Proposal for a fundraising event for Hopeful Paws Feral and Stray Cat Rescue.

1. Hopeful Paws Bingo
An Event Proposal Created By
Mara Earp

2. Event Overview
Hopeful Paws will be hosting a Bingo night to fundraise for the organization. Currently Hopeful Paws relies totally on
donations and an event like this has the potential to create not only the much needed funds but a larger public awareness as
well.
Bingo, while usually associated with an older demographic, is making a noticeable resurgence in the Newton, NC area as is
clearly seen by the rising number of Bingo advertisements in the area. The demographic has expanded to the established
target market for Hopeful Paws of a single, college educated, financially secure, woman between the ages of 35 and 45.
This event will include several games of Bingo with the last being the “jackpot” that will bring in the most amount of money
for the organization by splitting the “pot” with the winner. While the game itself is engaging we will have a caller that is
energetic and play music to keep the energy up throughout the night. We will also be giving out information about Hopeful
Paws, as well as the cats, that will be targeted to enlighten attendees about the need for the organization and what the money
raised is going to do.
The plan is to have concessions available for the entire event with several volunteer staff meant to get the attendees engaged
and to promote a fun atmosphere where attendees feel more comfortable and confident in giving. The inclusion of some of
the adoptable feral cats being present should create its own brand of engagement and entertainment which should, in the best
case scenario, also help to boost social media engagement and sharing.
The Bingo night will he held on Friday February 23 from 7-10pm at Market on Main. The location is already popular so
while there should be a large attendance from promotion there is also a good chance we will draw in unplanned crowds
simply from the location.

3. Venue Overview
Market on Main at 335 Main Ave SW in Hickory
is going to be the ideal venue for our Bingo
night. It is centrally located within the county
and is in a high traffic area which will generate
walk in attendees. There is access to the venue by
personal vehicle as well as a main stop on the
public bus line. The warehouse room is available
on February 23 from 5pm until 12pm which will
allow for proper set up and break down time both
before and after the main Bingo event.
Market on Main lists several suggested vendor
that they partner with and offer a discount for
using those services while hosting the event with
them which will provide us with a DJ/caller as
well as food and beverages. A bonus is where
Market on Main lists the events being held in
their venue which will give us more face time
with the public for advertising.

4. Venue Specifics
The Warehouse room at Market on Main will provide us with the best accommodations
for the bingo fundraiser. The room seats 160 though can hold up to 225 with standing
room. Having the extra space will allow for the maximum number of attendees while
still giving us room for staff and volunteers without worrying with capacity limitations
and fire code violations.
The Warehouse room includes all tables, chairs, and basic linens which will work
perfectly with the natural theme we will be using. It also includes a bar and immediate
restroom access. There is a patio space for those who need to step outside to stretch
their legs. We are provided with a projector, which will give us the opportunity to show
photos of the cats we help as well as any other multi media presentations to be shown.
There is limited parking at the venue itself however, there is access to free public
parking less than a block away and this can be advertised. There is also ample access to
public transportation as well as Uber and taxi services. While outside food can be
brought in with an attached surcharge. Market on Main does offer a discount when
using the venue’s vendor partners which will benefit us and should drive the overall
cost down. All of the food partnered vendors provide menus that keep in mind allergies
and gluten intolerance.

5. Attendee Program

6. Staff Program

7. Promotional PlanOne of the most important ways for us to get the message out about the Hopeful
Paws bingo night is going to be utilizing our social media. By creating targeted posts
that are visually eye catching and posting them on not only the Hopeful Paws
Facebook and Instagram pages but also on personal pages, we will get the most
screen time possible. Asking those who are already supportive to place our post on
their personal pages with a link to the event venue, which will place the information
for the Bingo night on their page, once the room is booked, free of charge and to the
Hopeful Paws Facebook page will also stretch our reach and increase traffic to the
Hopeful Paws social media accounts.
Since most of the budget will be spend of the event itself we will look at placing adds
anywhere that is free of charge. This will include the Caldwell Community Calendar,
the Hickory City events page, and placing an add in the events section of the
Hickory/Lenoir Craigslist. We will also be going air with WFAE 90.7 public radio
out of Charlotte, NC and broadcast in the Newton/Hickory area for a short interview
about Hopeful Paws where an event plug can be said. We will also be adding a
comment to http://www.radiolineup.com/stations/WFAE-FM where anyone who
visits the page will see our event and all of the information that they will need to
attend.

8. Budget

9. EvaluationWhen we are looking back on the event we want to know what went as planned, what exceeded expectations, and what didn’t work. When it comes to you, the client, a debriefing meeting
about two weeks after the event so that we have all of the information that we gather available to us. In the meeting we will discuss in detail where we stand after the Bingo night is going
to the best way for us to really understand what we are looking at and where we want to go moving forward. I anticipate that this event is going to be a massive success and moving
forward we will be begin immediate plans for another fundraiser. In this meeting we can look at the feed back from the volunteer staff as well as those who were in attendance.
For the volunteer staff I would like to implement a two part survey. One survey will be given directly after the event before they are dismissed. This way we can gauge their immediate
reactions to the event. This will include questions such as:
- How was your overall experience working with Hopeful Paws?
-How do you feel the even would be categorized? Successful or unsuccessful?
- Would you consider volunteering for a Hopeful Paws event again?
- Do you have any suggestions or ideas that you believe would be beneficial for the next Hopeful Paws Event?
-Is there anything you would change about the event?
Once we have those surveys in I would distribute a second survey approximately a week later. I believe that time and space away from a project can give someone a much different opinion
on things. I want to know if the event was a lasting memory for those who worked it. After a week did your opinions change? The survey would include the same questions. This will give
us a real perspective on how those who worked for us felt and what we need to change to make the next event even better.
For those who attended the event as patrons I would like to see an email sent to them. First of all to thank them for their participation as well as to encourage them to continue to be a
Hopeful Paws champion. I would include a link to an online survey along with a request that they complete it so that we can gauge the success of the event as well as get any useful feed
back from those who attended. Survey satisfaction questions will include basic demographics as well as asking how they heard about the event. It will also in include:
-Did you enjoy your experience at the Hopeful Paws Bingo night?
-Do you have any suggestions for future events from Hopeful Paws?
-Is there anything that you would have changed about the Bingo night if given the chance?
-Would you consider attending another Hopeful Paws event in the future?
- How likely are you to tell a friend about Hopeful Paws since attending our Bingo night?
-Overall would you say that Hopeful Paws is an organization that you would be happy to have yourself associated with?
Once all of this information is in and available for us to look over we will be able to discuss which route we would like to go with he next event. We will be able to see from all
perspectives how the overall success of the event is being seen by others and exactly what needs to be tweaked.

10. Inspuuuration Board

11. References
Browne, T. (2012). The social trade show: Leveraging social media and virtual events
to connect with your customers. Indianapolis, IN: Que.
Caldwell, ID. (n.d). Retrieved October 22, 2017 from
http://www.cityofcaldwell.org/live/city-calendars/community-events
Dowson, R., & Bassett, D. (2015). Event planning and management: A practical
handbook for PR and events professionals. London: KoganPage.
U. (n.d.). Radio Lineup. Retrieved October 22, 2017, from
http://www.radiolineup.com/stations/WFAE-FM
Welcome. (n.d). Retrieved October 22,2017, from HTTP://hickorymarketonmain.com/