I’ve been running events for years, and like anyone that’s done anything for a long time, I’ve learned a lot of things during this time. These are just some of the things that can be daunting when planning your first event. Trying to determine how much of beverages you need to purchase, thinking of how people are eating at your event, the time weath, etc. It’s a lot to think about and I hope this episode gives you a nice guide to determining these things!

But Who Am I?

Hi! I'm Lisa Clark and I help nonprofits and fundraisers like YOU raise money through events so you can meet your annual revenue goals! I'm also the host of a free Facebook Group, Raising with Lisa Clark, a free group for fundraisers, NPOs, development team members, volunteers, and supporters. I included a link below so you can request to join right away!

 

Link to Join Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/112148672944584

How Much Beer, Wine, and Liquor Do I Need?

This is something that boggles the minds of a lot of people, but having a rough estimate of the amount of alcohol that you should buy for your event can help save you money! Here are a few tips:

• You can base it on per hour, per person, or 2.5 drinks per person per event.
• If you’re talking wine, then just remember that there are around 4.5 to 5 glasses per bottle if you are filling up glasses with 4 to 5 ounces.  
• Beer kegs are another option. If you’re filling glasses with around 12 ounces, there are almost 2,000 ounces of beer per keg. This equals around 165 people per keg.
• A standard bottle of liquor that is around 80 proof contains approximately 25 ounces per bottle. If you do 1.5 ounces per shot that is around 17 drinks.
• One pound of ice per person and don’t forget weather can play a role so if it’s hot, you’ll need more ice and more white wine then red wine
• Offer mocktails to those that don’t drink

You may need to adjust this estimate since you know your attendees better than any one, but it’s a good start when starting the process of ordering alcohol. You also need to inform your bartenders the amount of alcohol to serve depending on the type. If you don’t, then they will most likely free-pour and your estimates will be off.

Also negotiate to purchase liquor by the bottle rather than by the drink. It will be cheaper in the long run to buy the liquor for 20 to 25 drinks in one bottle rather than paying per drink - just like buying a keg of beer is cheaper per glass than buying individual bottles or cans. Agree up front with the catering manager on a system for auditing the used and unused bottles of liquor before and after the event.

 

Coffee, Tea, Soda, and Water

The amount that people are going to drink depends on their environment and time of day! Here’s a breakdown of what that looks like:

• Average consumption of beverages in the morning will be roughly 65 percent hot (coffee and tea) and 35 percent cold (juice, iced tea, and soda).
• In the afternoon, beverage consumption will average about 65 percent cold and 35 percent hot.
• In the evening, this ratio changes if you have alcohol available since most people will head for the bar.
• Coffee and hot water for tea are purchased by the gallon, which equals about 128 ounces and produces roughly 20 6-ounce cups.

Final thoughts on beverages, if that when ordering you need to take into account the time of day, weather, type of event, and the attendees into consideration. My tips are just here to help you guide you through this thinking process so that you order enough for your event! There’s nothing worse than the feeling that you’re running out of beverages while you’re already in the middle of trying to make sure the rest of your fundraising event is running smoothly!

Cash Bar vs Open Bar

It’s true that people drink less at a Cash Bar so you’ll have to plan for 1.5 drinks per person per hour. When you have an Open Bar the drinking ration goes up to around 2 to 2.5 drinks per person per hour. Makes sense right? While a cash bar might seem like a more cost-effective option for event planners since attendees are purchasing their own drinks, keep in mind that you are still responsible for the cost of the bar setup, any necessary labor, and the bartender (and possibly a bar-back helper).

Always Have A Vegetarian and Gluten-Free Option

Look, there are a lot of different diet preferences out there in the world. It’s hard to cater to everyone but having at least one vegetarian/vegan and gluten free option is standard. You want for people to not have to worry that they won’t be able to eat at your event! Hungry people aren’t necessarily happy people! Don’t have this be an afterthought. Be intentional with the choice that you make.

And be sure to label your foods to designate what dietary needs! It can be as simple as:

• GF- Gluten-free
• DF- Dairy Free
• VG - Vegetarian
• VEG- Vegan
• NF - Nut Free

Sure, this doesn’t cover all of the allergies and dietary needs out there, but having a few simple options shows you care. This goes a long way with donors. You could even have the option for people to let you know if they need special accommodations with a food oriented email that lets people know what the menu is and a contact button just in case. This way your staff can be informed and a dish can be made for someone that needs that accomodation.

Appetizers

Some of your events will only be serving appetizers which is completely fine! Finger food can go a long way. But one thing I want to mention when it comes to appetizers is that you should only make them in one to two bite portions. I’m mentioning this since some events don’t have seating arrangements as part of the plan. People don’t want to be walking around with food the whole time! Make them quick munchies that can then be disposed of so that its convenient!

Theatre Setups

I’m currently planning an event that has theatre style seating. If you’re in the same boat, plan for 8 square feet per person if no AV presentation is involved. If AV will be used, increase the space to 10 square feet per person. Theater setups allow you to pack the most people into the smallest space, and are fine if attendees won't be taking a lot of notes and sessions are short.

Classroom Setups

Allot 12 square feet per person if you want three people per 6-foot table, or 18 square feet for two people per 6-foot table, allowing 44 inches between each row of tables. For classroom configurations with AV, plan a minimum of 15 square feet per person. Classroom setups are better for serious training sessions or when people need room to take notes.

Banquet and Reception

Banquets and most receptions with a bar (or multiple bars) and standard buffet tables require 10 to 12 square feet per person. Banquet rounds are best for in-depth, small-group discussions, and they allow for quick room reset for food functions. In my experience 66-inch round tables seat 8 people nicely. 72-inch round tables can fit ten! You can fit 12 people at these, but you need to consider your audience. One time I hosted an event for footballers and there was no way that I could have fit 12-people at the tables.  

Calculating Ticket Prices

There are a lot of formulas out there on the internet so you definitely can use what works best for you. However this is what I have found to be the most useful solution to this dilemma. To determine your event's registration fee (RF), divide your fixed costs (FC) by the number of anticipated attendees (AA) and add your variable costs per person (VC/P).

 

Example: If the fixed cost for your event is $200,000, the variable cost per person is $500, and you anticipate 1,000 attendees, the registration fee should be $700.

 

The formula is:

• (FC/AA) + (VC/P) = RF
• (200,000 / 1,000) + $500 = $700

 

What Are Your Tips?

I’d love to hear what advice you would give to other individuals that are planning events! We all learn from different experiences so I’d love to hear your perspective.

I really hope that this helps to answer some of your questions when it comes to planning a successful event. These kinds of things can seem mundane, but they can save you money and help you to run a smoother event with no last minutes runs to the grocery or liquor store. I wish you luck and success with you upcoming events!