webinar - 2020 highlights --> 2021 insights

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0:00  - Welcome & Agenda

2:27 - Poll Questions to learn WHO is participating in this webinar.

10:22 - About The {Virtual} Gala Team

12:24 - The vital role that Nonprofits play in our communities

16:58 - COVID-19 and the pivot to virtual galas

21:09 - Reflections on the year with our core team members

33:56 - Review poll questions of the "mindset" and results of nonprofits that went virtual.

• Q1 - What type of virtual event did you hold?
• Q2 - What was your emotional state heading into your virtual gala?
• Q3 - What was the timing of your virtual gala?
• Q4 - How much time did you have to prepare for your virtual gala?
• Q5 - How did you "feel" about the amount of time you had to prepare?
• Q6 - What did you, your staff and your board think of your virtual gala?
• Q7 - What feedback did you get from your supporters?
• Q8 - How was the process of planning and executing your virtual gala?
• Q9 - How did your fundraising compare to last year's in-person event?
• Q10 - How seriously did you considering cancelling rather than going virtual?
• Q11 - If COVID-19 prevents live events in 2021, would you go virtual again?

39:28 - Top 5 virtual gala lessons learned in 2020

• Go Virtual 
• Use a production company
• Pre-event development work
• You're not in a hotel ballroom
• Make it multi-media

50:47 - Navigating the uncertainty of 2021

Questions & Answers

01:03:28 - IS VIRTUAL HERE TO STAY? - What percentage of events do you think will be virtual 1 year from now, 3 years from now & 5 years from now?

01:04:35 - PROCUREMENT - How to procure in a global pandemic?

01:07:50 - PRODUCTION COMPANY - How much does a production company cost?

01:09:39 - DAYS OF THE WEEK - What days of the week do you recommend for a virtual gala?

01:11:05 - VIRTUAL PADDLE RAISER - Do paddle raisers still work with virtual events?

01:12:10 - WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM? - Do you see a change in the percentages of where money comes from, between the ask and live auction?

01:13:35 - BACKUP PLAN - How much time did you spend on backup planning?

01:14:51 - HYBRID EVENTS - Do you think hybrid is coming?

01:19:10 - CONNECTING WITH THE {VIRTUAL} GALA TEAM - How do we learn if your team is a good fit for us?

01:16:32 - SPONSORSHIPS - How are people shifting their sponsorship benefits in the virtual setting?

01:18:58 - LESSONS LEARNED - What is the most important lesson that you learned.

01:19:48 - SILENT & LIVE AUCTION - What success are you seeing in silent and live auctions vs in-person events.

01:21:05 - FACEBOOK LIVE - Do we still recommend doing events on Zoom and pushing to Facebook Live?

01:23:06 - INCLUDING CHILDREN - Are nonprofits including content for children, since whole families may be watching the virtual event.

01:24:52 - FOOD AND BEV PACKAGES - Does doing some type of food and beverage packaging make the virtual experience better?

01:27:27 - CONTESTS OR GAMES - Do you include contests or games in the virtual gala?

01:28:00 - SEQUENTIAL CLOSING - Do you close live auction items sequentially or all at once?

01:29:54 - HOW LONG SHOULD A VIRTUAL GALA BE?

01:30:55 - WERE THE POLL QUESTIONS A ZOOM FEATURE?

01:31:40 - FUNDRAISING TRICKS - Are there specific features at virtual events that have made the fundraising better at some events than at others?

01:32:55 - LIVE OR PRE-RECORDED - Which is better, a live virtual event or a pre-recorded virtual event?