Three Tips to Make Your Virtual Gala a Success

Now that people have seen the benefits of virtual events, they're here to stay. Looking to really knock your next Virtual Gala out of the park? We've compiled 3 tips to get you started and keep you going. Hope you enjoy!

1. Keep it Simple

Virtual and hybrid galas are here to stay, so use the lessons learned from hosting galas throughout the pandemic. Keep the gala brief, since participants may become less engaged the longer they sit in front of their screens. We recommend keeping your gala’s run of show short, specific, and airtight to help ensure participant engagement. We also recommend pre-recording any speeches or interviews you plan to incorporate to help ensure a smooth, professional event.

2. Start Your Silent Auction Early

Raising funds for your organization and mission is one of the top priorities of hosting your gala. To maximize fundraising and reach your goals, we recommend starting at least 21 days before your gala using an auction software, such as the Trellis fundraising platform. This will let you start accumulating donations before the event to boost the amount raised during the event.

3. Cultivate Enticing Promotional Content

Keeping participants engaged is one of the biggest challenges of hosting galas in a virtual space. To keep participants engaged and focused, incorporate guest speakers, videos, other multimedia, and a variety of live hosts. We recommend pre-recording any guest speakers and playing them as videos during your event to ensure smooth execution.

Interested in learning more about the intricacies of fundraising and hosting virtual events? Check out our trainings listed here!

Looking to improve your training and facilitation skills? Check out our Train the Trainer: Curriculum Planning to Engaged Delivery to Participant-Centered Practice workshop series here!

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