It’s easy to get lost in the weeds of planning the program
for your event. The ‘must have’ speakers on stage, the recognition, the
business updates. Sometimes it’s hard to
figure out what elements to keep and what elements to cut. But, when planning
your event it’s important to think about how to inspire the audience. It’s a large part of what will make them
enjoy attending your event, remember you later and be compelled to support you.
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| Photography by Adam Bacher |
Oregon Community Foundation is celebrating its 40-year
anniversary this year, and wanted its state of the foundation annual luncheon
to feel celebratory. So they looked
to their program elements—entertainment, speakers, AV—to make this happen.
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| Photography by Adam Bacher |
They started in fine fashion with a great performance by the
Oregon 234th Army Band to energize the room. The program then took
shape around their theme of Legacy
Leadership Impact. OCF has deep roots and a rich history in Oregon, serving
as one of the largest funders of education, the arts and the environment in the
state with an annual giving total of over $60 million. But with so much good
news, how do you tell share it all?
OCF had a fantastic 2-minute animated video that quickly and in an engaging way told their history and
their future, showcasing the tremendous impact they have on the state year
after year.
After this great video they filled their program with
passionate speakers and spirited performances that kept the momentum both
engaging and heart-felt. Speakers used the word ‘we’ to bring the audience—who
was filled with a large amount of OCF funders and grantees—into the work and
honor their involvement in what makes the organization great. A poem written
specifically about OCF by Oregon Poet Laureate, Paulann Petersen enabled
everyone to both hear her amazing work and think about OCF in an artistic way.
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| Photography by Adam Bacher |
OCF is all about making Oregon a great place to live. How do
you get an audience to feel that? You
have Oregon musical darling Thomas Lauderdale of Pink Martini and the Oregon
234th Army Band play a beautiful 15-minute rendition of “Rhapsody in
Blue” to end the event backed by huge screens with amazing scrolling pictures
of every geographic corner of Oregon. The effect captured the spirit of the
state and inspired the audience to see the diversity of Oregon and connect all
those dots into one room committed to the future of the state they all call
home.
1 comment:
It was a great event! Simple message - engaging speakers and a sense of community - even with 800+ people in the room. No small feat! Great work OCF!
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