Wrapping up an event doesn’t just end when the last guest leaves; in fact one of the most critical steps of an event architecture comes after the event; sending thank yous. Thank yous help with post-event marketing and keep awareness going to help build stronger relationships. Not to mention, giving gratitude is just good practice!
One way to highlight your “thanks” could be including a photo or statistic of how their support impacted the organization/event. Or use the thank you to extend an invite to a complimentary event where they could see mission in action. If you have a budget, you could even ask to bring lunch into the office and connect with key employees about the organization.
So in honor of Thanksgiving right around the corner, here’s DGE’s top 5 groups of people who should be “thanked” after an event:
- Planning Committee – Often times these committees are made up of volunteers who have donated their time, talent and connections to help make your event successful. Your planning committee could even include your family and friends who you’ve simply bounced an idea off of. Don’t forget those who helped you along the planning process!
- Sponsors/Donors – Whether you’re trying to raise money or just want to make the event run at no cost, sponsors and donors are vital. Every level of giving should be recognized and celebrated, not just your top supports. It’s important to remember with your thank you to make it meaningful, but not over the top since you don’t want to spend the money they just gave you.
- Attendees – People are busy, yet they chose to carve time out of their schedule to support you and your event. Be sure to recognize that effort, even if they didn’t spend money, they still helped bring energy to your event!
- Volunteers – Similar to the planning committee, the volunteers who are helping with the logistics of the event are instrumental. They are the individuals who roll up their sleeves when everyone else is enjoying the event. If volunteers receive a heartfelt thank you, they will most likely return to help in at the next one.
- Vendors – Even though vendors are paid participants of the event, they play a vital role to the event’s success. Vendors have the option when and who to work with, so if they did a great job it’s important to build a partnership so you get first priority on future dates!