Kimberly Litland, Brookfield Public Library

Lynn Elam, Hinsdale Public Library

Nicki Seidl, Evergreen Park Public Library

Dining at Dewey’sThe Purpose

Raise money for and awareness of the Library

Position the Library as a premiere institution by which residents want to be associated

Recruit new directors

Bring a buddy and his checkbook

Dining at Dewey’s Budget and the ROI

What is the Return? Do the numbers work? Hard costs/Soft costs Capacities

Are you thinking about the short or the long term? A. Building the bank account B. Building the supporter account C. Both A and C

Dining at Dewey’sThe components

Why would anyone come? What’s our offer? Food & Drink

Vendors and Cost Celebrity and Entertainment

We’re a Library; get an author. Make sure the author can write and speak

Music Live or the other kind Set the room for mingling and moving around

Dining at Dewey’s

Cocktails anyone? Alcohol in the Library

Special Liquor License Process and Fees

Library Staff – know the schedule of the governing body Fee Waiver - because they love us

Required Approvals Library Board of Trustees Village Liquor Commissioner Village Board of Trustees

Dining at Dewey’sTiming is Everything

Deadlines and Drop Dead Dates Schedule – work backward from the event date

What needs to happen and when does it need to happen

Build slippage into your model The power of contingencies and alternates

Dining at Dewey’s VIPs

Dining at Dewey’s The Celebrity

Dining at Dewey’s VIPs

Dining at Dewey’sLabor Force

Staff and Volunteers – Grace under Pressure Who is in charge? Depends Who is doing what? Fluid! Who is being supervised by whom? See above Who gets the email when things don’t get done? Staff Who comes to the rescue? Mostly staff Who gets the credit for a successful outcome? Mostly

volunteers

Dining at Dewey’sPromote it

Spend your time and money right here High/Low technologies

Video mash-up Chalkboard

Think in multiples Multiple messages Multiple places Multiple times

Dining at Dewey’sSell it

You are in Sales A successful event relies on your ability to sell it

Your Network – who do you know? Community leaders Long-time/frequent patrons Library volunteers

The List Care and maintenance

Developing prospects Vendors are the easy ones

Dining at Dewey’s

Maintaining the Network

Dining at Dewey’s

Developing Prospects

Dining at Dewey’sSell it

Sponsors Make it worth their while

Create a benefit package that shows the value of spending money to support your cause

Ticket sales Setting up your system

Make it easy Make it professional and polished

Dining at Dewey’s

Sponsor Benefit

Dining at Dewey’sSchmooze it

The art of the Schmooze First you had to promote it, then you had to sell

it, now you have to schmooze it Yes, you do Yes, you can Yes, your schmooze ability makes a difference

Dining at Dewey’s

Schmooze it

Dining at Dewey’sPost Event

Assessment and Evaluation F2FMeeting/Conference Call

Committee Chairs Library Staff Report

What worked – what worked not so much For next time

Records Management – New players Creating and storing documents associated with the event

Dining at Dewey’sThe Benefits

Some money in the bank – tangible asset Some new friends – expanded network Some old friends who still like you – maintain core

network A community wide event associated with you –

name recognition and visibility An opportunity to spread the good word of the

Library and how it enriches the lives of those who support it and use it – community pride

Dining at Dewey’sOver and Over Again

Sustain and Repeat Your community will know you by your events

Brand it – make it yours Own your concept and stick to it.

Same time – Same channel Keep the slot so people remember and associate what you did and

when you did it