Small Business Christmas Party
| First Name | Dustin |
| Last Name | Bisson |
| dbisson@clearwatercounty.ca | |
| Club Name | Kinsmen Club of Rocky Mountain House |
| District # | 4 |
| Number of Members | 11-25 |
| Community Size | Small community (less than 20,000) |
| Community Type | Rural |
| Project Name | Small Business Christmas Party |
| Type of Project (check all that apply) | Ticketed event (Gala, Princess Ball, Comedy Fest, Lip Sync Battle, Trivia Night etc.) |
| If other, please describe | |
| Was this project a fundraiser? | Yes |
| Description of project | Every year we host a Small Business Christmas Party in our community! This is a way for some of the smaller local businesses in our community to treat their staff to a Christmas Party without spending a lot of money or having the hassle of planning it. When you purchase a ticket or table for your staff, you get supper, entertainment and your entered to win some door prizes. We also offer a free drive home service for this event as well. The event usually starts at 5:30 and wraps up at around 1:00 Am. Some businesses buy as few as 4 ticket and some by as many as 6 full tables. Single tickets are $50 and a Table of 8 is $350. The last two events we have had about 215 to 275 people in attendance. |
| Service Hours | 51-100 |
| Did you leverage this project as a way to recruit new members? | Yes |
| If you answered yes to the question above, please explain: | I cant say whether or not we have actually recruited members for either club in town from this event! We do take the opportunity to tell people about our club and what it is that we do. We are always prepared to take time to answer individuals questions as well. |
| How was this project promoted in your community? | Social Media Canvass local businesses Radio - One of our members is the morning show guy and he lets us come on the air to promote the event at least once or twice in late October and mid November. |
| What were some challenges you faced with this project, and how could your project be improved? | We have previously had issues making money off this event due to the economic situation in Alberta. So we had to trim costs and promote the event a little harder. We haven't typically spent a lot decorations for this event. I see that as something we start to do more of in the future. |
| What was the approximate budget for this project? | $5,000-$10,000 |
| If the project was a fundraiser, what were the sources of revenue for this project? | Ticket Sales Bar Sales 50/50 |
| If this was a fundraiser, how much money was raised (minus expenses)? | $1,000-$5000 |
| What were the expenses for this project? | +/- $10,000 |
| Is there anything else you would like to share that would assist another club in duplicating this project in their community? | Its a pretty easy event to run... - Pick a date - Find a Venue - Pick a Cateror & decide the meal - Find entertainment for example a DJ, Live band, Comedian or hypnotist (Live band tends to be a big draw. Based on the different demographics of company's that might be attending comedians and hypnotists might be a flop. - Promote the event and sell tickets. - We typically have a three person comittee for this event. Chair, Past Chair and Incoming Chair. - You really need most of your volunteers for setup and and for the event itself... - Probably one of the easiest fundraisers our club does each year, netting between $4,000 & $6,500 |