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Whats the process for planning a community sporting event?

Veteran

William H Brooklyn, NY

I want to plan a High School All Star game in March 2017.
What is the process to planning a succesful event?
Is securing the venue the first order of business?

4 July 2016 4 replies Leadership & Management

Answers

Advisor

Elizabeth Hendler New York, NY

Agree with everyone here.

Also contact your local government representatives, council members, senators. They will have local suggestions of available groups and people who could help with space or volunteers.

Find a group of friends, businesses or groups who will join your event committee to help build the list for potential attendees and sponsors.

Advisor

Jennifer Polhemus Santa Monica, CA

What the benefits of the event? Your sponsors, attendees, & participants will want to know. Brainstorm a long list and them select 2 - 4 that are most compelling. Will the event strengthen the community? Inspire youth? Engage seniors? etc.

Try to find an angle that will interest the press. Serviceman gives back? Or highlight a "star" player.

There are many wonderful events each week. Why would people want to support THIS event?

Logistics are so important, but the issues I'm raising here provide the foundation on which the logistics can flourish.

Advisor

Cedric Cook Richmond, TX

Hi William -

I'm not a professional event planner but I have coordinated events before. I would suggest that before you actually "secure" the location, you sketch-out a plan that considers the following:

1. What date are you targeting for the event and plan backwards to ensure that you have time to handle everything e.g. how much notice does a sponsor require to support the event?
2. What's your target audience e.g. age-groups, school classifications, target number of teams, and from where will they come?
3. What location works best to attract, advertise, and plan logistics to support the target audience?
4. Decide what your budget might be for the event?
5. Determine sources of funding to host the event e.g. personal funds, donations, etc.
6. Decide what type of sponsors you will need, what are your expectations from sponsors, and how many sponsors? If you know people in the area that have done this type of thing, solicit mentors..

Also, as described by the other Advisors, you should also consider things like do you require permits, insurance, or waivers, etc...? There are a lot of steps but planning is the first of them.

I think that you're on the right track!

Cedric

Advisor

Kathryn Clement Clarksboro, NJ

I did event planning for 12 years..... Time Warner.... Secure your location/contract; See if permits are needed from township & get Mayor involved. Usually a town newsletter can be useful. See if you can get a few biz's to help fund / small is okay - don't go too big... ex: 10 business @ $25. is better than nothing. Go to sign company / local to help sponsor as well & get a banner made. Check out the local VFW's and keep flyers in there as well. Some biz will donate "copier time and paper" ... to get your flyers out. Small newspapers have community sections to adv. for free... as well as local Cable shows... get on the tv. And get a local reporter to interview you with all of this for free press as well as some Pastors... Free is good... Look at your date & see what else is going on in community - anything you can tie into?? Get people behind you..... Drum it up with all the free resources you can. A few cheap t-shirts can always help as well. . . again find someone to do your silk screen for next to nothing and have people start wearing them.... You can buy T-shirts at craft stores sales 4 for $10.
Kathryn

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