Your worst nightmare isn’t the zombie apocalypse. It’s spending months and months putting everything you’ve got into planning an event … and having a lousy turnout. How can you avoid what is surely the most terrifying, hair-raising, spine-tingling, chilling thing to ever happen to an event planner? Lisa Albers, Sales Manager at Rush Creek Golf Club, has a suggestion or two that might just show you how NOT to be afraid ever again.
Q. Tell me about Rush Creek and what you do there.
A. Most people know us for our championship golf course, but we also have a year-round restaurant (Highlander) and lovely banquet facilities that can host up to 340 people, depending upon the room set up. I am the Sales Manager and work on outside sales, marketing and event coordination.
Q. You also sit on the board of MPI. What are your responsibilities there?
A. I am the Director of Education for MPI Minnesota. I help plan and implement monthly programs, as well as i-Connect, our all-day educational conference.
Q. How many events do you host on site at Rush Creek each year?
A. Between 375-400, including social events, weddings, corporate gatherings, golf events and meetings.
Q. As we head into the holiday season, there’s a lot of competition for people’s time. What do you recommend planners do to increase attendance at their event?
A. There are several things a planner can do to increase attendance. Holding the event at a nice location, serving quality food and hiring first rate entertainment are a few things to start. For example, at Rush Creek, we host many golf events during the summer, but our venue is also appealing during the winter--the ambience of our building is warm and welcoming with two fireplaces in our ballroom, one fireplace upstairs and one in the restaurant; we have lots of windows with natural light that overlook a beautiful landscape; all of our food is homemade and we’re flexible with menus; and finally, we’re easy to get to and we offer free parking. All of these things combine to give an event appeal. Additionally, a planner needs to make sure the agenda of the event offers value to the attendees.
Q. In your experience, do you see things a planner should avoid doing that may reduce the number of people who might want to attend their event?
A. I think it’s important as a planner to make sure you know your group and know their limitations, whether that impacts the room setting, the type of food served, or the kind of service they receive. For example, you want to make sure that all of your attendees will feel comfortable during the event by meeting their dietary needs.
Q. Any other thoughts on what can make an event more appealing?
A. Make sure your attendees know what to expect at the event. If they do, they’ll feel more comfortable when they arrive. If there’s an educational component, share it with them ahead of time. It actually could become a driving factor that motivates them to attend.
