This will be the most complete seminar ever held in the Northwest on how to make money for events, whether by increasing sponsorship or other areas of revenue
Separate tracks for large and small to mid-sized events (you choose)
See Green: 60 Revenue Generating Ideas For Your Festival or Event
8:30 – 10:15 a.m.
Slide down our rainbow as we deliver your pot of gold! Need ideas for creative sponsor inventory and revenue generation? New programs, initiatives, campaigns, activation. We’re kicking off Super Sponsorship Sunday with FIFTY ideas that you can incorporate into your festival or event. From trends to digital media, unique experiential marketing, branded items and more – we’ve curated a list of things we’ve seen and implemented. You don’t need luck, you need this interactive session!
Bruce Skinner, Washington Festivals & Events Association
Music and Your Event
10:15 – 11:30 a.m.
Whether you’re producing a small or a large event, there have been numerous changes when it comes to booking entertainment. Learn what changes have been made and what is important to look for in the ever-changing event music landscape
Bill Burke, Pig Out in the Park, Spokane
Kyle Lemaire, Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts
Erika Olsen, Winthrop Rhythmn and Blues
Lunch and Session: Volunteers – Where Are They?
11:45 – 1:15 p.m.
One of the most challenging aspects of producing events coming out of the pandemic has been finding volunteers. That workforce is aging, too. Thus, finding and getting new ones has been a challenge for many events. Learn how to look at the management, recruitment, retention, and screening of volunteers and why they will work for you in a new and different way. These steps improve everyone's experience and improve any risks, as well.
Dr. Trevor Lane, WSU Extension, Community & Economic Development
Missy McElprang, WSU Extension, Youth & Family
How to Produce an Amazing Live Event That Makes Everybody Talk
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Live events are a blend of creativity that touches both the physical and digital world. Behind all of the creativity and ingenuity is a plan that pulls everything together. The leader of The Workshop will explain what goes into making an event a great one.
David Doxtater, The Workshop
Main Conference
Thursday, May 2
KEYNOTE:
Show Me the Money
2:45 – 3:45 p.m.
While most festivals and events are nonprofit organizations, that does not mean they shouldn’t strive to maximize revenues to assure ongoing sustainability. Afterall, 501(c)(3) is not a vow of poverty! Bruce Erley, APR, CFEE, has nearly a half century of experience in event sponsorship and revenue generation. He’ll kick-off WFEA with an informative and entertaining keynote on some tips and tricks to increase your bottom line from maximizing sponsorship dollars, to creating VIP packages and add-on experiences, to monetizing trade partnerships.
Bruce Erley, Creative Strategies, Denver
Round Tables
4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Dinner With an Expert
6:00 p.m.
Sign up for the topic of your choice -- here’s your chance to pick the brain of an expert in your requested subject.
Event Experts at Selected Spokane Restaurants
Friday, May 3
#1.
Why We Sponsor What We Do
8:00 – 8:45 a.m.
Too many times we look at sponsorship through our event’s eyes, instead of through the eyes of our sponsors. Learn how you can increase your sponsorship revenues by learning what drives the needs of your prospective partners.
Big Market Events
Liz Hooker, Spokane Downtown Association
Matt Gibson, Northern Quest Casino
Beth Hegde, Providence Health
Small to Mid-Sized Markets
Jerry Allen, Seven Cedars, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe
Grant Opportunities: Best and Innovative Practices for Festival and Event Organizers
9:00 – 9:45 a.m.
For Large, Mid-Sized and Small Markets
Learn new ways to cultivate a prospective grantor
Effective writing techniques that will set the stage for a future grant award
Diversifying your revenue sources from government, corporate, trusts and foundational grants
Wendy Tyner, Tyner and Associates
#2.
Researching Potential Partners: The Sponsor Perspective
10:00 – 10:45 a.m
How to research your sponsor’s needs
How to discover how your sponsor’s mind operates
Why ongoing partner research is important
What is important and valuable to sponsors
What’s important at fundraising events
Big Market Events
Erick Peck, BECU
Paula Beadle, Caravel Marketing
Peggy Doering, Spokane Valleyfest
Small to Mid-Sized Markets
Chuck Denney, Tumwater Parks and Recreation Department
Liz McLaughlin, Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties
Network Supplier Lunch
EXPO Speed Dating
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Discover the latest trends in our industry! Each table at the lunch will be hosted by a vendor/supplier, who will distribute materials and discuss the merits of their products with fellow table members. During this lunch, each table will be visited by multiple different suppliers
Non-Sponsorship – Beyond Sponsorships: Diversifying Income
12:45 – 1:30 p.m.
Controlling inventory
Training servers
Price determination
How to maximize beer garden results
Large Markets:
Phil Megenhardt, Bold Hat Productions
Small to Mid-Sized Markets
Rose Thompson, Victoria Jones, Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival
#3.
Sponsorship - How to Develop a Proposal and Pricing
1:45 – 2:30 p.m.
Customizing a sponsorship proposal for a business category
How to present added value and benefits that will get a proposal noticed
Demographic information about your event that will match with your potential sponsor
“Creating the Right Fit”
Helping sponsors differentiate themselves from their competitors
Large Markets
Bruce Skinner, Washington Festivals & Events Association
Small to Mid-Size Markets
Anne Moneymaker, Central WA State Fair
Meredith McIlmoyle, Anacortes Arts Festival
#4.
Sponsorship – The Importance of Retaining Your Sponsors
2:45 – 3:30 p.m.
Renewals and retention is EVERYTHING in sponsorship
Stats and trends
Best practices to improve your sponsorship renewals
Pre-event
During event
Post-event
Renewal Process
Post event reports
Recap and renewal meetings
Renewal documents
Large Markets
Bruce Erley, Creative Strategies
Small to Mid-Size Markets
Amanda Korb, Blue Ink
#5.
Sponsorship – Developing a Benefits Package
3:45 –4:30 p.m.
Benefits: The Formula for Sponsorship Success and Growth”
Adding Value to Your Sponsorship Packages
Sponsorship exclusivity vs. non-exclusivity
Using the demographics of your event
Business-to-business opportunities
The importance of activation
How to provide the best in sponsorship hospitality
Using post-event evaluation statistics
Large Markets
Amy Lindsey, Riverfront Spokane
Small Markets
Tawnia Linde, Clark County Fair
Keynote:
Producing the Mega Event: Showcase, Boulevard, CCF Classic Zags Game
4:45 – 5:30 p.m.
• Attracting and Retaining Sponsors
• Assembling your A-Team
• Creating your Brand and Identity
• Building Excitement for Participants
Jon Neill, Community Cancer Fund
Dinner With an Expert
6:00 p.m.
Sign up for the topic of your choice -- here’s your chance to pick the brain of an expert in your requested subject.
Event Experts at Selected Spokane Restaurants
Saturday, May 4
Events and Tourism
8:30 – 9:15 a.m.
Events have been a key part of tourism efforts throughout the Pacific Northwest – hear how they can generate economic impact and put heads in beds. Also, learn how you can work with your local tourism entities to help market your event.
Rose Noble, Visit Spokane
#6.
Sponsorship – The Key to Successful Sales
9:30 – 10:15 a.m.
Just another form of the sales process
Building relationships, people buy from people
Developing a potential list of sponsors
Leveraging your board and other sponsors to sell
Large Markets
Adriana Berndt, Spokane Lilac Festival
Annika Marshall, Marcon Renovation
Small to Mid-Sized Markets
Amy McGuffin, Kittitas Chamber of Commerce
Mary Kae Repp, Genesis Marketing
How Budgeting Can Save You Substantial Money
10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
The importance of forecasting
Conservative budgeting
Developing a process
Who’s accountable
For Large, Mid and Small Markets
Eric Corning, Seattle Seafair
Tom Stebbins, Vision Marketing, Spokane
Go Behind the Scenes of the EXPO ’74 Opening Ceremonies Celebration
11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Led by Amy Lindsay of Riverfront Spokane, be among the first to see the setup for the Celebration.
Spokane is known for producing large scale events, including Hoopfest, the Lilac Festival, Valleyfest in Spokane Valley, Bloomsday, several others, and now the 50th anniversary of EXPO ’74. Go behind the scenes at two of them and learn how they develop and produce them.
Amy Lindsay, Riverfront Spokane
#7.
Keynote:
How to Be Creative With Sponsorship
1:00 – 1:45 p.m.
Events = creativity
Brainstorm ideas to help your sponsors
Look for that unique idea
Creative activation
Tim Shustoff, Gonzaga Sports Properties
#8.
Sponsorship – Expanding Your Partners and Growing Revenues
2:00 – 2:45 p.m.
Sponsorship categories
Creating a sponsorship menu
What companies should you target
How your event can fit a sponsor’s needs
Large Markets
Riley Stockton, Spokane Hoopfest
Small to Mid-sized Markets
Victoria Jones, North Olympic Discovery Marathon
Kari Chance, Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts
Lori Lancaster, Benton Franklin Fair
Non-Sponsorship – Ticketing and How to Expand Your Revenues
3:00 – 3:45 p.m.
Using data from your ticket sales
Why online ticketing can increase your revenues
How to improve your cashflow
Large Markets
Amy Maxwell, Ticket Tomato
Small to Mid-Sized Markets
Georgia Johnson, Field Arts & Events Hall, Port Angeles
Expo '74 50th Celebration Opening Ceremony Entertainment Schedule
4:00 p.m. Spokane Chinese Association Dancer Group
4:20 p.m. Filipino American Northwest Association Dance Troupe
