A Better Place

Think about the story you’re telling. Are you building an emotional connection? Don’t just ask people to participate in your event, inspire them to help you make the world a better place. — Therese Grohman 

2012 Alzheimer's Facts & Figures

Become an Experience Curator

Now Is the Time to Rethink Event Production and Become an Experience Curator

Social media and technology have had a profound impact on how we interact every day. We’ve certainly seen changes in event fundraising — people have migrated from emailing fundraising letters, to leveraging CRM systems like Blackbaud and Convio to benefitting from social networking and other integrated online fundraising platforms like StayClassy. As the fundraising side of our work is changing, so too are the expectations for the actual event.

Direct outgrowth of social networking is a big reason why more people are craving in-person contact, which makes a live event even more desirable. Social sites and an influx of portable gadgets have contributed to a loss of human interaction. As a result, we are finding that people want to maximize their face-to-face experiences and don’t want to deal with small inconveniences that distract from the event. JWT Intelligence’s “10 Trends for 2012” forecasts that to “balance out our increasing immersion in the digital world, people will embrace face-to-face gatherings and digital downtime.”

This trend impacts the most basic interactions we have with participants, like how to collect donations at an event, which is a simple transaction. People are now used to “anywhere, anyway shopping.” The best example is the Apple Store. Apple makes everything seamless from being greeted, to direct interaction with the products (touching computers and gadgets is encouraged) to a sales person checking you out anywhere in the store. Those of us in event fundraising need to learn lessons from such experiences and maximize the point of sale on event – making things quick and easy certainly helps. (See JWT Intelligence’s “2012 and Beyond” for more examples.)

Participants don’t want to spend their time waiting in line when they’d rather be out interacting with people and doing the activity. Ideally, registration should happen online before a participant arrives on site (for some of our events we allow participants to navigate registration self-serve online and even print their own credential to bring to the event). In cases when you offer check-in and registration on-site, that experience has to be unobtrusive. Kiosk or iPad systems allow us to make the process an easy self-serve task, registering a higher number of participants more quickly and efficiently.

I believe our future is going to be less about event production and more focused on being experience curators. What’s the difference? Event production is more of a one-way street: “We build it, they show up.” But experience curating is social: “We build it together, we participate together, and we communicate about it together.” Events will be about providing a venue with multiple experiences where people can move through focus points that we design. There will be a major emphasis on being able to meet with others to discuss what’s happening or just be social in various spaces, a focus on human interaction. Think Burning Man and South by Southwest (SXSW) — models for the next generation of events.

Socializing through Twitter and Facebook can start relationships that lead to positive in-person connections. So when people shut down the computer and show up at your event, be sure there are ways to grab their interest and make connections to grow. In this cluttered Attention Economy, events will need to provide more than one focus and plentiful peer-to-peer opportunities. Participants now expect to contribute to building the experience. Events need to be immersive and multi-faceted with elements of surprise. People need to walk away feeling like they learned something about themselves, a cause or others. And they want to get online and talk about your event and post photos and feedback via Instagram and Twitter. This combination of online and live buzz provides memorable experiences for event-goers, and also makes others feel they missed something big if they did not attend – they’ll be sure to get involved next time. Offer sharable content and never underestimate the power of a good photo opportunity.

As we adjust to “Event 2.0” as an industry and strive to be experience curators, the opportunities are endless since our participants will want to help us build the experience.

Article by Patrick Riley and Sarah Coniglio, Event 360

In it to End it!

Thought this was a pretty good email campaign from the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.  They have a pretty catchy slogan they use - IN IT TO END IT!  Straight to the point, I like it.  They also use great photos.  How could you not want to join those two ladies below?  They are having a blast!  Avon does a good job of throwing in fast facts - every 3 minutes, there is a new diagnosis in the US, 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer, men can get it too.  All important messages that inspire people to act.

What do you think?  Will Avon benefit the most from Susan G Komen's downfall earlier this year?  Or perhaps the American Cancer Society?  Or will Komen come back stronger than ever?

Excited to see how the breast cancer field plays out this year...

REGISTER NOW / LEARN MORE / FUNDRAISING / TRAINING / EVENT INFO

EVERY 3 MINUTES! ARE YOU IN IT TO END IT? Every 3 minutes, there is a new diagnosis of invasive breast cancer in the United States. Perhaps you, or someone you love, have sadly been a part of this statistic. If not, there is a good chance that all of us will know someone affected by breast cancer in our lifetime. This is exactly why the Avon Foundation for Women created theAvon Walk for Breast Cancer 10 years ago. And it's exactly why we are inviting you to be IN IT TO END IT with us in 2012! For 2 days and 39 miles, we'll walk side-by-side and keep the momentum going. The critical funds we raise will allow more promising research initiatives to be funded, more low-income women to receive mammograms, and more under-insured breast cancer patients to get the care they need. A woman has a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime. And, yes, men can get breast cancer, too! To help you take your first step and register for a 2012 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, we'd like to offer you a reduced registration fee for a limited time only. From now until April 15, 2012, you can register as a Walker or Crew member for only $55 (a $10 discount from the 2012 registration fee of $65). Register online now at avonwalk.org and use Promotion CodeENDIT2012. Or, register over the phone by calling 888-410-WALK. Choose an Avon Walk near you, or make it a destination weekend for you and your friends or family! 2012 Walk Weekends Houston April 21-22 Washington, D.C. May 5-6 Boston May 19-20 Chicago June 2-3 Rocky Mountains June 23-24 San Francisco July 7-8 Santa Barbara September 22-23 New York October 20-21 Charlotte October 27-28 Every 13 minutes, a life is lost to breast cancer in the U.S. The critical funds raised by participants in the Avon Walk events are put to work to advance access to care and find a cure for breast cancer. We are touching literally millions of lives. Read more about how the funds you raise help both your Avon Walk city and local communities across the nation. We can't continue our work without people like you. Register today! And join us for a life-changing weekend. This special registration fee is for a limited time only and will end April 15, 2012. Make your commitment today and join us. Together we'll show the world what thousands of determined hearts can do. We look forward to seeing you soon! Remember, early detection helps save lives. Get a mammogram. Perform monthly breast self-exams. Talk to your doctor about your risk. And encourage women around you to do the same. Don't forget, men can get breast cancer, too. For breast cancer information and resources, visit cancer.org or avonfoundation.org.	5,261,811 MILES WALKED Just how far would Avon Walkers go to end breast cancer? In the first 9 years, they've collectively gone around the globe more than 201 times.
AVON WALK FOR BREAST CANCER
About the Avon Foundation for Women and the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer The Avon Foundation for Women, a 501(c)3 public charity, has been improving and saving women's lives since it was founded in 1955, and we are proud to be the largest corporate philanthropy dedicated to women's causes globally. Today our mission is focused on breast cancer and domestic violence, as well as emergency and disaster relief, touching lives across the country and around the world. By the end of this year, Avon global philanthropy will have raised and donated more than $860 million worldwide. The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade marks its 20th anniversary in 2012 and more than $740 million has been raised and awarded in more than 50 countries to advance access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer, with a focus on the medically underserved. Funding supports awareness and education, screening and diagnosis, access to treatment, support services, and scientific research. Beneficiaries range from leading cancer centers to community-based non-profit breast health programs, creating a powerful network focused on eradicating breast cancer and ensuring access to care. Funds are raised through a variety of "pink ribbon" product sales, and events, races and walks. The largest fundraising program benefiting the Crusade is the U.S. Avon Walk for Breast Cancer event series, which began in 2003 and has raised more than $422 million to date. For more information on the Avon Foundation for Women visit www.avonfoundation.org. You are receiving this e-mail because you have requested information about the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. If you would like to stop receiving our e-mails, unsubscribe. Contact Info: Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10105-0196. 1-888-540-9255