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Hints on organising an event

Here are some ideas that you can use to create an exciting community event or launch.

Get a team together

Don't do it by yourself, get help from other people in your organisation. Brainstorm with the members of your group and come up with a few workable ideas. Form a team and allocate event responsibilities according to time and availability.

Work out a budget

Work out a budget for the event and stick to it. Work out what equipment, food, refreshments you need for the event around this budget.

If members of your organisation cannot help organise the event, ask them if they can help through donating items to help lower the cost of the event, such as:

refreshments
food
stationery for invitations
postage
tables and chairs
public address system
lighting
entertainment.

Invitations

When developing the guest list consider inviting:

your own organisation's officials or representatives
people who have volunteered to help with the launch or volunteered
goods or services to complete the project
the Treasurer
the Gambling Community Benefit Committee Chairperson
your local State or Federal Member of Parliament
your councillor
similar community organisations
neighbouring community organisations
key peak body representatives.

Plan and rehearse

To help run the event smoothly, develop an event run sheet. A run sheet helps you plan your event. It lists in chronological order the activities which will occur during the time period of the event. Before the day of the event, distribute the run sheet to the volunteers,staff, invited guests and media.

If you are taking invited dignitaries through your premises for a tour or showing them how your equipment works, do a 'trial' run before the event.

Check all equipment which will be used at the event is in working order.

Make sure volunteers and staff from your organisation at the event wear name badges, which clearly show their name and your organisation's name/logo. This will make it easier for your invited guests to know who is part of your organisation.

Ask your invited guests if they have any special requirements (dietary, culture, accessibility).

Get media coverage

Send a media release to local media. Don't forget to follow up once you've sent the media release.

Remember events and launches are fun. They are a celebration of the hard work the members of your organisation have put into the project.