Partner with a charity for your summer event

The challenge: This month has been focused on events that bring your best clients together, provide a networking opportunity in a difficult economy and generate new prospects. The next challenge is how to deliver these events on a budget while also supporting a charity.
The solution: Partner with or join existing charity events that your clients know and support, and let the charity do the heavy lifting.
Here is a way one top adviser has created an effective annual gathering for top clients that takes minimal time and money to deliver.
Adviser success story: Rocking with the stars under the stars
The spectacular Cantigny Gardens outside Chicago, the former estate of the McCormick family of Chicago Tribune fame, hosts a July concert starring Gary Sinese’s Lt. Dan Band. Mr. Sinese, who stars in “CSI: New York,” is the spokesman for Disabled American Veterans and his band tours during the summer to raise money for our troops and to honor their service. The event at Cantigny Gardens sells out every year and has become an annual gathering for one clever Chicago-area adviser.
Our adviser invites his top 30 clients and their spouses or a guest to the event. He takes advantage of all the advertising already built around the event by e-mailing the promotions to clients and personalizing the subject line. The first year he mailed the promotion piece with a personal letter and he got a great response.
To assure that his guests make the connection to him and to give the event a private feel, he arrives early with snacks and reserves an area for his guests to sit. Since the event is casual, expenses are kept to a minimum — about $25 per person. The event has been a huge success and all guests leave feeling terrific about having contributed to our troops.
Where do you start? Search websites of public gardens and other venues that hold summer events. Here is the list in case you missed it last week. In the Chicago area, there’s Cantigny Gardens. Similarly, there’s the Getty Center and Gardens in Los Angeles, Longwood Gardens, a former DuPont family arboretum in Kennett Square, Pa., outside Philadelphia, and Old Westbury Gardens on Long Island, the former home of U.S. Steel heir John S. Phipps.
Event time commitment: Six hours for selecting the event, inviting the guests, the event itself and sending follow-up emails or letters.
Event planning checklist

• Find a common interest among top clients.
• Next, scan local websites and purchase tickets. Start small the first year.
• Ask the museum or garden’s promotion manager to e-mail you event flyers, which can be forwarded or sent to guests. Ask if your firm could be a co-sponsor. Sometimes for a small amount more of money, your firm can be added to the program and you will be given priority seating or even backstage passes for guests.
• Track your responses and call to confirm guest attendance two days before the event. Send an e-mail reminder the day of the event.
  Event follow-up

• Have two follow-up e-mails prepared (one for referrals and one for clients) thanking attendees for joining you and letting them know you will be contacting them. Send the e-mail the next business day.
• Call each attendee within 48 hours and schedule follow-up meetings with referrals.

Next week: Celebrating Independence Day