Sign of the times: Using AI to support the planning of events

Many of us are naturally wary of using AI tools - but rather than taking away our jobs, if we can embrace some of the fantastic tools out there, we can hopefully use it to enhance our jobs…and make our lives a lot easier! Here are some ways that the Coveted team has been thinking about using AI in our everyday event planning:

1. By making predictions for your event needs: AI analyses historical event data to forecast venue size, catering quantities, and staffing needs, reducing waste and preventing overspending. All of our clients are charities and foundations, so we understand the pressure to keep costs low

2. By streamlining venue selection process: There are AI-powered platforms that use machine learning to predict venue options that match your event requirements, speeding up the selection process (try Hire Venue as a starting point)

3. By creating personalised attendee experiences: AI can suggest tailored content, sessions, and networking opportunities based on attendee profiles, enhancing engagement. You could try uploading audience profiles and demographical information to ChatGPT to provide you with content and entertainment ideas, for example

4. By maximising fundraising activities: You can use AI tools to produce and copy edit your prize/lot descriptions for Live and Silent Auctions, or even for doing prospect research and creating biogs for event guests, or making recommendations for prize ideas, based on our guestlist

5. By supporting with on-the-day event tools: You can use AI to helps schedule tasks, set up agendas, and delegate responsibilities for smoother on-the-day event management, even helping with elements such as organising video and photo shot lists.

6. By creating AI-Driven marketing and promotional materials: Many of us already use Canva’s AI-generated content which can help you to produce quick marketing collateral (sponsorship decks, invites, videos) and you could also try using ChatGPT and Jasper AI for similar outcomes. Meta’s AI functionality and analytics can also help you target certain audiences.

7. By enabling you to make strives towards sustainability: Aside from recommending eco-friendly practices, AI can predict exact catering needs and help you to optimise resources to reduce your waste and carbon footprint

A Coveted Conversation...on food

We hosted a wonderful evening at Mission Kitchen near Vauxhall with Discreet, a catering company who are fully sustainability focused (not just for events but how we operate the business as a whole) and who believe in giving value back to the client. Partners from Impetus, The Prince’s Trust, Save the Children and many more joined us for drinks in the last of the sunshine, before we moved inside for discussion. Afterwards enjoyed a delicious menu, curated by Discreet’s Head Chef, Henry, reflecting the nose-to-tail approach that we had discussed.

We sat down with Eva Bernstton, Co-Founder of Discreet, to ask her about Discreet and the practices they employ…

CC: How can event planners ensure that they are providing the high end, luxury experiences that our guests required, whilst on a budget?

EB: We believe in operating under two concepts to be more sustainable and cost effective – “nose-to-tail” menus design and by operating a closed-loop kitchen. Basically, if you have 50 dishes on the menu it is unfortunately impossible to be a sustainable company, no matter where the produce is coming from. So, we want to eliminate waste etc at source by instead working with our chosen suppliers to have 20/30 seasonal items of produce that we creatively turn into either canapes or mini plates or dinners etc, and that changes as the seasons comes and goes. Keeping the menu smaller, more exclusive, and elegant, and most importantly allowing us to operate sustainably and give back value to clients and suppliers.

CC: How can we work with our committees to take a commitment to sustainability seriously at events?

EB: If they need persuading, I think it’s important to get them informed about sustainability and it’s importance first of all, and also highlight that it does not mean the event necessarily need to cost more. For example, with our nose-to-tail menu design, you can reduce the menu cost whilst still incorporating the nicer cuts of produce, showing more creativity, and elevating the experience for the guests. I think we all need to recognise the growing importance of embracing sustainability in our industry. With an increasing global focus on environmental consciousness, it is crucial that we adapt our planning approaches to create more eco-friendly experiences. By implementing sustainable practices, we can ensure that our luxury events not only leave a lasting impression on our guests.

CC: What should event planners consider when thinking sustainably about the whole table? 

EB: It’s definitely not just about the food. Choose suppliers that also are focused on the ethical responsibilities of their business. While sustainability itself is a broader and more long-term concept, focusing on ethical responsibility, to do what's right for the world and its future is equally important to be sustainable.

We believe an organisation needs to show responsibility for the impacts of its decisions and activities on society and the environment. This being done through transparent and ethical behaviour that then contributes to sustainable development, including health and the welfare of society. So I’d suggest research your suppliers properly, noy just the product but how the business is run as a whole. At Discreet we have made the decision to purchase some of our equipment ourselves, so that we can support local businesses and individual creatives from our own shores.

CC: What can we do when seasonality impact tastings?

EB: When choosing a caterer in the early stages of the event planning process, I think it is more important to experience the quality of the food, rather than the exact dish for the event . So, when appointing a caterer say 6 months before the event, go try the food and make sure you are happy with the quality of what they are producing, and appoint them to be your catering partner. Then you can do another tasting closer to the event date with the exact dishes and final touches.

Our next Coveted Conversation will take place on 15 October with a focus on working with committees: sign up here to join the conversation for free!

The morning after: our tips for what happens after your special event

When mapping out a project timeline for a new event, one of our main pillars is to consider what happens after the event. We wanted to share with you some of our tips for successful post-event stewardship and how to make the most of new donors who attended the event.

1. First things first, thank everyone, especially those who have donated! The charity special event market is one that is saturated, so you should thank your guests for choosing you over other charity events.

2. Share the total raised - Your donors want to feel a part of your achievements and it may even encourage guests to donate more to boost the total.

3. Get feedback! It’s important to consult your guests on their experiences of the event not only so that you can improve it, but also to show you appreciate their input. They may also choose to become more involved - as partners, sponsors or committee members - in future years, to help shape and grow the event

4. Follow up with donations and auction payments as soon as possible - The longer you leave it, the less likely the donation will be secured and it could even give the impression that you don’t need the money! When using event tech platforms such as EMMA Live, you’ll have the opportunity to produce tailored but automated email comms to make this process as straightforward as possible

5. Reach out whilst the buzz and excitement from the event is still fresh - Along the same lines, if any of your guests expressed interest in supporting your organisation further, get in touch sooner rather than later and share ways of how they can, whether it’s a longstanding corporate partnership, joining a committee or donating a prize at a future event.

6. Invite donors and prospects to future events - Whether a thank you lunch for all those who have given generously or a new campaign launch where they can hear how their funding is supporting you to make significant change, bringing them even closer to your cause.

7. Thanking someone for donating shouldn’t be the end of the story - You have inspired someone to donate at your event, so it’s highly likely you can inspire them to donate again. So map out what the stewardship and engagement journey for each donor looks like over the coming months and years. It’s important to share updates, for example if they funded a specific project, make sure they continue to hear how it’s going and what’s left to be achieved.

8. Demonstrate impact - One way to maintain contact and momentum is to send out an impact report or update, 3 - 6 months after the event, to highlight how the income raised from the event has made a difference to your organisation. You might want to share video content or invite guests to visit your work in action, to further demonstrate the impact.

Developing new events: how can charities create new products for their calendar?

Our first post in a few months comes after a very busy start to 2023! One of the areas that we discuss the most with clients is how to keep things fresh and develop new event formats to ensure that their donors and guests avoid event fatigue.

When we work with charities, we’ll often start with an event ideation session to formulate new concepts. Here are some strategies that can help you come up with fresh and creative event ideas:

1. Brainstorming sessions and other creative thinking techniques

   Organise brainstorming sessions or use other tools (such as mind mapping, storyboarding) with staff, volunteers, and stakeholders to generate ideas for events. Create a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone feels encouraged to share their thoughts and suggestions. Capture all ideas, even if they seem unconventional, and evaluate them later.

2. Needs assessment

   Conduct a needs assessment within your target audience or community to identify gaps and opportunities. Survey or interview your beneficiaries, supporters, or other stakeholders to gather insights on their preferences, interests, and needs. Use this feedback to develop event ideas that address those needs.

3. SWOT Analysis
   Conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis to identify your organisation's internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats. Use this analysis to identify areas where events can leverage strengths and opportunities or address weaknesses and threats.

4. Research
   Stay informed about the latest trends, innovations, and best practices in the non-profit and event industries. I’m one of the original founders of the Special Events Forum for the Charity Sector and there’s a wealth of ideas, knowledge/information sharing from within this LinkedIn group. You might want to conduct research online, attend industry conferences or workshops, and engage with other event manager peers to learn about successful event ideas and strategies that can be adapted for your organisation.

5. Collaborations
   Collaborate with other non-profits, businesses, or community partners to generate new event ideas. Jointly plan and execute events that align with your mutual goals or interests, and leverage each other's resources, expertise, and networks to create unique and impactful events.

6. Feedback from past events
   Evaluate feedback from previous events to gain insights and generate new ideas. Review post-event surveys, collect feedback from attendees, and analyse event data to identify areas for improvement or new event concepts based on what has resonated well with your audience in the past.

7. Engage with your community
   Engage with your organisation’s community through social media, online forums, or focus groups to gather feedback and ideas for events. Ask for suggestions and experience from your community members, and use their input to shape your event ideas.

8. Inclusivity and diversity

   Embrace inclusivity and diversity in your event planning process. Ensure that diverse perspectives and voices are included, and actively seek input from underrepresented groups to generate event ideas that are inclusive and relevant to a wide range of participants.

Remember that generating new event ideas is an iterative and ongoing process. Keep an open mind, be willing to take risks, and be flexible in adapting and refining your ideas based on feedback and changing circumstances.

With creativity, collaboration, and a focus on your organisation's mission and audience, you can come up with exciting and impactful event ideas to raise all-important funds and awareness for your organisation.

Good luck!
Rebecca x

Sustainable events: reducing waste whilst increasing your social impact

We work with a number of organisations to deliver global conferences, summits and convenings. Particularly after such a long time apart, we truly appreciate the value of being together in person. However, as an agency we strive to encourage sustainability and provide a number of recommendations for organisations to consider. These include: 

• Encouraging organisations to send one representative to global convening s and encouraging overland travel where possible

• Providing a virtual/online option (which can also increase your reach and inclusivity) 

• Sourcing food and drink from local suppliers 

• Working with local teams and suppliers to provide AV, florals, photography and more

• Removing single-use plastics (straws, plastic bottles, wrapped items) 

• Moving to digital programmes and signage

• Reusing lanyards and using recycled and recyclable materials if producing any other printed items

• Partnering with other organisations to share resources/materials

• Re-using materials year-on-year (e.g. ensuring banners/branding is undated so that it can be used again) 

In the UK, we’re big fans of Event Cycle who encourage and facilitate the reuse of event items and materials. Have you seen other organisations doing the same thing?

Want to find out more? Or keen to chat about ways to reduce waste at your next charity event or conference? Do get in touch with Rebecca 

Comment below with your thoughts 👇🏼

The Coveted Team's 2020 Reflections

It’s taken us. a while to pull some of reflections together but we hope that this message finds you all safe and well after an incredibly challenging year – and indeed, a difficult start to 2021. Last year was a rollercoaster for us all – both personally and professionally – with nearly all of our in-person events postponed or cancelled and some of our favourite annual projects unable to happen. What looked like a bumper year of conferences and events, was impacted dramatically when Covid-19 hit.

But in the midst of all of the stress and sadness, we’ve also been able to take lots of activity online, learn to work with incredible new technologies, and to support existing and new charity clients to raise money and awareness for their critical work. Plus between us we moved and bought houses, got engaged and had a baby! ❤️

Here are some of our highlights from 2020… 

In January we hosted drinks receptions for the hardworking committees and advisory panels supporting some of our largest fundraising galas throughout the year. We were so excited about the year ahead!

In February our last in-person fundraising gala – the Rainbow Ball for Richard House Children’s Hospice – saw this London-based charity raising over £400,000, exceeding all previous amounts with a colourful evening of entertainment 🌈

In March we flew back from South Africa just in time for lockdown and experienced the devastating effects that the pandemic has had across the charity sector, with many events and campaign postponed indefinitely whilst organisations grappled with what was to come. We were able to host a number of “Coveted Cuppa” conversations over Zoom with event manager colleagues to talk through plans and work together to find solutions for virtual activity.  

But in April the first of BAFTA’s Academy Circle events transitioned online and we have loved hosting these intimate Q&A sessions virtually over the last months, with stars including Ruth Wilson, Rosamund Pike and Hugh Grant.  

In June we should have been hosting events in Monaco but instead one of our first virtual galas - for the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra – was jointly hosted by the organisation’s London, New York and Tel Aviv offices for over 100,000 viewers and raising over $1m.

In July we instead ran virtual summer parties – wine tastings, Escape Rooms, quizzes and live DJs, all from the comfort of our living room. It’s not quite the same though, is it??

Most importantly, in August we celebrated Kerry’s 30th birthday! And worked with the team at UAL for the first time, to deliver virtual panel discussions as part of their graduate showcase,

In October some of our annual projects went online for the first time, with the Global Schools Forum Annual Meeting (previously hosted in Switzerland and Kenya) moving to digital and the 40th anniversary of the International Fundraising Congress (IFC) taking place as a virtual summit with over 1,000 attendees from 80 countries. We also had the opportunity to work with the fantastic team at Bite Back 2030 on their Youth Summit, a hybrid event for a charity whose mission is to achieve a world where all young people have the opportunity to be healthy, no matter where they live.

In December we rounded off the year with a fantastic Global Gala for Sadlers Wells, featuring renowned performers Carlos Acosta and Akram Khan, with special guests including Sting, Olivia Lovibond and Fiona Shaw. The global innovation challenge with Reimagining Fundraising saw a highly interactive and engaging We loved working on virtual Christmas parties and supporting with gifting ideas for incredibly hardworking remote teams across the UK.

What are we looking forward to in 2021?

We HOPE that the world will open up again and that we can soon meet again and host in-person events, parties, galas and conferences with our wonderful clients! But in the meantime, we’re looking forward to seeing more innovation and exploring new technologies to help us raise more money for fantastic causes who have never needed it more.

If you’re planning an event in 2021 and would like to take advantage of our FREE events surgery on 29 January, please get in touch to book a consultation! 

Share your thoughts in our events survey!

We’re asking events managers to participate in our events survey, sharing your experiences of the last 12 months, particularly how you have worked with event technology. Click here to submit your thoughts and we’ll be producing a report to share with you all later in the month.

The C word: how we're working with charities at this time

Our major events calendar has largely been postponed or placed on hold until the end of 2020 and as such, we’ve been considering how we support and work with charities during the Coronavirus crisis.

1. Managing virtual events: We can project manage events from concept to delivery; advise on the best technologies to meet your brief; support with forecasting budget scenarios and provide case studies and connections from organisations who may be delivering similar events.

2. Providing free consultations - As charities look to plan ahead, we are also offering free 3-hour consultation packages to support with any of the key challenges that they are facing, including:

   • Transitioning events online - It may be an easier move for conferences or smaller activity, but how do you take a gala dinner online and deliver the same experience that allows you to raise significant funds?

   • Replacing lost income - With major gaps in income as events are cancelled or see ticket sales decrease, many charities are seeking to run online appeals or campaigns to fundraise for their services. We can work with you to develop these plans, introducing you to partners who can produce something compelling to bring your work to life.

   • Developing new activity - As organisations anticipate that larger events may be on hold for the foreseeable and that restrictions may prevent us for hosting major activity, we’ve had lots of enquiries about developing smaller events - from more intimate leadership symposiums to high value private dinners.

3. Connecting clients and venues - Dates in Autumn/Winter 2020 and Spring 2021 are already in high demand as all pre-summer activity from this year shifts to later months. This is leading to challenges in finding appropriate venues and the Coveted team is working with venues to support them in offering available dates, and working with organisations to carry out thorough venue searches, at no cost, saving valuable time and resource.

If we can support with your activity during Covid-19 and beyond, please do get in touch.

The C word: learnings from our first #CovetedCuppa with charity events managers

Having observed many of the same questions repeatedly being raised in chat groups and through online forums, we suggested a conversation to talk through some of the challenges faced by events managers working in the non-profit sector. We hadn’t quite anticipated that over 100 people would join us for our first #CovetedCuppa and a vibrant discussion about how we’re handling these extraordinary times.

So what were our key learnings from this initial discussion?

Much of our conversation was focused on the postponement of events. Certainly at Coveted, we’re encouraging our clients to consider postponing rather than cancelling altogether, allowing them to continue to engage their donors and encourage face-to-face opportunities that will be all the more precious in the months to come. We ran some quick online polls to identify some of the key trends affecting the sector. You can see the rest of our findings here but it’s clear that the current thinking is firmly on postponing events at this stage, rather than cancelling altogether.

The question still remains as to when to postpone to and to understand when is appropriate to start promoting events activity. Our recent poll demonstrated that there are still some yet to move or cancel their events pre-summer, however it’s very likely that these will be postponed in the coming weeks.

September is proving to be one of the most controversial months. Many events are currently scheduled (either longstanding events or postponed) for this time but there’s still a lot of concern around this period; whether international travel will be permitted; whether sales targets will be reached; whether guests/delegates will have been financially impacted.

As the week's progress it’s clear that the situation is changing on a daily basis and organisations are facing tough decisions to ensure that they can respond to changing climate.

Finally, we talked through how we were feeling. As events managers, we’re so used to being able to plan, to being in control, to working through a Gantt chart in order to meet deadlines. Without a calendar of events, there’s a sense of discombobulation as we try to navigate the challenges, staying focused and motivated.

We’re sending our thoughts and best wishes to all of those impacted by Covid-19, particularly those who have lost their jobs, been furloughed, or suffered significant income loss in recent weeks.

What’s your experience of Coronavirus? How is it affecting your day-to-day working life? Have you personally been involved with an event or project cancelled as a result of the virus? Get in touch to share your experiences or join our next #CovetedCuppa for the charity sector on 17 April at 12PM BST.

The C word: the impact of Coronavirus on the events sector

The C word. It’s near impossible to avoid getting through a day without opening an email or reading a headline that is in some way impacted by Coronavirus. For the events industry, there are major implications and the effects have been significant - from cancelled conferences to closing agencies, this is a bleak time for our sector.

And for many of Coveted’s clients - the majority of them charities or non-profits - the cancellation of events results in loss of income and potential closure of vital services. For us as events managers, it’s a challenging time both professionally and personally, as we lose the structure that our events calendars and Gantt charts offer.

So what can we do at this time of uncertainty?

1. Communicate - Now more than ever, communication is key as there are so many uncertainties and your stakeholders will be unsettled and unsure.

   • With guests and sponsors, plan your communications carefully, be sure that you are clear about what you do know, what you don’t yet know or are uncertain of, and when you will be making future decisions. Consider how you can create personalised communications and continue to look after these key relationships, even if remotely

   • With clients, keep in touch! Their events may not be the priority at this stage but as the weeks progress and they are open to thinking about next steps, be sure to touch base and be able to offer support and advice about what actions to take. And when they’re ready to commit to new dates or events, you can be ready to take things forward

2. Pivot to digital - Whether working group meetings, training or even events themselves, consider what can be be recreated virtually. Although it’s a cultural shift for many organisations and individuals, this way of working is rapidly becoming the norm - and if you’re not moving online, you can guarantee your competition will be and you will be at risk at being left behind…

3. Upskill - There’s no time like the present to develop or improve your expertise to support your work, existing or prospective. With many events pivoting to digital, improving your tech skills and having an understanding of the technologies available for event hosts might be a

4. Collaborate - Whether it’s learning from and sharing with your counterparts - even your competitors. There may also be events or projects that you can work on together, to leverage your respective expertise or to take on new business opportunities together

5. Look after ourselves - There’s no doubt that during this time both our mental and physical health are at risk. So accept the quiet times when they happen, enjoy them, use them and do more of the things you love…because the crazy times will be back one day and we’ll wish we had more time to ourselves!

What’s your experience of Coronavirus? How is it affecting your day-to-day working life? Have you personally been involved with an event or project cancelled as a result of the virus? Get in touch to share your experiences or join our next #CovetedCuppa for the charity sector on 17 April at 12PM BST.

Death of the Gala Ball: what we learnt from our annual conversation on the special events landscape

Back in 2016, the Special Events Forum and Hope Street Media started a discussion on whether the traditional gala dinner is no longer the best format for charities to raise money through events. In the past, these events have consistently raised six- or seven-figures for organisations, as well as providing an opportunity to engage both existing and new corporate, individual and celebrity supporters. However with complaints of event fatigue and a highly saturated market, coupled with budget cuts and the high cost ratio, has this type of charity event finally had its day? We picked up the conversation again, hosted at the offices of THRSXTY in Soho, with a panel of representatives from some of the UK's leading charities. 

In recent years, organisations such as Ark, the DEC, Save the Children, Unicef UK and The Prince's Trust have turned to immersive events to bring their work to life. Some have had success with raising significant income through this type of event, whilst others have mainly used the new format to reach other audiences and to present their work in a different way. So is the immersive event here to stay, or is this just a fad? 

Amanda Sinke, representing Right to Play UK, highlighted how doing something immersive didn't have to result in a dramatic shift in format. For Right to Play UK, this meant looking at storytelling and how they could bring to life their powerful and emotive stories from Africa at a ballroom in central London. Others echoed the sentiment and shared examples of how they had sought to bring something creative and interactive to their existing events, rather than change the event altogether. 

Hibba Al-Altrakchi, representing The Prince's Trust, shared the case study of the Trust's longest running gala event and how they took a risk to take the event out of the ballroom altogether and host it on the Belmond British Pullman. 

As well as reflecting the shift in focus, our audience observed that our guests should be at the heart of our plans and that our longterm supporters can help us to make these decisions and tell us what they want and expect from our events. For every organisation this will be different; when asked whether she thought that more charities should be doing something new, Hibba's response was a firm "Yes - but only if the time is right". 

As an agency, 40% of our work centres around the charity fundraising gala - our clients are still seeing great success with events of this nature - but much like those on the Forum, we continue to seek new ways of bringing our work to life at these events and doing more than just showing a charity film or delivering a speech. Just like other fundraising streams, the ever-changing sector demands that we challenge ourselves to do something different, take on our competitors and listen to the voices of our donors. 

We asked our audience to give us an idea of the future of their portfolios by a simple show of hands - it was clear that over half of the organisations represented still continue to grow their events calendars, with only a couple of organisations making a move to reduce theirs. That said, for those charities whose income is largely made up of event funds, new fundraising streams are being explored in an attempt to diversify and future-proof. 

The conversation continues and we look forward to seeing how it progresses.