There are a lot of elements that go into organizing a successful nonprofit event. You’ve likely waded through articles about event marketing and promotion, soliciting corporate partnerships, and top tech tools to help you tackle your event with ease. However, to host a truly impactful gathering for your nonprofit, it’s worth it to go back to the basics and focus on the attendee experience.

The best events thoughtfully meet attendee needs by prioritizing their comfort and enjoyment. When your guests are having a good time, they’re more responsive to your calls to action, making them more likely to donate, register to volunteer, and share your mission with their networks.

Creating a great attendee experience starts during the planning phase, well before the event day itself. In this guide, we’ll discuss four tips for prioritizing attendee comfort at your next in-person event. Let’s dive in!

Prioritize Comfort During Venue Selection and Setup

During the event planning process, one of the most important things you’ll decide on is your venue. Your top priority: choose a venue that works for the event’s activities—for example, if you’re hosting a walk-a-thon, you should choose a route that is safe, flat, and suitable for all attendees.

Beyond that, however, keep the following factors in mind when selecting a venue:

  • Space and layout. The right venue should feel lively without being overcrowded. Consider the flow of the space to ensure that attendees can easily move around.
  • Temperature and climate control. Indoor spaces should have climate control systems to maintain a comfortable temperature. For outdoor spaces, ensure that the facilities have sufficient shade, fans, and water stations.
  • Acoustic quality. If you plan to incorporate music, announcements, panels, or speeches at your event, be sure to select a venue where all audio elements can be easily heard by all attendees.
  • Restroom facilities. Check that your venue has enough restrooms to accommodate the number of attendees at your event. Generally, it’s a good idea to have one restroom per 50 guests.

Accessibility is another crucial element when selecting a venue. To be inclusive of all individuals, select a venue that is wheelchair accessible, accommodates service animals, and more. Approach venue selection from a universal design perspective by choosing a location that can be used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability, or disability.

Virtual Options

Don’t be afraid to incorporate virtual options into your in-person events to provide a more comfortable, accessible experience. For some of your nonprofit’s supporters, having the option to stay at home is the pinnacle of comfort, as they won’t have to worry about traveling. Instead, they can view your programming from a location of their choosing.

Plenty of fundraising event ideas are well-suited to hybrid or even fully virtual formats. For example, you can take your next gala hybrid by inviting key stakeholders such as major donors and sponsors to attend the in-person portion. Your other supporters can still participate by watching your live stream. And, if you host an auction as part of the proceedings, you can handle bidding online to create a streamlined and comfortable experience for everyone.

Make Strategic Seating Arrangements

On event day, arrange your venue in a way that makes sense for the flow of your event. Here are a few common types of nonprofit events and how seating might look for each of them:

  • Walk-a-thon or fun run. For these events, participants will be on their feet, but other attendees will be watching from the sidelines. You’ll want to arrange seating alongside the race route so attendees can easily cheer on walkers or runners.
  • Panel or discussion. Usually, you’ll have panelists sit on stage and discuss a few moderated questions before taking questions from the audience. Arrange your seating theater-style, with everyone facing the panelists to ensure that they can see the people who are talking.
  • Community festival. These events are flexible and relaxed, which means that seating options can be as well. Offer picnic tables and benches for dining and plenty of chairs throughout the space so attendees can relax and enjoy the festivities.
  • Gala. Gala-style events, especially those with dinners, benefit by being arranged in a small table format. Assign each attendee a spot at a specific table so they can network and get to know their tablemates while supporting your nonprofit.

Although we often don’t think of it that way, having seating that makes sense for your event is a big step toward providing a comfortable attendee experience. Ask yourself: Why would an individual want to attend this event? What could they gain from it? Allow the answers to these questions to shape your seating arrangements.

Pay particular attention to your seating arrangements for key stakeholders. According to Donorly, inviting major donors to events is a great way to help them meet other key supporters and experience your nonprofit’s culture. Offer them prime seating to show appreciation for their support and encourage them to connect further with your nonprofit.

Use Technology for Accessible Event Participation

Make event participation easy for audience members to create a comfortable attendee experience. Usually, this means purchasing tech solutions that make participation accessible and simple for all attendees.

All events can benefit from dedicated registration tools that allow attendees to RSVP online, regardless of where they are or when it is. However, your event may also have more specific tech needs. For instance, if you’re hosting an auction, OneCause recommends purchasing silent auction software that helps you smoothly run your event with mobile bidding, item management, and gamification features.

Collect Feedback

To host events that better meet guests’ needs while helping you grow your nonprofit, go straight to the source and ask event attendees for their opinions on how you can improve future events. Send out a survey a few days after the event has concluded, including questions such as:

  • How would you rate your overall experience at our event on a scale of 1-10?
  • How likely are you to attend an event with our nonprofit again?
  • What was your primary reason for attending the event?
  • How would you rate the comfort and suitability of the event venue on a scale of 1-10?
  • How engaging did you find the event content?
  • What did you like most about the event?
  • What can we do in future events to create a more positive experience for you?
  • Did you find the event accessible and inclusive?

After you’ve collected responses from attendees, compile the data and see if there are any popular suggestions. Then, implement the ones that are feasible to better meet your attendees’ needs and comfort in future events.

Although prioritizing attendee comfort may come with additional overhead costs or considerations during an already busy planning period, these tips are well worth implementing for your next event.

When you ensure that guests have a positive experience, you show them that you value them beyond the support they can bring to your organization and that you’re dedicated to connecting with them in a meaningful way. In turn, this will make them more likely to take action on behalf of your nonprofit, helping you build relationships that last for years to come.

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