One of the most important things to consider even
before a charity has their very first meeting is simply this – Where are we
going to have our event?
Most likely this is simply the most important
decisions that a charity committee will make.
Why is it so important?
Ask yourself this – where would you like to go:
A. A Very nice place, clean with great service
and excellent food, or
B. An “Okay”
place, not very nice, not very clean…with acceptable food.
I’m picking “A.”
This is not a commercial but let me tell you about the
ultimate in venues, which is only located in Maryland – Martin’s Catering. What you should learn from this Blog is why I
think they are the ultimate. If I could
find venues like these across the country, it would make my life a lot easier.
Before I list out why they are the best in my opinion,
let me explain what a charity should be looking for and considering before they
make a decision.
Pricing – A common mistake charities make is when they
provide a minimal meal for a maximum price.
Guests will commonly get to the event and if they are given a minimal
meal offering, they will question why the ticket was so much. This is very true for medium to small
charities trying to grow their fundraising efforts. Once an event is established, charities can
charge whatever they wish but in the beginning, you seriously need to consider
giving people what they want. A charity
should NOT charge a maximum amount for a minimal meal in the beginning.
A common tactic by “Less than” venues is the “Used Car
Salesman” – they trick you in with a low meal cost with hidden fees that push
up the price a great deal – these “Add Ons” are where their profit lies.
Service – While deciding what venue, examine what
venues are familiar with your type of event.
A great way to determine this is…are they a venue of choice, meaning do
they a lot of events? A great venue will
take each event as if they are doing it for the President of the United
States. The staff is friendly, well
dressed and very accommodating.
Food – What type of food do they offer? How can they offer it – Plated or
Buffet? Examine what food they offer,
especially the “Meat” or protein. Ask
for a tasting and have high expectations.
Ensure that your guests will be very happy with their meals.
Cleanliness – A great venue will ensure they are
polished. This is easily determined from
the parking lot and the façade of the building.
Is it dated? Does the parking lot
have trash all over it and need to be repaved?
What does that tell you – the inside will be the same. Visit the venue while they are hosting another
event. Go into the bathroom and see if
the trash cans are full and pouring over.
Is there enough staff? How is the
staff dressed?
Customer Service – This is easy….are the staff
friendly and accommodating? Does the
sales staff treat you like they want your business? Do they want to help you host a fantastic
event? They should!!!
Why do I feel Martin’s Catering is the “Ultimate” in
catering? Because they provide all of
the above in spades.
Here is why:
Pricing – They truly work with us, BW Unlimited
Charity Fundraising, to provide a very economical price for our charity clients
which does not match the price the charity sells tickets for. They include Beer & Wine in the price and
do not hide costs to try to pump up the price.
They do not have “Add Ons.” They
want to work with our charity clients and provide the most they can.
Service – Their service is top notch, honestly, its
almost overboard. From the management
down to the actual floor staff, they constantly want to do more for their
guests and clients. The managers are more like Drill Sergeants commanding their
soldiers. Nothing gets overlooked.
Charities do not want to have an event that they have
to sub contract everything out. A venue
like Martin’s handles everything we need all in one place – simple and easy. Having to sub contract everything out is an
absolute pain and something will be missed, believe me.
Food – The food is great and plentiful. It’s not just common food either, its simply
fantastic and always very fresh.
Cleanliness – From the parking lot to the inside, the
place is spotless constantly. The staff
is dressed well as well as there is always enough staff on hand.
Take a look at their website and see exactly what I’m
talking about. Use Martin’s as a
guide.
Remember what I always say – what are the “Keys to a
successful fundraising event”? Venue
& Menu – the right place will give you both. It’s VITALLY important because your guests
will be drawn to your event if its held in a great place.
If you would like to learn more about us and want our
help in choosing a great venue, visit our website at www.BWUnlimited.com and contact us.
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