Kim Wold’s living room was stacked so high with boxes and totes she could barely move through it during her countdown to banquet day on May 22, 2021. It’s a scene probably familiar with dedicated RMEF committee members from chapters across the country. Kim is ticket chair for Kalispell, Montana’s 650-person RMEF banquet. She reserves tables, singles and couples tickets. Each year, her house is overtaken by lots of materials for registration, ticket sales, bid cards, place setting cards, packets, and donations. She’s been volunteering since 2001. Here are a few of her favorite banquet prep tips:
- Get the most out of your advertising dollars:
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- Ask for a non-profit rate
- Diversify your advertising—we advertise in many area newspapers, including online ads
- Radio ads: ask the radio stations why you should come to them with your business. Who are their listening audience? What are their peak listening times? Ask for a schedule
- Utilize your statewide Facebook page to get the word out
- Regardless the size of your banquet, use all of the marketing tools, including posters, business cards with your banquet information and post cards.
- Ask a local beverage distributor to produce large community banners to hang
- Stay within your advertising budget
- Offer early bird discounts on bundled raffle tickets, generating pre-banquet raffle sales.
- Utilize EMS by staying current with entries and efficiently track all sales.
- Build your registration packets on a regular basis, avoiding a pile up the last week before banquet day.
- Enjoy people, and sharing the RMEF mission, often you’re the first contact and voice for new members.
- Don’t hesitate to plant seeds. For example, over the phone I spoke with a real estate broker who became a new member by purchasing a reserved table, who sells properties in Montana and New Mexico, after I completed her table registration, I helped her access RMEF.org, Upcoming Events, select state, View Events In Your State, to view other upcoming banquets.