Sport is an activity that has the power to bring people together. Whether you are a player, spectator or a supporter, sport imbues a strong sense of community. Much like a charity, sport often steps up for a good cause. Combining the two in a sports charity event makes for a very successful fund- or awareness-raising event. While sports charity events can take significant time and financial effort to organise, these events can deliver a significant return in terms of awareness, supporter numbers growth, and funds. Here are our top 5 tips to organising sports charity events.
1. Set a Budget
The measure of a successful sports charity event is to raise as much money as possible. You don’t want to be dipping into the money raised to cover the event costs. While your budget will mostly rely on ticket sales, there are other ways to boost your budget. For instance, contacting local businesses, shops, and associated sports organisations to discuss sponsorship is a great way to gather donations and raffle prizes, without spending a penny! You might be surprised how many local businesses are willing to support your cause.
2. Choose a Venue
Charity sports events do not need be held at the side of a muddy football pitch. Here, you want to treat your supporters to a night of glitz and glamour, brushing shoulders with local celebrities. Look for a venue with sufficient capacity for your intended number of guests, so you can sell enough tickets to cover costs and reach your objective.
Sports charity auctions are ideal if you have a good selection of prizes. If you are short on prizes, make a list of local sport organisations who might be willing to lend a hand. Here, you need to be thinking in terms of, don’t ask, don’t get!
Your venue will need plenty of tables and chairs space, plus a stage and audio visual equipment for the auctioneer, presenter, or compere. Catering options offered by the venue will need to balance quality and value. Charity sports events usually rely on ticket sales so guests will need to feel they are getting value for their money too.
With a portfolio of sporting events to its name, OEC Sheffield is the perfect venue to host a charity event. Boasting an impressive selection of multi-purpose suites with room for up to 500 guests and a dedicated team to help you at every step of the way, we can help your idea become reality. Take a virtual room tour of the OEC. We know our spaces will be perfect for your event!
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3. Promotion
Getting the word out there is essential when it comes to organising sports charity events. The aim is to reach as many people as possible, via their favoured channels. Depending on your target audience, this could be social media, a local newspaper or radio station, printed flyers, or good old word of mouth. See how much you can get for free by mapping all possibilities and making lots of calls. When you’re asking for freebies, it tends to be easier to secure support over the phone or in person, rather than email.
The power of social media – word of mouse – can be amazingly successful when it comes to raising awareness. Create an event on Facebook and invite people from your local community, local sports organisations, friends, family! Share posts to relevant Facebook groups, local interest groups usually work best. When it comes to promoting sports charity events, the more the merrier! Social media is free to use organically but consider allocating some budget to social media advertising. It’s easy to set a budget and stick to it. Talk to a local marketing agency to get some free advice.
4. It Will Be Alright On The Night
Albeit, after careful planning and preparation! Plan how the night will proceed with meticulous attention to detail: activities and entertainment, food and drink, hospitality, facilities, and accessibility. Sports charity auctions, for instance, tend to be planned around food serving times and the availability of your chosen auctioneer. A room full of people can be daunting, so ensure you have a plan in place for a smooth-running event.
If that all sounds overwhelming, start with the overall objective of your sports charity event. From there, determine what the focus of the evening can and will be. In essence, what is your key selling point? Why should people buy a ticket for your event?
Here at the OEC, first-class entertainment and fine dining are our business. Understandably, we have an impressive array of contacts in the entertainment industry. We also boast a talented team of chefs, in our modern on-site kitchens. Let us help you create the perfect night! People can be very generous when they have a tummy full of delicious food!
5. The Most Important Thing Of All!
Have fun! Sports charity events are an important way of garnering financial support and raising awareness, but they are also a celebration. A celebration of bringing people together and making a difference. If the last few years has taught us anything, it is that the people around us are most important. Supporting and caring for each other is something that can never be replaced.
If you are organising a sport charity event, check out our fundraising and charity events page. For more information on hosting a sports charity event at the OEC Sheffield speak to our dedicated events planning team on 0114 232 0266 or email: hello@oecsheffield.co.uk
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