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Late Winter 2016 37 Post-Event Send thank you notes and make follow-up calls to your volunteers and sponsors. If you plan to make it an annual event this is also a good opportunity to solicit participation for the following year. Review with your club and document what worked and what didnt work what lessons were learned and what needs to be done differently for future events. Finally write about your event and send in photos and captions to be published in Snowmobile Vermont When planning any event it can be somewhat challenging but it should also be fun and rewarding for your club. Hopefully this article will be helpful in the planning and success of your upcoming event. Once the dust has settled and everyone has had a good time you will all be glad you had the event and looking forward to the next one. Entertainment Entertainment can range from games to live music to snowmobile related activities. Some clubs hold a Calcutta auction which is entertainment all by itself Vendors can be considered an entertainment of sorts. If you have a nearby snowmobile dealer it does not hurt to ask if they would be willing to show up with their latest models for people to check out and other merchandise. See if they will offer an event discount on sales to your attendees. In this event setting the salespeople get a chance to really talk with and spend time with people addressing their questions. This is a huge value to the vendor to generate business for them now and later down the road. This is also a means to draw people to your event if they know they might be able to get some deals. If you are holding any sort of riding related activities make sure you have appropriate insurance paperwork for participants and have discussed everything with the owner of the location and made formal agreements regarding liability. People respond to music and even if it is in the background. It can be as simple as a stereo playing or maybe a local band. Perhaps someone in your club is musically inclined and would like to perform. Event Planning Publicity Remember that VAST is here to help you Your first step should be to add the event to the calendar through your club page on the VAST website. This is the central location where VAST collects their calendar of upcoming events to attend donate to and help publicize in the magazine and on VAST social media. Your own clubs social media accounts also play a vital role in allowing others to share it and help spread the message even further. Not everyone uses the internet so printed marketing materials are also needed. Flyers are a great affordable way to start getting the word out and should be placed throughout the area where the event will be held. Think of all the places you go and see them grocery stores post offices gas stations restaurants community centers store fronts trail junctions snowmobile dealers and repair shops. Anywhere that there is a bulletin board or a business that will allow you to display the flyer is a chance for people to find out about your event. Many radio stations have discounted advertising rates for non- profits and this also is worth looking into. Snowmobile Vermont magazine also offers discounted advertising rates for clubs. That old saying a picture is worth a thousand words also holds true for your event. Make sure you take plenty of pictures. Dont assume that someone will take pictures during the event. Have one or two volunteers assigned to this. Instruct them to take notes about the photos they are taking including the names of people in the photos. Most Importantly. . . Have Fun