My First "Pitching" Experience

Over the course of the semester, my public relations administration class is responsible for planning and putting on the annual Baldwin County Relay For Life Kickoff event. The class was divided up into five groups of three to come up with our own ideas for the event. Every group was responsible for coming up with a catchy slogan, decoration plans, food arrangements (with budget), an invitation, a menu and other arrangements necessary to produce a successful event. Since our slogan had to fit into an overall birthday theme, my group came up with "Pin the Cure on Cancer." We would keep the event casual, like a birthday party you would have as a child. Each person who attended the event would receive a goodie bag containing candy, a birthday hat and noise makers upon their arrival. We also decided to have a magician in the "meet and greet room" where they could enjoy balloons, magic tricks and popcorn as an appetizer. In this room, we would also set up a card making station where attendees could make birthday cards for cancer patients in the local hospital. We created buttons (or pins) that had the slogan on them for team leaders to wear. The menu would also be simple, consisting of the choice of a hamburger or hotdog, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad and chips. Desserts would also serve as decoration and would be provided on each table as a centerpiece (cupcake tier with Relay colored cupcakes). Each cupcake would have a birthday candle in it which would be lit at the end of the ceremony in memory of someone who has suffered with cancer.
Our group was not chosen for the event, but the Relay Committee was very intringued by one of our ideas (which I just so happened to have come up with). I thought since it was a "birthday party," why not celebrate it being Relay For Life's 26th birthday. Therefore, I made a large, three-dimensional birthday candle as an example for the pitch. At the actual event, I wanted to set up 26 along one wall with a banner hanging above it saying something along the lines of "Relay For Life, celebrating 26 years of dedicated service to the American Cancer Society." The committee loved this idea and decided to incorporate the candles into the actual event.
Although our group was not chosen, this experience taught me a lot about the event planning world. First and foremost, event planning is stressful, but it is important to learn how to manage your stress so that your pitch is delivered clearly. I also learned that even if your theme isn't chosen, that does not mean that a committee does not like any of your ideas. In addition to the candles, the committee also kept our food and meet and greet ideas as well. It was a great experience and I look forward to the kickoff in November.