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Site Selection, Rooms, and Setup Here I was, head of an organization poised to raise well over $500,000 from the people filling the auditorium, yet I had only a conceptual image of what was to happen next. No one had ever seen it. There was no way to have seen it, because there was only one opportunity to do it, and now it was time. The president of the organization didn’t have a clue what was going to happen, and he was starting to fidget. He would soon become upset. The invited guests were enjoying themselves— so far. Waitstaff were serving drinks, which was expected , of course. I could hear the small talk starting. People were beginning to wonder what was going on. This event could be an absolute smash hit—at least in theory. We were assembled in an auditorium. Nothing was onstage. The nothingness was purposefully obvious. Looking onto the stage was like looking into a massive black hole. Nothing was in the seating area. Nothing was in the aisles. Nothing was anywhere and everywhere. A few people sat in the auditorium’s seats, but mostly they stood in small groups in aisles and just waited in the emptiness. Then it began. It was barely perceptible at first. Music. The theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Also sprach Zarathustra, began. With sound from scores of speakers the music built until it rumbled through the room at untold watts of power. Then ever so slowly, from out of the immense nothingness that was the stage vague shapes began to arise. The entire auction room rose out of dark empty space. In it were dozens of formally uniformed waitstaff, bars, ice sculptures, fine artwork, displays of chocolate and fruit, a small orchestra , tables, coffee and gourmet tea stations, and displays of auction items having values of five figures and beyond . As the music grew into a deep thundering force, the world’s largest moving stage rose to its full height— 8 74 ParT 2: CreaTing The PerFeCT seTTing joining an elegant mansion, the tent setting could impart every bit as much elegance and ambience as a fine hotel ballroom. each auction event must be designed with anticipated attendees in mind. in some instances, especially in areas where attendees do not have high incomes, staging an event in an expensive-looking facility may not increase giving at all. in fact, it is more likely to inhibit spending if attendees feel the organization is spending too much money on a fancy facility. event planners must carefully evaluate and understand how attendees will react to event-site details, understand the fundraising objectives of the host, and know the giving potential of people who will come and participate in fundraising. Using this and other information, skills, and experience, planners must select the event site, arrange it to the specifications of the event, and decorate it to the taste of the organization and attendees. this is the challenge faced by members of the arrangements team responsible for finding the perfect site and making it ready for the big event. Choosing Location and Facility among the first actions in advance of an event is setting a date and time to hold the event. determining the location and reserving the facility in which to hold the event are next. these actions should be completed many months or even years ahead of the event date. how far ahead depends on size of the event, availability of local acceptable event facilities, and the popularity of those facilities. For regional, statewide, or national nonprofit organizations, choice of location can be a daunting task due to the many options available. some organization ’s event planners have established a traditional location and facility for holding events, whereas others rotate locations based on where membership is concentrated. still others seek out facilities offering competitive rates, with less thought given to location. Location needs to be chosen carefully, giving full consideration to availability of transportation and how weather may affect it, availability of facilities and cost, image or perception of location, safety, proximity to donors and prospective attenthe stage was advertised as being large enough to hold a commercial jetliner. The invited attendees were caught in mid-motion as the scene unfolded. Awestruck, they watched. When the stage/room was in place and the rumbling music stopped, a small orchestra started to play and the crowd cheered. Now that was an entrance. The display of auction items, refreshments, and entertainment literally materialized...

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