and debutante application, which are completely electronic. This has allowed us to get everything completed in one shot.” Promoting the chapter’s up to 11 annual fundraising events online has improved the chapter’s reach and member engagement, resulting in both increased collections and reduced costs for the chapter. And memberplanet has allowed the chapter to go completely green for dues, event tickets, and applications. Improvements in Transparency and Reporting As Epsilon Rho Zeta’s fundraising initiatives have increased, so has its reporting requirements. At first, the sorority only used the platform for a few events. As it ramped up on activities, administrators also increased their use of memberplanet. Mack-Williams lauds memberplanet for its scalability and credits the support team for getting to know the chapter’s unique needs. “I believe improved transparency and reporting accuracy have allowed us to track our data more efficiently,” Mack-Williams said. “We are a more agile chapter because of the technology that is at our fingertips at any given moment, and that is satisfaction that you cannot measure in dollars and cents.” A Closer Look at Epsilon Rho Zeta’s Online Results
An All-in-one, Scalable Fundraising and Membership Solution The Epsilon Rho Zeta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta implemented memberplanet at the end of December 2013. Since then, the platform has helped the chapter to increase revenues, cut costs, and has provided transparency into its fundraising efforts. The platform’s regular tech upgrades and enhancements have aided the chapter in meeting its increasing needs – and Mack-Williams sees the platform as a toolkit that’s integral to Epsilon Rho Zeta’s continued success and growth. Contact memberplanet today if you would like to see how the platform can help your organization succeed. Email: info@memberplanet.com
Phone: 888.298.8845 Summer is upon us and so are the great parties and events that come with it! Family reunions, church picnics, and summer camp are all on the horizon. Are you ready for the fun? If you’re one of the lucky people who’s organizing a big gathering this summer, you know that managing an event can be overwhelming. Even a smaller event like a swim team BBQ can take over your life, but it doesn’t have to. Summer is meant to be relaxing. Let’s keep it that way.  Sanity Savers Membership management and event planning can be easy when you make a plan and keep it simple. Here are some tips to help you stay sane, so you can enjoy friends and family this season. • Create task lists: You can create one large list, or even several small ones, depending on the event. For example, create one list for preparations, one for during the event, and one for after. Or, be really detailed and make a list for communications, on-site management, follow up, etc. Then, assign people to each task and actually let them do it! • Automate: Set up email reminders, text messages, and social media posts ahead of time. This is an easy way to keep your members involved and interested, but still give you breathing room to handle other more pressing details. Learn more about automating your membership. • Make it easy to share the experience: Setting up social media pages or accounts for the event is a great way to share the experience in real time and connect with those who can’t be there. Make it easy for members/guests to upload photos to one central place as well. offers event photo sharing, as well as other group management tools.  Save Time on Décor No one ever said things needed to be complicated to be fun. In fact, the most memorable experiences come from the people there, not the party favors, décor, or even the food! Inexpensive, basic décor can make any gathering festive—no theme required! • Use balloons: They’re are a low-cost and fun way to spruce things up. Use the colors from your group or cause’s logo to make them more specific or choose random colors for a festive vibe. Kids love them too! Send them home as a party favor. • Choose white lights: You can use white lights any time of day to dress up your venue. You can create an intimate feel by filling clear vases with them and running them along the table. You could also set a more cheerful tone by stringing numerous stands from the ceiling—instant dance party. • Add clear vases: They’re probably the most versatile and inexpensive party décor available. Fill them with anything from fresh fruit and local flowers to ribbons won at this year’s swim meets—the possibilities are endless. You can literally spend days trying to manage the details, décor, and plans for a large summer gathering. But it’s summer! Enjoy yourself, keep it simple, and save your sanity.  The holidays are here! It’s hard to believe that we’re wrapping up 2016. This season is a great time to celebrate with friends and family. Planning celebrations can be overwhelming, but good news is we’re here to help! memberplanet has the tools you need to plan your New Year’s Eve party, or any festivity you choose to celebrate. Let the countdown begin to your next great event.
Less time making an event will result in more fun for you and your guests. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year. Cheers!   Boo! Halloween is just around the corner. memberplanet has everything you need to organize and host a spooktacular event! With memberplanet’s easy-to-use features you can stress less about organizing, and focus on having a ghoulishly good time. Wickedly Easy RSVPs
Photo Sharing on the World Wide (Spider) Web
Spell-Binding Newsletters
Creepy Crawly Travel
Deviously Delicious Potluck Signup
Frightfully Boo-tiful Templates
  Summer is here! This season is a great time for parties and BBQs with friends and family. With 4th of July celebrations fast approaching, memberplanet is here to help with all the tools you need to get your event organized. With memberplanet helping you out you’ll be independent of party planning stress.
group. members. activities. events. registrations. communication. life. simplified.  An effective online presence is necessary to promote your event – be sure to utilize every opportunity Noteworthy events don’t just happen. Organizing and executing a successful one takes planning, strategic marketing strategies, and the provision of value. Whether it’s a conference, a speaker series, or a cocktail party, your event’s fate rests in the details. That’s why memberplanet has collected and identified essential planning tips to improve your online promotion of the big day. 1. Create a custom event page In today’s world, what’s an event if it doesn’t exist online? Having an engaging and user-friendly event page will increase exposure and word-of-mouth. Promote the date through the dedicated page, send invitations, and sell tickets online to make it simple and easy for attendees to find all the information they need. 2. Branded payments Within your event page, it is essential to include a branded form where attendees can register and provide payment. To make things even easier, you’ll want to accept as many forms of payment as possible. For example, with memberplanet, you are able to accept credit cards, PayPal, and e-checks. Customize these branded payment forms with your event name, logo, and fields for participant information to collect as much data as you can about your attendees. And be sure that your payment page is mobile friendly, so registrants can submit fees while on the go. 3. Use a donation site If your event is paired with a fundraising component, let the fundraising occur for weeks leading up to the big day with a donation page. Engage with donors through your page’s interactive features and enable social sharing after they donate. The capability for donors to broadcast their fundraising efforts to their social networks can encourage other people to share in the fun! And with memberplanet’s membership management system, you can scan payments directly to your donation page through its mobile app. This ensures you’ll never have to turn down a donation, whether online or in-person. 4. Start a blog Take engagement one-step further by blogging consistently – not just right before your event.In order to stay relevant in the minds of your attendees and donors, you should start a blog and create valuable content for your networks. Discuss the event after it happens, encourage your speakers or sponsors to write a blog post, and even use it as a way to collect testimonials from your event. A blog has the capability to improve your relationships and expand your network. 5. Utilize email marketing
Email marketing is the easiest way to get in front of your attendees and donors. It is also, arguably, the most profitable means of marketing. With email, you can create deeper relationships with a wider audience at a fraction of the cost of traditional media. Best of all, it doesn’t take a programmer to build compelling HTML emails. memberplanet allows you to create unique and branded emails in minutes. Write the text and then choose a template and a color palette (and don’t forget your logo!), and your email is ready to be sent. Our service also provides you with live reporting capabilities that show you how many people have opened your email and who has clicked on your links. This is the information you need to better reach your audience. With so many avenues available online to get your event out to the right people, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. That’s why memberplanet’s motto is “Life simplified.” Our goal is to provide you with all the tools you need to promote your event online, all in one spot. Create a free account today and explore the opportunities available to take your group to the next level. It’s that time of the year where the sun is shining, the weather is great, and you’re itching to get away for a vacation. It can be a struggle to get everyone and everything organized on-the-go. We at memberplanet understand; it’s tough, but our mobile app makes things easy. “How?” Let us fill you in.
Let us help you create a new memory!
You don’t need a big budget or celebrity endorsements to hit your mark. Your decorations might be exquisite, your venue might be in the ideal location, and your speaker a class act. Unfortunately, this won’t go too far without the impeccable marketing strategy to match. In today’s connection economy, it’s as important to organize a well-executed marketing campaign as it is to organize a stellar event. Below are some options you may want to consider for your next big event.
Whatever avenue you choose to use, timing is key. You’ll want to give yourself at minimum two weeks to advertise. Use original artwork and be quick and to the point. Regardless of the size of your budget, your marketing efforts can only go in one direction. With so many moving parts, sometimes it’s difficult to manage your event as well as your marketing efforts. Luckily, services such as memberplanet have developed an all-in-one platform to keep you focused on your bottom line: having a successful event. Get started now with memberplanet and take the first step towards streamlining your events in a way that makes sense for you.
Do you have an event coming up like a fundraiser or party? You have a few great options for event planning. A custom event page lets you promote, invite guests, generate buzz with comments, post RSVP lists and more. You can also collect payments for tickets (if applicable).
Do you need to create an in-depth registration form? A branded payment form will give you unlimited flexibility for information fields and payment item options. This is perfect for ongoing signups for an upcoming program or service. Simply distribute the link to your form via email to invite people to sign up.
Is your event for a cause or charity? Donation Sites are interactive micro-websites that can be easily customized for ticket sales. They’re are easy to set up, can be customized with photos, video, a donor ticker, goal meter and more. They are perfect for any type of goal-driven fundraising event, like a dinner, or gala. Simply name and price your tickets on the payment items step.
*All of these features are free to create and all payments collected are subject to the flat site fee of 5% + 30 cents per transaction. This includes all site fees, merchant fees and credit card fees. As always, our team is here to help in any way we can! Feel free to reach out to us with for more assistance choosing the right feature.  |
