Page 32 - Barbecue News DEC 2020 Digital Issue

event help
Tips to Having a Successful Event
Vic Clevenger
Chimney Cartel
victor0568@gmail.com
Stories we will tell our grandkids will start out, “Back in my day there were BBQ & steak events every weekend all over the country.” Well, this may be a little extreme, but it’s kind of true as events have just started to come back. We’ve seen so many cancel that it’s nice to see. Personally, I have never had to cancel so many plane tickets or have plans change like this ever before in my career. But I’m, like so many oth- ers, confident events will come back and be better than ever.
Recently, I was speaking with someone looking to get into the food sport world, particularly, grilling. She has been furloughed from work due to the COVID pandemic. So, my advice to her was to work on getting her brand, logo, etc. all set up while she has the time. Once she’s ready and the events all come back, she’ll be ready to unveil her new ca- reer as a grilling queen.
The same can be said as we look at having successful events. Let’s be honest, it’s the end of August. The Holidays are going to be upon us before we know it. During a regular year, we are doing a balancing act between the holiday events and our cooking events. This year it will be easier with some many events not taking place but don’t let this time go wasted. 2021 will be here before we know it. We will have a handle on this virus and how we can have suc- cessful events. What we need to do is prepare while we have this down time. Then, once 2021 is here, we will be ready to unveil the best events ever. Here are a few tips to help with this.
Planning
It’s hard to say this is an actual tip because ‘planning’ your event should go without saying. But in this new era of planning this is more important than ever. The old Vaude- ville where the guy has several plates spinning on sticks, trying his best to keep them all up in the air. This is what it’s like to be an event planner. The location, the competi- tors, the sponsors and a lot more, has the planner moving back and forth trying to keep balance. Now, place in the mix the whole COVID-19 and there isn’t just one more plate added, but several.
With the added pressures of the pandemic, planning to the most minute detail is imperative. It’s easy to see the bigger things (ordering steaks for a steak cook-off) but the smaller things. Masks, hand sanitizer and the like are added to the list which never seems to end. This is why event planners are always in demand, they think of everything because they get started early. Promoters make the mistake in thinking they can just put something together and it will all just fall into place. Start planning early. Make your de- tailed to do list and add to it as needed. Your goal is to have a successful event and it all starts here.
Marketing
I remember when marketing for an event simply meant going to the stores downtown asking the clerk if they would hang up a flier. One of my first jobs was for a local pizzeria in my neighborhood. My job was marketing. Not the type of marketing your think with all the glam of a cor- ner office. The marketing I did was going door to door plac- ing filers and coupons on the screen door. Oh, how this has changed...sort of. What hasn’t changed, however, is the need for it. We all remember the famous line from the movie, “Field of Dreams.” The voice in the corn field simply said, “If you build it, they will come.” But, will they really? This is where marketing comes in to play. It really isn’t enough to have an event, thinking, “They’ll turn up.” You must get the word out, which is really what marketing is all about. The best type of marketing is word of mouth. Once you created that buzz, then you can expect a successful event. Without this marketing, this buzz, then you can guarantee the success will be minimal.
Availability
Have you ever tried calling someone with what you think is an urgent need? Then when the phone picks up, you think, “Finally, someone” but, it’s a voicemail. Even as you expect a call back, one never comes. Another frustrating thing is the unanswered email. What all of this shows is you, as the event planner or promoter, you are not available for ques- tions. In our COVID-19 climate, more and more questions are arising. Which in turn needs a response because your
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DECEMBER 2020