How cause-conscious is your event business? Have you wondered how to show you attendees you care? Incorporating charitable causes into your events is a smart move.
Sure, you can set out a donation jar and make an announcement asking people to contribute during the event, but really embracing charitable causes at your events can lead to a more meaningful experience for attendees.
It turns out, integrating causes is a great way to reach certain target audiences. Millennials don’t just love brands that have a presence on social media. They are also the age group most likely to demand companies be socially responsible and consciously choose to support those that are.
Check out these numbers:
- 90% of Americans feel more loyal to brands that support social causes
- 84% of consumers tell others about a company’s charitable support endeavors
- 64% of millennials engage with companies about social and environmental issues through social media
- 70% of millennials will spend more on brands that support causes they care about
- Millennials are 66% more likely to engage with brands that illustrate social responsibility
These statistics show just how important charitable causes are to consumers, especially millennials, and how they provide an opportunity for event businesses to grow.
If you want to engage consumers and entice new event attendees, the best way to start is by incorporating things they care about, such as social causes.
Picking the Perfect Cause for Your Event Business
You might be wondering right about now, how do companies choose the right cause to rally behind?
The cause, or causes, you choose should align with both your business’ brand and attendees’ interests. For instance, if your attendees are concerned about the environment, go with a related cause.
Choosing different causes for each event is another strategy that can entice different types of attendees and draw in new ones who might not attend the events otherwise. One week could be the local animal rescue and the next, an arts organization.
One way to get attendees involved in the process is to let them pick the social cause the event supports. During online registration, event businesses can offer a list of charities they’d be willing to support and poll attendees on their favorite. This lets them play a role in helping to plan the event.
Just make sure the cause you pick is something your business sincerely supports, not just a name to throw out to look good. Remember, consumers want brands that are socially responsible, not those who pretend to be.
5 Creative Ways to Show Event Attendees you Care
1. Donate a Portion of Ticket Sales
A simple way to incorporate a cause in your events is to donate an amount of ticket sales. The percentage donated will depend on what your business can withstand.
Stick with an amount you feel comfortable with. If 10% of ticket sales is what you can contribute to a cause, go with that. Attendees will appreciate any contribution.
2. Harness the Power of Social Media for Good
Ask attendees to post for a cause! For every tweet or post with a certain brand-related hashtag, every tag to your business, or every “like” of your page, commit to donating a small amount of money to a charity.
This not only helps out a cause and shows you care, it can also drive more traffic to your social media accounts. If your business doesn’t have the means to do this, simply reach out to your followers on social media to ask them to donate to an important cause.
3. Paint and Sip for a Cause
If you hold paint and sip events, consider pairing the painting with the cause to further the theme. For example, if you’re looking to attract animal lovers, have attendees paint a picture of their pet.
Then, incorporate a way of supporting an animal-related cause such as an animal rescue. This could mean donating a portion of event ticket sales. It helps to invite a representative from the charity to discuss what they do to inspire attendees while they paint and sip.
4. Sell a Product that Contributes
Do you sell products at your events? Consider offering a product specially made for a certain cause and donate a portion of the product’s sales to that cause. Attendees will love your commitment to the cause!
5. Offer Drinks for Donations
At certain evening social events, drink sales can be huge. Think about offering special drinks that contribute a portion of sales to a cause or partnering with a venue that is willing to donate a percentage of all drink sales in a certain time period.
If you’re looking to make fundraising and social responsibility part of your business model, try integrating ways to support causes into your events.
Not every business has the resources to continually contribute to charity. Even having an event annually with a charitable twist will make a difference. Now, get out there and change the world!
