Turn Drinkers into Donors: Part One

Part of a successful fundraising event is providing opportunities for your guests to socialize. This component is typically referred to as the reception or cocktail hour. After guests check-in, the first thing the majority of them are going to do is head to the bar. Bar placement is uber important but that is a topic for another day.

An interesting fact about human behavior is that when in social settings, we often don’t know what to do with our hands. Sounds weird, I know, but think about it. People feel more comfortable with something in their hands because it gives them something to do with their hands. Have you ever seen Talladega Nights?

Once we have a drink in our hands, we aren’t going to only look at it. We are going to consume it and when it is empty, we don’t want to walk around with an empty drink because that looks strange, so we get another. Rinse and repeat.

To keep your guests from engaging in the rinse and repeat scenario about, limit your reception/cocktail hour to 90 minutes. That’s it. Period. No exceptions and no excuses. By limiting your social timeframe, your guests will be the perfect mix of relaxed and ready to support your mission.