best practices Tag

July 13, 2026
in Culture, Events, TaylorMade Best Practices

In 2024, I wrote about taking my daughter Sofia to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour finale at London’s Wembley Stadium. Watching 92,000 fans light up in perfect sync was a masterclass in experience design, and I pulled four lessons from that night: craft the experience first, cultivate engagement, keep the excitement alive, and show genuine appreciation. Those touchstones have been on my mind again this summer as two slightly different headlines fill my feed: The FIFA World Cup 2026 is already the most attended tournament in history, drawing more than 3.6 million fans...

September 9, 2024
in Culture, Events, TaylorMade Best Practices

My daughter Sofia and I recently returned from London, where we attended the final show of the European leg of The Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium. Saying it was an unforgettable experience feels like an understatement. The show was brilliant, and it reaffirmed that Taylor Swift is not just a music icon but a master event orchestrator in every sense. As the post-concert glow faded, my business instincts kicked in. I found myself reflecting on what made the event so extraordinary. With over 25 years of experience planning and executing...

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...

September 17, 2014
in Culture, Lessons Learned, TaylorMade Best Practices

The summer sadly has come to an end; all of us are back into our routines. Regardless of whether or not you have kids, you were once a kid. The practice, preparation, and simultaneous joy and anticipation associated with back to school can be translated into the following lessons that can be applied at work, both within corporations and nonprofit organizations. Jump back in with both feet – All major cities tend to have a lull in the summer; business slows and vacations are in full effect. Just like being a...

August 11, 2014
in Events, Lessons Learned, TaylorMade Best Practices

Are you getting a lackluster performance out of your board or event committee? Are you not producing the results you had desired? Are you rallying the teams and just not getting anyone to bite? We feel your pain! Effective boards and event committees are essential in creating outreach lists for invitations, sponsorships, and cultivating new donors, so their lack of involvement can be a significant problem to your bottom line. Whether your board or event committee is uninvolved, hard to engage and excite, or just totally unresponsive, there are several ways...

August 5, 2014
in Events, Social Media, TaylorMade Best Practices

Our previous post on social media for events took us through the “5 W’s” – who, what, when, where, and why. This follow-up post will expand on the much-related “how” of social media for events. Now that you have answered your “W” questions, the how includes the all-important action items needed to maximize your social media integration efforts. Here are a few of TME’s best practices: Persevere. Many organizations utilize social media for their general mission and organization, but quite a few do not carry this over to their events, creating a...

July 31, 2014
in Above and Beyond, Lessons Learned, TaylorMade Best Practices

As the fall season of events approaches, it’s important to appreciate those who helped you achieve your event’s success, and amongst the mountain of wrap-up post-event, remembering to express gratitude and appreciation by saying “thank you” is an important post-event to do item. It sounds like a simple reminder, but it is often a forgotten art. Public thank you’s to donors, sponsors and guests is certainly well-deserved and should be a priority, but don’t forget to thank the rest of the team that put in a great effort. For any event...

July 22, 2014
in Events, Social Media, TaylorMade Best Practices

Think back to English class in grade school. You may remember hearing some form of litany from your teacher on the “5 W’s” of good writing and he or she might even have thrown in an “H” for good measure. Hopefully those lessons stuck with you, because we’re going to use them today to share our brief commentary on the intersection of audience engagement and social media. What? Interaction, engagement, excitement, enthusiasm, camaraderie – these are all words that could be used to describe the vibrant nature of well planned events.  What...

February 13, 2014
in Events, TaylorMade Best Practices

If you’re here in the D.C. Metro area with us this week, you’re liking seeing the same thing that we’re seeing: white.  Specifically, a white blanket of winter wonderland that wafted in from the south. While the snow is quite beautiful, it also wreaks havoc on what Robert Burns dubbed as  “the best laid plans.” Given that it’s Valentine’s Day weekend, I would venture to say that quite a few plans have been made. And certainly a number of events were planned in the city as well, including an event that...