WHEN TO START PLANNING NEXT YEARS GOLF EVENT
The continuing success of your tournament will depend on what you do after this event, and applying what you learned to make your next event even better. Tying up loose ends the week after your tournament will save you a lot of hassle for next year. Realistically, planning next years golf event starts the day after this year’s tournament ends!
Following your tournament, here is a list of things you should consider doing to set yourself up for next year
1. Send a survey to players, sponsors and volunteers for feedback on what worked and what areas need improvement. Be sure to include the date of next years’ event in the survey so they can mark it on their calendars.
2. Personally call or visit each major sponsor. Present them with their sponsor gift within a few weeks of the event. The gift should help solidify the event as a memorable one, and be displayable in their office setting.
3. Call committee members for feedback and invite the effective committee members to stay active for next year.
4. Send thank you notes to volunteers and anyone else who helped organize and execute your event.
5. Send thank you notes to the golf course and golf course staff. Some event organizers stop by a few days after the event with a “goody basket” of snacks. This will go a long way towards a successful relationship with the course.
6. Complete all the financial transactions promptly so your event has a solid credit record and your organization has the exact “net” amount raised. This will help generate enthusiasm for continued support.
7. Make a note to send tax receipts to players and sponsors in late October so they know the deduction amount for their tax returns. This will help avoid a lot of last minute phone calls in November and December. The simple task of sending a tax receipt will separate you from 50% of the other tournaments.
8. Set up your website for the event next year so everyone knows to “Save the Date.” The Golf Digest Planner (www.GolfDigestPlanner.com) lets you set up a website and schedule registration to become active at a later date. The website serves as an online “brochure” for next year. You can even post a photo of the event and the results it yielded.
9. If you have a great event, tell the press. Prepare a press release detailing the amount raised and be sure to include the sponsor names so they have added exposure. Some events will even buy a large ad to thank players and sponsors and include information regarding the event date for the following year.
If you do these things right after your event, you will have great data to go on when its time to begin planning next years event. If your experience at the golf course was positive, don’t hesitate before booking the course again for next year. Remember: the more organized you are when planning this years event, the easier next years will be!
