Events: In-Person or Virtual
As a consultant, I work with so many nonprofits. And one consistent conversation, particularly coming out of the pandemic, is what to do about special events. Not only whether or not we should have them, but if we do how should we handle them—virtually or in person? However, recent data may help us with these decisions as well as better understand the return on investment with regard to special events.
In a recent study of 1000 adults who attended a fundraising event, 21% of virtual attendees said they would kick in $100 or more on top of the registration fee if the event stayed virtual. This study, conducted online by the technology firm Classy, indicated the reasons included that virtual events can cause attendees to feel engaged, motivated, and safer. And for those who physically attended an event, 96% indicated they were less satisfied than expected. Those attending a virtual event were quite pleased with online auctions or digital activity that could be done from their own home. Also, virtual events allow those who like to charity’s mission, but who live nowhere near it or the event, to support it by attending the event virtually.
Our industry often talks about the return on investment for events and how it’s one of the lowest performing activities a nonprofit can conduct. Yet there are some incredibly positive things that come from a special event such as community engagement, community camaraderie, marketing and storytelling opportunities, and much more. What the study is showing is at a virtual event, which could take much less time for employees/volunteers and require a far less financial investment, may prove to generate many of the same outcomes as an in-person activity with less work and less financial strain. It might prove to be an incredibly viable option as we want our communities to feel good about the nonprofit work we do but we want to maximize limited resources.
The devil’s in the details. If you don’t have a well-thought-out special event program, active and engaging program, and the ability to make the process easy for those attending virtually, it loses its allure. However, there’s great opportunity to do a lot of cool things and reduce the stress and strain of a physical in person event by using virtual opportunities when possible.
