Working with Venues + Volunteers
Working with Venues
We love our venues! SPARKcon is all about highlighting creativity and talent in our own community and this includes local businesses. Here are some great tips when working with venues for your events. If you are having trouble thinking of or getting in touch with a good venue, mention it at the next General Meeting or ask a Bobblehead. Raleigh venues often love working with SPARKs and some have already expressed interest in hosting events! Donation of a venue space is considered separately from sponsorships and will be recognized accordingly.
1. Do your research – really think about the venue you are approaching. How many people can they fit? What are their interests or clientele type? This way you can make sure they are a good fit for your type of event and that your event will be beneficial to their business!
2. Approach them early – This is very important, most venues book up pretty far in advance so you will want to start your dialogue with the intended venue as soon as possible.
3. Sponsorship – if the venue you have approached would like to be listed as an in-kind Sponsor, please discuss with Sarah Powers (sarah.visualartexchange.org) before a sponsorship level is determined.
4. Equipment – once you have teamed up with a venue establish what equipment they will have available for your event. You will need to know this so that you can secure any needed equipment (like microphones or chairs). It is also important for you to find out if there are any extra fees associated with rental of equipment from a venue.
5. List on Google calendar – once you have secured a venue you should immediately post this on your SPARK’s Google calendar. This way we can see if there are any potential conflicts and other SPARKs will know not to approach that venue for that time slot.
6. Follow up – Keep checking in with your venue prior to your event! These are busy people and they have a lot going on, so be sure to follow up with them and make sure that they do no double book your event or to see if there are any changes you will need to prepare for.
7. Thank you – We want to make sure that all venues know how much we appreciate their participation, so send them a thank you letter or email after the event.
Tracking Attendance
For marketing, grant writing, and for future SPARKcons, it is important that we track attendance numbers. Some venues (like bars/restaurants) will be able to give you their own number estimates for attendance. Basic head count estimates are the best way to gather attendance estimates. We also encourage to use QR codes, twitter, Facebook and other online tools as a way of tracking demographics.
How long should volunteers be expected to help?
Plan shifts up to 4 hours depending on the event.
Where do I find volunteers?
Please plan to reach out to your SPARK and network first. SPARKcon is always recruiting volunteers but the most engaged and dedicated volunteers often come from within your own SPARK or creative community. Please let us know what you need after you tap into your networks.
What information should I be ready to provide?
Official time and location of event
When and where to meet
General idea of what volunteers will be doing
What to wear/what not to wear
What to bring/what to leave in your car
What to eat in advance
Where to park
Specifics about the event (musicians, etc.)
Who will be the volunteer contact at the event
Will they be lifting anything heavy
Is there an after party
What are you worried about at the event?
What if they do not show up?
Be calm and patient. We plan for contingencies, so ask for help!
How do I thank volunteers?
E-mails, calls and notes are great thank you tools. So make sure you get your volunteers contact information! Please thank them profusely!
