implement and celebrate them
By Linda Campbell
So you’ve decided to have a celebration. Maybe the calendar is rapidly advancing towards that 50th, 75th or 100th anniversary--a memorable milestone that must be commemorated in some fashion.First of all, don’t groan and moan. A celebration is just that--an opportunity to look at past highs; to rejoice in what and where you’ve been; to recognize all that your members have contributed over the years; and to position your association for the future.
A celebration is a time for happiness and goodwill. It’s fun! It should make people feel good about their involvement with the organization, and proud to be members. After all, you’ve survived this many years, and there’s every indication that the future is bright. Yes, it means more work, but you’re used to that. So, how do you get started?
Think about the potential of this celebration. What is it that you want to accomplish? How do you want members to feel about the organization? Are there external benefits to the celebration?
The Chicago Tribune celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1997, giving us an opportunity to see how a large organization plans for a special event. While expansive, these ideas might be replicated by your association. Let’s look at how the Tribune celebrated.
They began with a ‘Happy New Year’ card, which announced their anniversary. This was followed by an announcement from the publisher that appeared in the Jan. 1, 1997 edition. They redesigned the newspaper’s masthead, began a series of articles on "The Events that Shaped Chicago," and added a recipe series, "Taste of the Past" that reprinted recipes from their archives.
The Tribune also developed a special press kit, which outlined other activities that utilized the newspaper’s regular sections. These events included:
A souvenir supplement of classic comic strips from the 1930s to the 1950s. 150 years of trends in residential housing. Great photographs taken in Chicago over the past 150 years featured in their magazine section. 150 years of trends in area entertainment. 150 years of life in Chicagoland. Birthday edition--a special wrap-around section. Trends in good health and eating. 150 years of transportation in Chicago. Memorable moments in Chicago sports. An exhibit on the history of Chicago. Contests in schools. Historical plaques placed around the city, noting significant contributions made by notable individuals. Special birthday event on June 10, complete with cake. During that birthday week, the newspaper also displayed a special lighting design on its building, which created a widely viewed artistic masterpiece. TV documentary on 150 years in the life of the Tribune. Planning makes perfect
While most association budgets don’t stretch to this limit, we can still look at the broad approach the Chicago Tribune used in its anniversary celebration, and build our own commemorations in a similar fashion. The Tribune focused on how each of its key departments could contribute to the celebration. There is no reason why an association cannot do the same with key programmatic areas.
As staff and volunteers, you’re familiar with strategic planning. Therefore, you need to adapt the same techniques to your special event or celebration. In other words, establish a mission, some goals or objectives, and strategies to achieve them. Here’s an abbreviated example of a strategic plan for an anniversary:
MISSION
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the XYZ Association.GOALS
To make members feel proud of the organization. To increase the visibility of the association with the public. To establish a scholarship fund honoring past presidents. STRATEGIES
Produce a printed history of the organization, such as a book or commemorative brochure. Develop a multi-media historical presentation to kick off the annual meeting. Have a National Association Week designated. Include free day(s) or event(s) for the public. Develop a special logo. Interview selected senior members about key events during certain historical periods, and write a series of articles for the newsletter based upon their remembrances. As a general rule, associations are committed to volunteerism. This means that there may be a lot of people involved in the planning for the celebration. That’s all the more reason to develop a good plan that is agreed to by the board or leadership. A detailed plan--and the budget that goes along with it--will serve as a road map and can keep things in control. Responsibilities can then be assigned to particular groups or individuals, and the myriad of tasks parceled out to underutilized volunteers. It’s like giving everyone a script to follow.
You may wish to establish some levels of decision making about the celebration. If your organization has a long-standing commitment to strategic planning, you may already have these patterns in place. The board probably develops goals and strategies, and assigns committees to carry them out within authorized time frames and budgetary guidelines. It may, for example, approve the general concept of a historic book, providing a general description and suggested table of contents, budget and production schedule. It would also approve a large special commemorative event in concept, along with the financial projections.
Project development, however, can be left to a committee, based upon the board’s approval. And such tasks as selecting the flowers or the color of the table linens can be assigned or delegated to a lower-level decision maker, as long as their actions fit within the designated concept and budgetary guidelines.
Timing is everything
Lead time is critical. Virtually everyone with whom I’ve spoken to about their anniversary or event experiences indicates that they wish they’d had more time or started earlier in their planning. A celebration is often more beneficial with more people involved in its conception. This way, there’s more opportunity to generate ideas and develop a synergy that can tie seemingly unrelated things together to make a spectacular event.
Don’t underestimate the value of a detailed time line. Members of Committee A will understand that if they don’t finish their assigned task, Task Force B cannot complete its responsibility. It’s all laid out in black and white for everyone to see. Committee chairs, particularly those who seek higher office, won’t want to establish a record of delays or inability to complete tasks.
In most cases, the association staff and volunteer members will plan and implement the events of the celebration from start to finish. That’s why detailed planning, as noted earlier, is so crucial. Advance planning will lessen the load on any one person or group of people. It also provides an opportunity to share the responsibilities, such as the communications staff being responsible for developing the logo or historical publication, and the meetings department handling the special event logistics. The mail room can participate by adding a commemorative slug to the postage meter that will imprint along with the postage indicia. Sharing the load provides an opportunity to increase individual knowledge of and appreciation for the event’s significance throughout the association.
Still, what are some other options that could supplement staff efforts? The association might consider outsourcing some aspects of the celebration to an association or events management firm. Possible activities for outsourcing are registration processing, public relations or communications and videotape or theatrical production for staging an opening ceremonies and presentations.
These options are not always inexpensive. The services required might be full and complete (a turnkey operation), or you might just want partial assistance to augment staff efforts. The price that is paid will depend upon how much the external firm does for you and how much you do yourself. It’s important to obtain competitive proposals to ensure that pricing is reasonable for similar services. Reviewing multiple proposals can also help fine-tune the exact services that are required, as well as provide an opportunity to determine the creative level of the company with which you are involved.
Keep in mind, however, that whatever path you choose will require oversight and involvement. I’ve found that when the organization provides detailed input, the external firm’s output is of higher quality.
Don’t forget PR
Special events are made for public relations. They’re a great way to get your association’s message out--both to members and to the public. They often provide something very visual, which is always preferred by media (as opposed to board meetings or speakers standing behind a lectern). Maybe a 50th anniversary means you’re going to gather 50 schoolchildren who won a poster contest, or identify 50 people born on a certain date, or create a display of magazine covers created 50 years ago, or hold a dance contest featuring music and dress of the 1940’s. Be open to the public relations opportunities of the event. Think visual and unusual and creative. Let your mind wander.
Above all, as you plan and implement the event, remember that it is a time of celebration--a time to be proud of all that has been accomplished in the past, and of future possibilities. Anniversary celebrations are a big deal, but they come rarely and that’s part of what makes them so special. Take time to honor your association, your members, your historic standing in the community. Enjoy the celebration!
The author is president of Linda Campbell Ltd., an association management consulting firm in Chicago. Her services include public relations, communications, meetings and exhibits, educational programming, strategic planning, governance, fund-raising and marketing. Campbell holds the designations of certified association executive (CAE) and certified meeting planner (CMP).
