We are chatting with event industry expert, Ashlee Livingstone, CEO of Our Forte, to discuss some of the event trends in the current environment with nonprofits and charities.
Question 1: What are some of the event trends happening out there, and do you feel like organizations are moving towards more traditional events?
Ashlee: It is nice to see events coming back live and in person, so that is nice to see. Silent auctions and golf tournaments seem to have come back to life. A lot of award ceremonies and fundraising galas are also coming back.
Question 2: Do you think hybrid events are here to stay?
Ashlee: Yes. Covid gave us this opportunity to shift virtual, and in doing so, we were able to expand our reach. For example, one of my clients was the YWCA of Hamilton, and when going virtual, we had an international audience who attended the event.
If you have an opportunity to connect with an international audience remotely, I think that is a brilliant way to do it.
Question 3: What are the risk mitigation tactics one can take into account when planning an event?
Re-engage with your sponsors, volunteers, and event attendees. Don’t just send out a save-the-date invite and hope they come back to your event. Take the time to invest in those relationships with all of your contacts.
Question 4: What are your favourite Covid takeaways from the event planning perspective?
I think the concept of having a plan B is really important. You have to embrace flexibility, and you have to be willing to change.
Keep changing. Keep evolving. And keep being innovative.
Question 5: What are the fundamentals of fundraising and planning an event?
It is about people, building those relationships, and focusing on impact.
And stay focused on your theme. At the end of the day, your theme is whatever organization you are with raising money for.
The full interview can be found here:
Visit for more information:
Kambeo: https://kambeo.io/
Our Forté: https://www.ourforte.ca/
