Organizing a fundraising gala is not getting any easier. Aside from the fallout of an unpredictable economy that keeps previously generous hands firmly in pockets, any number of unexpected hurdles can suddenly appear on the scene.

The Vancouver Aquarium, for instance, found its annual Night At The Aquarium fundraiser threatened not by inclement weather or economic constraints. The culprit was the unexpected fifth game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs featuring the local Canucks. With BC Place’s almost 60,000 seats filled by roaring fans, and thousands more crowding the city streets to watch the action on giant outdoor screens, who would be left to eat, dance, or bid on silent auction items?

The solution was simple. Gala guests were invited to arrive two hours early to watch the game on the Aquarium’s 25-foot 4D theatre screen, making it easy for them to experience the game and stay for the gala event which followed.

“Plan as much as you can,” says Gillian Wallis, internal event planner at the Vancouver Aquarium. “But expect that something that is not planned is going to happen anyway.”

Good advice for gala planners in a shifting landscape. A volatile market, competing events flooding social media, competition for sponsors and ticket-buyers — times are tough on the gala scene. Or are they?

Jennifer Bassett, of Bassett Events, manages a wide variety of high profile fundraisers, including The Unforgettable Evening for the Alzheimer Society of Toronto and the Inaugural Fundraising Gala Concert at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. After ten years in the business, she says that pulling in sponsors is becoming more difficult.

“There’s gala fatigue out there,” she admits. “Money’s tighter.”

But that hasn’t stopped her company, Bassett Events, from growing more than 50 per cent in the last year. Bassett adds: “Most not-for-profits/charities run signature events for cash flow. Even in a down time, they need to keep putting on their galas.”

So yes, the challenges are there. Times are tough, financially. People are being more cautious with their spending — that goes for sponsors as well as ticket-buyers — and events are quickly filling the calendar, each clamouring for volunteers, donations and publicity. Troubled times or not, what do gala organizers need to know?

Reach out to your target market

The overall planning template for any gala hasn’t changed. You need volunteers with expertise, energy and connections; sponsors willing to jump on board and donate; a venue that can accommodate your specific needs; and a date that works.

The last item on that list might be the most challenging of all. Check any listing of events in a major city across Canada this fall and note who is competing with whom for sponsors, participants and donations. So how do you stand out?

“Know your target market,” recommends Judy Allen, author of the professional best-selling Marketing Your Event Planning Business. That market includes participants, sponsors and media. “Tailor your event to capture their attention.”

Bassett met this challenge at the Unforgettable Evening for the Alzheimer Society of Toronto by emphasizing the personal toll of the disease.

“We decided to include an emotional component to the evening,” says Bassett. “One year we had a live testimonial of a caregiver, the other we featured [actor] Gordon Pinsent and his movie Away from Her. The challenge of producing an event year after year is how to create buzz and interest, especially on a charity’s budget.”

Take the plunge

But what if you’re just getting your feet wet in the gala pond? Is this really the best time to start something new?

Make sure you have a “catch,” says Brittney Kuczynski, who began the Oceana Ball in support of the Herbie Fund when she was just 19. For Kuczynski, that “catch” was her cousin, Ottawa Senator hockey player Jason Spezza, whose appearance drew immediate buy-in from event patrons.

“The biggest challenge in my first year was finding that catch — and for free!” she explains. But the next step was to find the focus for an event that draws together fashion designers, photographers and artists to raise money for the Herbie Fund, which supports families of children undergoing treatment at Sick Kid’s Hospital.

She sat down with her creative director to figure out what they were trying to achieve and came up with a plan.

“We are able to connect various different initiatives that are close to all of our hearts,” Kuczynski says. “Raising money for the Herbie Fund, elevating the status of Canadian fashion and art, and endorsing the merit of volunteerism in the local and international community. As long as you are able to show and articulate your passion,” she maintains,”your event is an easy sell.”

Attract and manage sponsors

Everyone feels good about supporting a worthy cause, of course. But participants and sponsors want something in return for their support, whether it comes in the form of company logos on all marketing material or just a free drink.

“People will always be looking for a deal,” says Night At The Aquarium’s Wallis. “If you are charging $200-plus for a ticket, ensure that there is at least a complimentary welcome cocktail and ample amounts of food.”

Oceana Ball’s Kuczynski raised $5,000in the first year, $40,000 in the second, and close to $80,000 in 2010 — in corporate sponsorship alone.

“I attribute this success to our ability to add a lot of value for our patrons,” she explains. That value includes representation at the Pre-Mingle (cocktail party), the full Oceana Ball experience, as well as an advertisement in the unique event magazine which, Kuczynski describes, “is very different from a typical event program.”

And don’t underestimate the value of putting together the right committee.

Hardworking volunteers are always welcome, of course, but connections are just as important, insists Jaime Wilson, who worked on the 2009 and 2010 Venetian Ball.

“The key to sales, marketing and overall success of an event such as the Venetian Ball,” says Wilson,”is to have a committee that is respected and influential within their respective communities. The success of the event is largely due to the initial introductions made by the committee members, which are primarily their own business contacts and networks.”

Get the word out

Are social media tools are the best way to get the word out and create buzz for your event? It all depends.

For the Vancouver Aquarium’s Wallis, social media plays a role in marketing, but it is used strategically. “I think it does work,” she says cautiously. “But it will depend on the demographic of your event. For a crowd aged 40-plus, it may not be the best option.”

Wilson agrees, and offers the tried-and-true alternative. “We did not use social media outlets for the Venetian Ball in 2009 or 2010,” she says, but still managed to bring in 1000 people and over one million dollars.

The Venetian Ball used an outside PR firm to handle media invitations, ensuring a professional relationship. “Select outlets were invited to the event and a PR agency worked on making sure the invitations sent were considered and accepted.”

Inviting media to your event and treating them well is how those crucial relationships are forged and future benefits earned. But don’t make the same mistake described by author Allen, in which an organization attracted media coverage by inviting top reporters to the event — and then seated them together at a press table, without a meal, and expected them to watch and report from the sidelines. The result was not positive, especially when the reporters rose as one and left to enjoy dinner in a neighbouring restaurant.

“Media is key on many levels,” says Wilson, “including sponsorship solicitation and charity visibility.”

Try something different

Using social media and an online platform proved to be an innovative way for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada to inject excitement into its annual fundraising drive. The Foundation’s 2007-2008 “No-Go Gala” took the place of its usual lavish All That Glitters event — without a table setting, caterer or live band in sight.

Instead, members of the organizing committee created “personal pages” on the event website, sharing their own stories and asking donors to contribute online, rather than attend the usual gala event.

Assisted by Hewitt and Johnston Consultants, who specialize in nonprofit fundraising, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation took a dual approach: target the usual corporate sponsors, but reach out to friends, family and others who might not normally be able to afford the high-priced ticket to the All That Glitters evening.

Although the overall success of the virtual gala was assured — the No Go Gala raised over $350,000 — HJC did report some challenges. The initiative demanded a high level of technical literacy, since marketing was conducted through websites, email and social media. And corporate sponsors were slow to jump on board, perhaps because the idea was new and untried.

But the long-term benefits made the project a success. The target amount was raised and committee members were able to bring an effective, shared, personal touch to their marketing. Just as significantly, they got a break from the demanding months of high-pressure organizing and, according to HJC’s report, the result was an enthusiastic, rejuvenated committee keen to organize the 2009 All That Glitters gala event.

Remember the “why” as well as the “what”

Gala organizers face a difficult task in navigating the current climate of financial restraint. Competition for charity dollars is fierce, and sponsors and donors are necessarily selective in which causes they will support and events they will attend.

But it helps to remember the “why” as well as the “what.”

“We deal with a lot of children’s charities,” says Jennifer Bassett, “and that keeps you grounded. Working with so many organizations keeps things in perspective.”

The Oceana Ball’s Kuczynski agrees. “I had the pleasure of meeting a Herbie child myself last summer, and it was the most unbelievable encounter. We even had him come to the ball where he said ‘I love you’ to all of our guests,” she recounts, adding, “Yes, the entire room was in tears.”

Ultimately, people still want to do good — to contribute to worthy causes in some way — and fundraising galas satisfy that need. The landscape may have changed, as financial constraints compete with the risk of gala overload, but the view is the same: plan thoroughly, attract your target market and sponsors, generate marketing buzz, and don’t be afraid to try something new.

Jean Mills is a writer/editor/blogger whose features, reviews and essays have appeared in publications across Canada including The Globe and Mail, Canadian Geographic and Quill & Quire. She is also the author of four young adult novels as well as a book commemorating the 175th Anniversary of the Fergus Curling Club. Currently, she juggles her responsibilities as web writer/editor of online content for the Canadian Curling Association with her other role: teaching communication skills at Conestoga College in Guelph.