by Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
Party? Installation of officers? Annual meeting?
This time of year, it’s probably all the same as associations gather to have fun, greet their new leaders and comply with whatever legal rules they’re under by getting together.
Many associations, including the Northeast Florida Builders Association, Northeast Florida Association of Realtors and the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, put on elaborate events. And, they have to be done well ... you don’t want to have your members pay up to $75 and find they’re eating rubber duck.
“Our big events are very important to our members so we spend a lot of time setting them up,” said Arnold Tritt, the executive director of the builders association. “Our gala (held in November) has a party atmosphere while our annual meeting (January) is a dinner. We want good entertainment, good food and good timing.”
According to Meredith Connell, senior manager of the Area Councils for the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce who’s in charge of the annual meeting Thursday, their planning starts about six months prior to an event.
“We work on a six-month timeline and start with the basics of date, time and place,” said Connell. “After that, the big decision is what type of event it will be, where there will be a keynote speaker or a big program/themed production.”
The Chamber contracts with one of its production company members to carry it through to all aspects of the event including the invitations and advertisements.
“Planning the event takes tons of organization, time, follow-up, a smattering of creativity and attention to details, details and more details,” said Melanie Green, communications director of NEFAR.
Diversity seems to be the key to satifying everyone’s appetite at large events.
“To please such a large crowd, we have selected an upscale buffet instead of a plated event like the last couple of years,” said Green. “By having at least two of everything on the buffet, including entrees, vegetables, starches and desserts, guests have options and can almost always find at least a few items they enjoy.”
Also, making sure you have enough food and drink is usually a little tricky even when based on reservations.
“Some people say to guarantee five percent less than your reservations, but I haven’t found that to be the answer,” said Connell. “It helps to have RSVP deadlines, but even with those we will end up with last minute cancellations, reservations the day of and no-shows at the event. We guarantee conservatively, but try to make sure that should everyone show — which to my knowledge has never happened at one of my events — we could handle them all.”
Choosing the place to house the event can be quite a challenge for all organizations. Obviously, they need to choose a place that can seat hundreds of people and provide enough room for people to move around and enjoy themselves.
“Based on attendance, you can initially eliminate many sites based on room capacities,” said Connell. “As we normally expect 600, we are limited in locations. If you have more flexibility on space, you can select your site based on costs associated with the site. Costs include anything from room rental to union charges to food costs.”
Connell said it is important to set your budget well in advance so you know what ballpark range you are looking for in terms of facility charges and food costs to keep your ticket prices at the agreed price and still be able to cover the costs.
The real estate association’s banquets traditionally are held in a hotel setting that can accommodate a crowd of several hundred people.
“We’ve looked at a couple of other options, so you may see a change of pace for future installations,” said Green.
The entertainment for events is often based on a variety of factors.
“We don’t have a set tradition on music,” said Green. “It depends on a variety of factors including the cost, the theme [if any] and the individual preference of the incoming president.”
The Chamber also looks to its chairman for ideas.
“We try to take direction from him or her,” said Connell. “Each year is different based on that.”
How do they ensure all will enjoy it?
“We’ve been doing these for a long time; our volunteers know what the membership likes and we’ve been lucky every year — our events get better and better,” said Tritt.
Green said their goal is to provide maximum enjoyment for the members at reasonable price.
“The annual banquet is always popular and this one should be no different,” said Green.
The costs of the events are usually based on food costs and additional expenses associated with the event.
“If the event was a fundraiser, the group may bump up the price of the ticket based on the fundraising goal,” said Connell.
The Chamber tries to learn from the past.
“Each year we try to build on last year’s event and learn from what worked and what didn’t,” said Connell. “We try to repeat the good things and eliminate or change the things that didn’t. We are constantly striving for perfection in our events, but that level of perfection is constantly evolving based on prior events and current situations.”
The Chamber tries to keep a fresh look to the event each year. They try to customize the them to the current year’s events and happenings.
“This year, due to the Sept. 11 events, we have revised their theme to be more patriotic and reflective of the strength of our community and our country,” said Connell. “In any situation, you try to keep it new, keep a little mystery and intrigue about the event and above all, keep our guests entertained so they will have a memorable time and return the next year.”
The real estate association agrees that fresh is best by incorporating some new variation each year.
“We alter the menu, incorporate a different look for decorations/programs and periodically change the location or music,” said Green. “At the last installation banquet, we kicked off a theme for the year called ‘Realtors: A History of Success.’ It incorporated a walk down memory lane by displaying hundreds of old photographs and real estate memorabilia items.
“We also presented a historical retrospective of the association’s involvements and successes from inception to present. That was a big crowd pleaser, particularly for the seasoned real estate veterans.”
In past years, the annual events for these associations were held in December amidst all the holiday get-togethers and family obligations.
This year, the realtors and builders have their events in January and they’re back-to-back on Jan. 18 and 19. That wasn’t the case two years ago when they didn’t talk to each other and scheduled the banquets on the same night ... to the displeasure of many who wanted to attend both.
While the Chamber is staying in December, the others aren’t.
“With all the holiday happenings in December, January seems to work better for everyone’s schedule,” said Green. “January is also a better time for booking sites. We have also started planning the events much earlier in the year than we have in the past.”
Thursday • Osborn Center
NEFAR
Friday, Jan. 18 • Omni
NEFBA
Saturday, Jan. 19 • Southpoint Marriott