Author: TaylorMade Experience

November 17, 2015
in TaylorMade Best Practices

Event sponsors are worth their weight in gold—sometimes literally! Sponsors offer much-needed revenue to help with event operations—and you’ll want to build close relationships with them over time. The trouble can be, after spending so much time, effort, and resources to attract new sponsors, the strength of a new partnership can easily start to wane after the first year. In the beginning, the newbie is treated like a VIP—they’re given lots of attention and fanfare—but as time wears on, the attention might shift to newer sponsors. It’s all too easy to take...

November 5, 2015
in TaylorMade Best Practices

While we can’t stress enough how important annual events are for your non-profit organization or company, we do know that these events come with a big price tag. The good news is that you don’t have to foot the bill alone. You can increase event revenue by securing some really great sponsors. Easy solution, right? Not so fast—getting sponsors on board with your event and mission can be a lot of hard work. If you’re looking to attract sponsors to your next event, the following tips will help you start some lucrative...

October 1, 2015
in TaylorMade Best Practices

Everyone thinks they are a VIP, and you know what? They are absolutely right! Here at TaylorMade Experience, we make sure all of our clients and customers are given platinum-level treatment. After spending years catering to important event guests, celebrity speakers and entertainers, politicians, diplomats, we now have some tips and tricks in place that make all of our clients feel like total rock stars. If you’re looking to take a few plays out of our playbook, here’s how we work with the VIPs we encounter in our field. Board members From the very...

September 24, 2015
in Culture, The TME Team

Do you experience frustration with terrible service when you shop, eat out, check in to a hotel, attend an event, or travel? At every turn, I seem to notice a lack of customer service—and I’m sad to say, top-notch service has become a dying art. This is a topic that I hold very near and dear to my heart. When I started in business, I worked for Marriott International, a company that prides itself on “above and beyond service.” Providing excellent service is something that was ingrained in me at the...

September 17, 2015
in TaylorMade Best Practices, Tips for Nonprofit Fundraising

Whether you’re looking to increase donations, sales, exposure, or your guest list, holding an engaging event is your ticket to success. Your guests want to be immersed in an experience. They want to enjoy a night that’s inspiring and invigorating—they want to walk away from the event feeling like they’ve gained a lot just by attending. So, how do you provide your guests with an exciting and engaging experience that will increase donations or ROI? Start with the following: Know your audience This is the number-one, hands-down, most important aspect to throwing a fabulous event....

September 10, 2015
in Events, TaylorMade Best Practices

There are a million details involved with planning an event—from booking the venue in advance to sending thank-you notes to your guests. However, with so many moving pieces to manage, it’s easy to overlook a few crucial details. Specifically, there are five major—yet easily avoidable—mistakes you could make during your next event. Making these mistakes could cost you attendee engagement, exposure and awareness, donations, or ROI. If you want your next event to be a smashing success, then you’ll want to prevent the following mistakes from ever happening: Not including a testimonial For non-profits,...

August 20, 2015
in Events, Lessons Learned, TaylorMade Best Practices

Whether you’re a corporation or a non-profit organization, annual events are a key component to your company’s success. Before we dive into the importance of why you need to have annual events, let’s talk about the why they need to happen annually. While we understand an event takes time, energy, and resources, it is vital to have one at least once a year—especially for non-profits. Here’s why: You want to stay in front of your customers and donors.  If you hold bi-annual events, you run the risk of donors or customers forgetting...

July 8, 2015
in Lessons Learned

Golden Rolodex: noun A magical list of names that results in immediate and large donations to your cause. See also: gold-filled pots at the end of rainbows and geese that lay golden eggs. First, the bad news: I am very sorry, but it’s true. The Golden Rolodex is a myth. During our years managing the fundraising process and conducting outreach on behalf of our nonprofit clients, we have yet to meet anyone who has a list of names they can call and immediately gather millions of dollars in pledges. Now, the good...

March 13, 2015
in Events, Lessons Learned

Planning red carpet events usually comes with an extra level of stress. Since you are working with VIPs and celebrities your job ends up seeming like a very precarious balancing act, trying to keep things orderly, flowing and on time. We know it's not easy so we came up with some tips to keep in mind. 1. Make two separate lines. The key is to keep the red carpet clear and free. Make a separate line for non-VIPs to go directly into the rest of the event. This way photographers and media can...

February 3, 2015
in Events, TaylorMade Best Practices

1. Who are you? Description of organization and fund use. This is key for new prospects but is also a good reminder to your existing donor base. To both new and current contacts, this description answers the “Why?” question – why should I support this organization? This is your opportunity to share your mission, key programs, and the anticipated use of funds received as a result of your fundraising efforts. This is also your chance to use logic or if you’re a non-profit an emotional appeal to pull on the heart strings...