Top tips for successful smartphone events

Posted by Ella Jacques on 11 January 2022

Pre-event
1.    Make sure your chosen venue has strong signal / WIFI
For guests to access the fundraising site, your venue needs a strong mobile signal. The Givergy team will send you tools to test the mobile signal and provide alternative recommendations, such as venue WIFI, if the signal is not strong. It is also a great idea to remind guests in your pre-event materials to bring their phones to participate this time around.

2.      Pre-registering 
Registering at the event is quick and easy, but we always encourage pre-event registration. Givergy has a great ticketing platform, so why not sell tickets through the same site so everyone is registered and ready to go for fundraising during the event? This can make a huge difference when it comes to your pledge appeal and processing final payments.

3.      Open the auction in advance
Another way to generate fundraising revenue before your event even begins is to open your auction in advance. Givergy’s mobile solution makes it easy for your supporters to start bidding at home and continue the activity throughout the event. We recommend opening the auction approximately seven days prior to the event.

4.      Make use of outside bidders
As all of your fundraising is through a website, extend your audience by promoting your site further than event attendees. Take a look at a great article on promoting your fundraising site on social media here.

During event
1.      URL & QR code
It is extremely important for guests to understand how to access the fundraising site. We recommend having the URL on the screens around the room as well as QR codes printed on tables for easy access to the site.

2.      Host 
In the opening speech by your fundraising host, make sure they promote the site and how to access it by pointing out the URL on the screens as well as the QR codes. This needs to be continuously pushed throughout the night.

3.      Leaderboards
Make use of the Givergy Leaderboard options to display on your screens around the room. We can also include the event URL at the top of these screens for an extra push. This will draw guest’s attention to what is available in the auction, ultimately drawing them to the fundraising site. During your pledge appeal, we have various totalisers available so speak to our team to make sure you are utilising those in the best way for your audience.

4.      Guest messaging 
The Givergy system will send automatic registration and outbid notifications to guests to ensure they have easy access to items of interest. Through the system we can also send notifications to your guests to keep them interested. We recommend countdown notifications to the end of the auction / prize draw to ensure you have a big focused finished with guest’s full attention on placing their last bids or purchasing their final tickets. We also recommend a pre-pledge appeal message, so all guests are only one click away from making a donation.

5.      Quick and easy payment solution
Collecting your guests’ payments couldn’t be easier with our mobile platform! All pledge and prize draw tickets can be taken straight away, and with our pre-authorisation feature, we will have the winning bidders card details already stored so we can simply charge them at the close of the auction. Don’t forget, we also have an option for guests to cover the payment processing fee to ensure more charity profit.

Ella Jacques

Global Client Services Manager at Givergy

Ella heads up the global Fundraising & Events team. A key part of Givergy’s growth for four years, Ella has a passion for event planning and ensuring her and her teams’ clients exceed their fundraising targets. Furthermore, Ella’s exposure to some of the highest-profile fundraising events gives her a unique insight into the newest and most innovative way in which charities are engaging with their audiences.