A Fund-Raising Event's "Life" May Depend On Promotions

     The next time you attend a fund-raising event for an organization you feel proud to support, pay close attention to the promotional marketing items you see being used. 
     For example, you might see an eye-catching graphic banner installed near the entrance to the event location, or above a stage.  There may be personalized wine charms around the stems of each wine glass as a future reminder of the spectacular dinner that is to be served.  The wine glasses themselves may be etched with a logo.  T-shirts may be specially packaged in a unique shape for a take-home gift.
     Promotional items like these may be simple and functional, such as tote bags, pens, notepads, or ID badges, while other items may be flashy enough to steal everyone's attention.  

     Regardless of how big and flashy, or small and insignificant promotional items appear, their function is to remind everyone attending an event how important their individual support is.  Promotional items function as a thank you gift as well as a constant reminder of the event and its purpose.  
     Most fund-raising events depend on repeat attendance every year, so therefore promotional items can sustain awareness of a fund-raising event for long-term growth of the sponsoring organization.  If "customer loyalty" and "brand identity" are key factors to the success of a for-profit business, than a non-profit organization must also utilize these key marketing functions for longevity.  It may be the difference between a one-hit wonder and a classic.  

Eat, Drink, & Shake it Up!

Having a chamber mixer is a great way to meet other business owners that are chamber members.  However, did you ever think of also inviting non-members that you would like to have as new members of the chamber?  It would be a GREAT way to introduce them to what your chamber of commerce can do for them!
     If you don't have a contact list of non-members in your database to mail to yet, you should start developing one ... right away.  It will become a list worth its weight in gold as we send you additional ideas on how to get them to join your chamber.
    Invite non-member businesses to the next two mixers, with no obligation.  They should be able to make it to at least one of them, right?  Send the invitation in the form of a personal letter and signed, in blue ink, by the Executive or Board President
     Now the clincher:  Many folks are not comfortable just walking up to a stranger and starting a conversation at a mixer if they are a guest.  Usually though, once they start talking they'll do much better at enjoying themselves.  To help them get over the ice-breaking stage, whenever your guests check in at the door, put their name and company on a "GUEST" badge.  The badge should be clearly marked "GUEST".  Every "MEMBER" should also have a "MEMBER" name badge that states their name and company.  Introduce them to a MEMBER and have that member take them around to introduce them to other chamber members.
     Pretty quickly they will see what a friendly group of business people the Chamber consists of and will be much more likely to want to become part of it.  (All for the cost of a couple of postage stamps and pre-formatted letters.)
     So here we are with everyone walking around eating, drinking and shaking hands.  Have you ever noticed how inconvenient it is not having three hands though?  Check out the Eat, Drink, and Shake Solution for the next mixer on the calendar!
     After looking at the solutions, we can even show you how to add these elements to your mixer events for free.
  See you out there eating, drinking, and shaking soon!