Event Spotlight: Marin Humane Goes Virtual for Fundraising Gala
Want to hear about the time we thought it was a challenge to take an established fundraiser out of a country club ballroom and move it onto a grass field normally reserved for puppy training classes? Naturally, we hit it out of the park; delighting both the client and their guests during a beautiful evening spent outdoors raising money to support Marin Humane. Of course, in 2020, an evening with 350 guests—even an outdoor gala—simply wasn’t an option. The stakes for this annual fundraiser were suddenly even higher as we were challenged to move to a virtual event.
Our relationship with Marin Humane began when they asked for our assistance with their annual fundraising gala in 2019. The event had been hosted at a country club for many years, but the clients’ dream was to host the gala at their expansive campus. Our team loves a challenge and we were thrilled by the idea of moving an elegant fundraising event for 350 guests to the facility lawn. The 2019 gala was an immense success, even winning “Best Charity Gala" in their local newspaper (Marin Independent Journal). That same evening, while the caterers were breaking down tables and the AV team disassembled the stage, the client asked us to renew the partnership for the following year. Little did they know that the challenge to host 350 guests at an animal shelter in 2020 would pale in comparison to having to turn their in-person gala into a virtual one. Like a superhero coming to the rescue, Kennedy Events said, “Never fear…we’ve got you!”
Personality Reigns Supreme
Project Manager Marianne Jackson knew the key to a successful virtual event was keeping the energy high and the agenda snappy. In order to raise the necessary funds, Marin Humane would need to have a dynamic live auctioneer, so they hired the previous year’s attendee favorite, John Curley. Not only had he done a spectacular job the previous year, but he had also demonstrated prowess in virtual fundraising events. Carolyn McArdle, our 2019 MC extraordinaire and radio host from San Francisco’s own 98.1 The Breeze, was also on board again. The deck was already stacked with great talent who had an established rapport from the 2019 gala.
With COVID safety top of mind, we opted to have our auctioneer and MC broadcast live from the Marin Humane campus auditorium. This allowed us to have the energy of an engaged stage program as well as a controlled environment for sophisticated film production. As an added bonus, we were able to insert a few “guest” puppies live on the virtual stage throughout the evening. PRO TIP: any opportunity in virtual events to bring in a bit of whimsy and warmth is pure gold.
Between the segments from our auctioneer and MC, we had highly produced video content from sponsors, staff, and board members talking about the value Marin Humane provides to the community. All of these elements together made for a fast-paced, seamlessly-produced program that ended up raising over $400,000 in under an hour!
Behind the Scenes
KE Senior Producer Marianne Jackson spends some quality time with one of the events special guests.
There are still many common misconceptions when it comes to virtual events. (Check out this vlog post from KE Partner Paige Buck sharing the three misconceptions we hear about the most). One of the most common is “a platform is all you need.” In truth, what you really need is an event producer who knows every single task that needs to be done and holds everyone accountable. You also need a strong AV team who knows how to run cameras, lighting, audio, graphics, and video switching. For Marin Humane’s one-hour program (plus a one-hour pre-show), we had a crew of six for AV in addition to Senior Producer Marianne and Technical Director Steve. KE Partner Paige also stepped in as our COVID compliance officer, making certain that everyone was safely distanced and masked at all times. Rounding out the team was our MC plus the auctioneer and his assistant (who ran all the fundraising graphics). This was our show day dream team.
There were hundreds of hours of additional work that went into the planning and execution of this event; including graphic design, packing and shipping of swag boxes, video filming, and editing, and sponsorship management. With both live and virtual events, it all comes down to the details. In virtual events, however, even a tiny mistake can be a lot more obvious because your audience is less forgiving.
Expertise Equals Success
We knew as early as April 2020 that we would need to take the Marin Humane program virtual. We urged the client to allow us to focus our time and attention on building a successful digital experience; still hoping that we’d be able to host their September event in person. We aren’t fortune tellers, but we are absolute experts in all things events. We had the foundation of knowledge and tools to immediately guide our clients in the right direction and focus their resources on building an event that could meet their capital campaign goals while still creating an engaging program for loyal donors. At our core, we are solutions seekers and that skill has been nothing but further honed by our experiences throughout 2020.
Are You Ready to Take Your Fundraiser Virtual?
If you’re considering moving your upcoming fundraiser to a virtual platform, Kennedy Events is here to help you. We have the knowledge and resources to help you bring in much-needed capital for your non-profit. Give us a call today and schedule a free 30-minute consultation with a virtual event expert.
MARIANNE JACKSON
Marianne Jackson is a senior producer and the creative director at Kennedy Events. She specializes in making our client’s biggest design and decor dreams tangible while also ensuring that the event day menu is worthy of a Zagat mention. (Seriously, her taste and culinary connections are that good). Her fervor for adventure, cuisine, and aesthetics is visibly apparent in every event—whether in-person or virtual—she produces.
About Kennedy Events
Kennedy Events began with one goal in mind—to produce high-level corporate events with just as much strategy as style. Maggie founded the company in 2000, found her match in Paige, and in 2011 the two became official partners. Since then, these two resourceful and brilliant creatives have pooled their strengths to build one one of the most the most sought after corporate event companies in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles.
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