Resource Fairs: Increasing the Appeal of Your Event
When you plan to hold your fitness event during a busy time of the year such as spring and fall you will likely find yourself competing with other large or small events throughout the area. It is best to do what you can to choose a date that doesn’t conflict, but if you are from a moderate to large size city that can be nearly impossible at these times of the year.
Therefore, as a planning committee you will need to start looking for ways to make your event more appealing. Of course, the charity you are supporting should be a big draw for those interested in raising funds, but there are things you can add to an event to draw in even more people.
When I worked for a university-based employee wellness program we held a race event each year in the spring. In order to draw a crowd of both racers and non-racers we held a resource fair after the event.
We invited participation from local businesses with a focus on health and wellness, non-profit health programs throughout the community and other schools throughout the university who had a shared interest in health. These groups were invited to set up tables with information or activities for visitors to gather and take part in.
There are some positives and negatives that came from including this with our race event. I’ll share some of those with you in the hopes that they will be helpful for you if you are thinking of holding such a fair to increase the appeal of your charity fitness events.
First I should say that when it comes changing health behaviors the effectiveness of using a health or resource fair is debatable. This is a topic that is often researched and evaluated in the world of health promotion. However, when it comes to drawing in people as well as creating a buzz around your specific event a resource or health fair can be beneficial.
Pros
You create additional partnerships among health focused organizations within your community. This can translate to greater support for your fundraising efforts. Perhaps there was a business that you didn’t feel comfortable inviting to be on the planning committee, but they will be beneficial at the resource fair.
You encourage additional donations by those racing or those simply stopping by to see the race and wait for loved ones. You can set up more raffles, games or other activities which can generate funds for the charity.
It keeps the energy of the event going until the prize ceremony. If you are planning a run/walk event, often there can be a big time difference between the first runners that finish and the last walkers. People will consider waiting for the prize ceremony, but not if the wait is long and boring. The resource fair can keep participants engaged and encourage them to stick around a bit longer.
Cons
It can get confusing. For example, we had a hard time separating the refreshments for the racers from the general public attending the resource fair. These things need to be clearly marked and set up in a separate area so other visitors don’t gobble up the food and drink intended for the exercisers.
You’ll need extra staff or volunteers. If you include a resource fair devote two or three people to that specific project. They will be the ones helping vendors set up and answering questions. The responsibilities of both the fair and the race are too much for one coordinator. If you don’t have enough staff you risk devoting too much attention to this after-event and not enough to the race itself.
A resource or health fair can work well with your race event and increase its appeal to the public and potential donators. It just takes a lot of organization to make it run smoothly. By using the event to compliment the race and not allowing it to take over the spotlight you will find an ideal balance. These events can help foster positive partnerships for your organization, additional donations for the charity and provide your participants with helpful information.
Do you have experience with hosting a resource or health fair? Feel free to share some of your tips with us in the comments.
Photo by Kevin Rosseel, MorgueFile
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