November 2016 - Page 2 of 2 - American Pavilion

Hosting any successful event requires planning carefully for any possible contingency, and barbecues are one outdoor event that demands being ready for any type of weather. Whether you are hosting a formal corporate barbecue or a casual family reunion, planning ahead will ensure that no one gets sunburned and your food does not get drenched. As you get ready for your special BBQ event, use these tips to make sure everyone has a good time whether it rains or shines.

Select Your Meats Wisely

Barbecues are all about the meat, which means your guests will be looking forward to sampling your menu. On a rainy day, you may want to limit the amount of time that you are outside working with the grill. Fortunately, many delicious barbecue favorites cook quickly such as skinny sausages and lean meat. You can also grill boneless meats, such as chicken breasts, that you have pounded flat to tenderize and shorten the cooking time.

Consider Precooking Your Meat

It may seem like cheating, but lots of chefs precook meat in the oven before grilling. For example, ribs fall off the bone after slowly cooking them in the oven for a few hours before throwing them on the grill. Precooking indoors will help you avoid rushing through the cooking process due to the rain; yet giving the meat a few minutes on the grill will still give you that delicious barbecue flavor.

Serve Extra Sides

With any BBQ event, you should always plan for more than enough food. Set out some chips, dip and veggie trays, and consider requesting for your guests to bring some extra sides. Asking your guests to bring a side dish will help you ensure that there is plenty of food to go around, even if it takes a little extra time to finish with the meat. Everyone has a favorite barbecue recipe that they love to share, and good-natured debates about who makes the best potato salad or baked beans are great ways to encourage interaction among your guests.

Use Covers and Lids

While grilling, you will most likely be working in stages, which means that some dishes will finish while the meat is still cooking. Try to limit the amount of foods you leave outside until it is time to eat. This way, there will not be a mad scramble to gather up dishes if a rain shower comes along. For those dishes that do stay outside, bring covers that can help keep them dry in the event of rain while also keeping the hot sun from beating down on them and changing the temperature. Just make sure that any covers you use are waterproof. Those handmade bowl covers your grandmother sewed are pretty, but they will not hold up to a heavy rain.

Plan Indoor and Outdoor Activities

It is important to give your guests options for activities so that they can get out of the rain or relentless sun if it gets uncomfortable. In addition to the typical outdoor games such as corn hole and horseshoes, set up some comfortable seating inside. Place some board games and other conversation starters around the room, so that the guests who choose to go indoors will have something to keep them engaged. If you host your event under an awning, make sure to keep your activities close to the center of the event so that wind does not blow rain onto the fun, or choose a tent with sides that can keep out any type of inclement weather.

Be Flexible With Your Timing

Although your event will likely have a defined time for your guests to arrive, try to be flexible regarding when your BBQ event hits full swing. Often, storms pass quickly so waiting a few minutes to fire up the grill can make a big difference in how your food turns out. This is where those extra sides come in handy, since your guests will have something to stave off the hunger if you need to delay your start time for cooking.

A little preplanning can help here as well since the hottest part of the day tends to be the same during most seasons. If you know that a big storm or heat wave is coming, then consider hosting your event at a different time of the day. For large events, simply let your guests know that there will be shelter so that they don’t want to stay home out of fear that the rain will cause you to cancel your BBQ.

Set Up an Event Tent

Outdoor events always go more smoothly when there is a shelter available for guests to use as shade or to keep dry in the rain. Tent rentals can be found in a variety of sizes to fit everyone on your guest list while leaving plenty of room for mingling and activities.

Depending upon the type of BBQ event you are planning, you can also choose additional features to make your guests more comfortable such as temperature control. Having a shelter available helps prevent just about every weather-related concern along with others such as keeping insects away from your guest’s plates.

Keep Your Guests Dry

While an event tent will keep everyone comfortable for the duration of your event, you may add a few extra touches to make sure everyone gets to and from the shelter dry. Scatter a few extra umbrellas and one-size-fits all raincoats around your barbecue venue that everyone can use when traveling between their cars and the event tent. Alternatively, consider setting up a covered walkway between the parking area and your tent so that no one has to worry about a sudden gust of wind and rain. Weather-proofing your event will ensure your guests have a great time.

One of the best parts about planning a BBQ event is looking forward to spending the day outside. However, outdoor events can be as unpredictable as the weather. By planning beforehand for ways to battle the inclement weather, you can ensure that everyone on your guest list has a wonderful time whether it rains or shines on your special day.

Fundraising events are always more fun when they are held outdoors, and the extra space is important when you are expecting a crowd. Yet, hosting an event outside poses a few extra challenges since you cannot always predict the weather, and you need to have the right accommodations such as tent rentals to ensure the event goes exactly as planned. As you prepare your plans for the big outdoor fundraiser, make sure to implement these strategies first so that your event is a success.

Define Your Purpose

Fundraisers can have multiple purposes that go far beyond simply trying to raise funds. Spend some time defining your purpose since it will help you generate your marketing materials and speak with authority to interested parties. For example, you may be hoping to raise awareness about a need in your community, and knowing this purpose can help you recruit speakers for your event. Alternatively, you may be trying to recruit new volunteers or support for additional research. Each of these goals will require a slightly different approach for your event planning and set up.

Choose a Location

An outdoor fundraiser can be held at local parks, in parking lots, at outside concert venues or even along the shoreline. While you can hold your outdoor fundraiser virtually anywhere, you will want to make sure there is enough space to comfortably fit all of your guests along with additional room for any planned activities. For example, an event that will be hosting speakers will require a stage area. Alternatively, fundraisers that serve meals will need space for tables and chairs. Make sure that the location you choose is ready for an event your fundraiser’s size and suits the theme.

Pick a Date for Your Outdoor Fundraiser

Choosing the perfect date for your event will depend upon your fundraiser as well as your desired location. For example, you may choose an anniversary date for your organization if it means more people will be likely to attend. Alternatively, you may also need to consider the weather if your fundraiser will be held during a season with extreme temperatures or frequent precipitation. Once you have a date set, inquire to ensure the location where you want to hold your fundraiser will be available, and make any necessary reservations.

Secure Required Permits

In many communities, hosting an event in a public space may require permits for parking, setting up tent rentals and securing activity areas. Contact your local municipality to find out what types of permits you need and if any documentation will be necessary. This is especially important if your fundraiser will involve special events such as races that may involve the use of public streets or lots. When contacting your local authorities, be prepared to provide an outline of what type of event you are planning, where it will be located, how many people will be attending and the types of activities you have planned. This will help them ensure you stay in compliance with local ordinances concerning noise and crowd control.

Create a Budget

The main point of an outdoor fundraiser is to increase funding for critical projects, which means that you will want to avoid running up too many expenses that cut into your donations. Although you want your event to be nice enough to attract donors and participants, it is important to avoid going over the top. To keep costs down, consider soliciting for donations that can help with food, decorations and entertainment. For example, someone within your organization may be willing to volunteer to do a musical performance or cater the meal. Recruiting local businesses to put together gift baskets or discount cards as door prizes is another great way to reduce your fundraising expenses.

Assign Leadership Roles

Big fundraisers require a large team of volunteers and organizers to make everything run smoothly on the big day, and having an organized fundraiser is important for demonstrating to potential contributors the efficiency of your organization. Before you begin major plans, hold a meeting to define who will be responsible for each aspect of the fundraiser. For example, you may have a team leader in charge of planning the seating and a committee chairperson who is the main point of contact for your donors.

Determine the Marketing Plan

Getting the word out about your fundraiser is the secret to success since raising awareness will boost your organization’s standing in the community. Spend time thinking about how the people you want involved respond to marketing campaigns. Do they spend time on social media, or are they more likely to read a brochure they receive in the mail? Reaching your target audience through their preferred method will generate the best response. Ideally, your marketing team should use multiple methods to attract interest. Flyers, email blasts, phone calls and social media posts are all potential ways to spread the word quickly. It is also important to note that reminders are helpful as the event date draws nearer if you began your marketing campaign several months in advance.

Consider Using Tent Rentals

With any outdoor fundraiser, there is always the possibility of the unexpected occurring. Being ready for anything will make your organization shine. Consider using tent rentals for your outdoor event since these offer shelter from the weather while also providing options such as temperature control that will keep interested parties at your event longer. Recruiting professional help for your sound systems, decorations and set up will also make it easier for you to focus on the other details on the big day. Once you have reserved a location and marketed the date for months, the last thing you want to have to do is cancel your event, and using these types of resources will make sure everything continues as planned.

Planning your fundraiser to take place outdoors is the ideal way to draw a crowd and raise awareness for your favorite cause. By taking the time to implement these strategies during the initial phase of your planning, you can look forward to your event with confidence that it will be a successful fundraiser that everyone enjoys.