Events That Bring People Together While Encouraging Social Distancing – It’s part of our human nature to connect with others. So why does connection matter?
A May 2021 article in the New York Times gives us a glimpse into an answer. The article explores a secret ingredient in what people miss the most about enjoying a meal at a restaurant. It turns out that it isn’t the food.
What people truly missed was “the random thrill of seeing other people.”
As more people get vaccinated, there will be more opportunities for small but meaningful moments like this. A simple smile can brighten someone’s day. And when they smile back, it also lifts your spirits. Other types of social events can also help us fulfill our need to feel connected. In addition, in these pandemic times, you can Plan complex student events, but one thing to be kept in mind is that you have to Encourage Social Distancing Signs
Here are three types of events that let people spend time together while allowing social distancing to happen.
1. Organize a golf outing
A golf outing allows players to enjoy a round of golf on beautifully designed landscapes. There can be individuals or, more commonly, foursomes (teams of four). Social distancing happens since players are spread out by time and distance. For instance, a group of friends can tee off on hole one at a specific time and then move on to the next hole. Then an individual or another group can start on hole one at the following allocated time.
The combination of reserved tee times, proximity, and open-air help keep players safe. But before players can participate, they need a way to register ahead of time.
Here are examples of the types of registration options that you can offer with an event registration system:
– Individual registration
– Foursome (4 players)
Once a player starts a registration, your event registration tool can collect contact details, process a payment, and send a confirmation email for your golf outing.
Did you know that you can also raise funds through a golf outing?
You can offer sponsorship opportunities alongside the player or team registrations. Here are a couple of examples:
– Sell a sponsorship for each hole.
– Sell sponsorships for the beverage carts.
Now your golf event can raise funds for a local charity while letting players enjoy a round of golf for a good cause.
Next, we’ll talk about another social event that raises funds.
2. Plan an annual gala dinner fundraiser
An annual gala dinner does several things simultaneously. First, it brings together members of your organization to celebrate your mission over a delicious dinner. Second, it recognizes specific people or businesses who have supported your organization. Third, it raises funds so your organization can continue to do meaningful work.
A fundraising dinner could offer different types of ticket options like these:
– Individual registration
– Tables (e.g., register eight guests at once)
– A basic sponsorship opportunity (multiple are available)
– Another sponsorship opportunity (a few are available)
– An exclusive sponsorship opportunity
By offering flexible ticket options, you are giving people the opportunity to support your work. For example, someone can pick up an individual registration while a local company may choose to purchase a table for employees. Then you are also offering various sponsorship levels which will help you exceed your fundraising goals.
What kind of sponsorships should you offer?
Looking at what has worked in the past is a great place to start. Specifically, look for patterns around the sponsorships or donations for past fundraisers.
“When charities ask you for a donation, they typically offer you a range of options such as $100, $250, $1,000, $5,000, or other. If the charity’s fundraisers have an idea of what they are doing, these values are not picked at random, because the options influence the amount of money people decide to donate,” wrote Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein in Nudge. “People will give more if the options are $100, $250, $1,000, and $5,000, than if the options are $50, $75, $100, and $150.”
Plus, if someone cannot attend, they can still choose one of your sponsorship options to show support.
3. Host a church service
Church services bring together members around a common purpose. Remember that connection matters, regardless of the type of religion. Like the New York Times article mentioned at the beginning of this article — members can get a sense of joy by seeing faces again.
You can organize church services with safety in mind by using an event registration tool. Here are a few ways that an event registration tool can help:
– Limit the number of members that can register for a specific service.
– Ask answers to questions to meet your protocols.
– Send unique tickets that can be scanned with a mobile phone for fast check-in.
– Remind church members about your safety guidelines for masks and handwashing.
And there is another benefit of church services. In the words of the author and psychologist Barry Schwarz: “People who participate in religious communities are happier than those who do not. Being connected to others seems to be much more important to subjective well-being than being rich.”
By hosting church services, you’ll help your members feel joy from being part of something greater than themselves.
Three event ideas that allow people to feel connected again while allowing social distancing are:
- Organize a golf outing
- Plan an annual gala dinner fundraiser
- Host a church service
Malcolm Gladwell, an author of several New York Times bestsellers, points out that we do similar activities with people that we like. “We’re friends with people we do things with, as much as the people we resemble,” wrote Gladwell in The Tipping Point.
Events bring people together so they can do activities that they find enjoyable.
Do you need to set up event registration for an upcoming event? Take a look at Event Espresso’s event registration guide, where you’ll learn the four keys of an event registration system.
