David Mendes
David Mendes is assistant director of communications and public affairs at the American Academy of Actuaries in Washington, DC.
Think you need a big budget and a big celebrity to make your association's anniversary celebration a hit? Think again. No matter your budget, you can shape the party into one that's meaningful, memorable, and fun.
Nothing brings out the urge to celebrate quite like an anniversary. The very mention of an upcoming anniversary year at your association can draw excitement and uncharacteristic outspokenness from the meekest board member or previously uninvolved member: How about we celebrate with a giant association birthday cake? And the more significant the anniversary year—such as a 10th, 50th, or 100th anniversary—the more extravagant the partying suggestions will be: How about an event with live bands and a celebrity appearance webcast to all members?
Shaping your anniversary into a meaningful, memorable, financially responsible, and effective celebration is the job of the association communications professional. At midsized or larger associations, it may also involve discussion and coordination with other staff from the meetings, membership, or other departments.
Shaping your anniversary into a meaningful, memorable, financially responsible, and effective celebration is the job of the association communications professional.
Weighing the intensity of the celebration against the resources available for it is step one. It won't take much research to discover that, for example, celebrity appearances aren't cheap and might be considered an option only in a milestone year in which substantial resources are available or in other extraordinary circumstances (e.g., where the celebrity has a personal connection to the cause or will greatly discount his or her fee). A few choice examples uncovered in your initial research of campaign options will make clear to leadership the natural tension between the intensity of the celebration and the reality of the bottom line, and this will lead to a more grounded discussion of how to celebrate your year.
While injecting financial constraints into an association-wide push for celebration may make you feel like a party pooper, the good news is that, as we at the American Academy of Actuaries learned in the run-up to and planning for our 50th anniversary year in 2015, the elements of an anniversary campaign are scalable. The effectiveness of your campaign will depend on thoughtfully applying the resources according to scale.
Bringing your anniversary campaign down to earth won't be a downer if you're clear with leadership that there are realistic options that will generate excitement. Scale your campaign with elements of
When wild suggestions for your anniversary celebration start pouring in, think of your campaign as creating a party wagon: Don't overload it and don't underload it. Focus on filling it to scale with the right favors and your anniversary year will be a hit.