Community Event Planning That Gives People a Reason to Visit

BECOME A DESTINATION | Community Event Planning tips for Small Businesses

Getting found helps people discover your town.

Getting connected creates relationships between the businesses and people already there.

But eventually we have to answer an even bigger question:

Why should anyone come?

And once they arrive, why should they stay?

That is where community event planning becomes much bigger than putting a date on the calendar and hoping people show up.

Events, experiences and tourism can give people a reason to visit a community they might otherwise drive straight through.

Done well, they can introduce visitors to local restaurants, shops, attractions and businesses. They can create traditions. They can bring residents together. And they can change the way people think about a town.

That's what Worth the Stop | Become a Destination is about.

A Successful Event Isn't Just About Attendance

It is easy to measure an event by the number of people who showed up.

I think we should ask more questions than that.

Where did those people come from?

How long did they stay?

What businesses did they visit?

Did they eat somewhere?

Did they shop?

Did they discover something they didn't know existed?

Would they come back?

Did our local businesses benefit?

Those questions change the way we approach community event planning.

Instead of simply trying to create a crowded event, we start thinking about how an event fits into the entire community.

If 1,000 people attend an event and immediately leave afterward, we created an event.

If those same people discover downtown, eat dinner, visit three stores, photograph themselves somewhere memorable and make plans to return, we've started creating a destination.

That's the difference.

Give Them a Reason to Stop

Small communities are constantly competing with larger cities, big-box stores, online shopping and destinations with much larger marketing budgets.

We're probably not going to outspend them.

We don't have to.

Small towns can offer something completely different: experiences people can't get everywhere else.

That might be an incredible Christmas celebration, a food event, a music series, an unusual festival, an art walk, a photography experience, a seasonal market, a themed downtown weekend or something nobody has thought of yet.

Good community event planning starts by asking what makes this community interesting rather than copying what every other town is already doing.

We aren't trying to turn a small town into a big city.

We're figuring out what makes people say:

“You know what? We should go there this weekend.”

Community Events Should Support Local Businesses

This is one of the biggest pieces of the McEver Group philosophy.

The event isn't the final destination.

The community is.

If we're bringing hundreds or thousands of people into town, I want to think about what happens before, during and after the event.

• Could restaurants create specials?

• Could stores stay open later?

• Could businesses become stops on an event passport?

• Could visitors receive a downtown map?

• Could local businesses participate in a scavenger hunt?

• Could photographers create photo opportunities that visitors naturally share online?

• Could businesses sponsor portions of the experience?

• Could another nearby attraction give visitors a reason to extend their trip?

This is where community event planning and small-business development begin working together.

Instead of asking businesses to simply donate money to another event, we look for ways to make them part of the experience.

Creating Events People Actually Want to Attend

There is no shortage of events.

That doesn't mean people want to attend all of them.

Before McEver Group starts thinking about decorations, vendors or advertising, I want to answer the most important question:

Why would someone care about this?

• The concept has to come first.

• Who are we trying to attract?

• What experience are we giving them?

• What makes this different?

• Would someone drive 30 minutes for it?

• Would they drive an hour?

• Would they bring friends?

• Would they tell somebody about it afterward?

Strong community event planning begins with the visitor rather than the event committee.

Once we understand the experience we're trying to create, everything else becomes easier to decide.

Tourism Doesn't Require a Famous Tourist Attraction

When people hear “tourism,” they often picture beaches, amusement parks, national landmarks or major cities.

But tourism can happen anywhere people intentionally travel.

Someone driving 45 minutes to attend your Christmas festival is a visitor.

Someone traveling to photograph birds along the Lake Huron shoreline is a visitor.

Someone spending Saturday exploring several small towns is a visitor.

Someone coming for a concert and staying for dinner is a visitor.

For smaller communities, community event planning can become part of a much larger tourism strategy.

Instead of waiting for tourists to discover us accidentally, we create reasons for them to come intentionally.

And once they're here, we show them what else there is to discover.

Build an Experience, Not Just an Event

The events people remember usually have little details that make them feel like they were part of something.

• Music.

• Food.

• Lighting.

• Photo opportunities.

• Interesting vendors.

• Unexpected activities.

• A beautiful setting.

• Something for children.

• Something for adults.

• Something worth talking about.

• And ideally, something worth photographing and sharing.

McEver Group can help develop the overall concept and visitor journey behind an event.

With community event planning, we can think through what someone sees when they arrive, where they go next, how businesses participate, where visitors naturally gather and what encourages them to explore beyond the event itself.

That's how an ordinary event starts becoming an experience.

Vendor Development

Vendors can completely change the personality of an event.

But more vendors doesn't automatically mean a better event.

The right mix matters.

McEver Group can help develop vendor categories, recruitment strategies, applications, communication and placement concepts so the vendor experience supports the larger event.

That can also mean deliberately finding businesses and makers that give visitors something different rather than filling every available space with whoever applies first.

Thoughtful vendor selection is an important part of community event planning because visitors notice the difference between a collection of random booths and a market or festival that feels intentionally curated.

The vendors should add to the reason someone wants to attend.

Sponsorship Development

Local businesses are asked for donations constantly.

Buy this sponsorship.

Donate this prize.

Sponsor this team.

Give us a gift certificate.

Eventually, businesses get tired of being asked.

I would rather create sponsorship opportunities where the business receives something meaningful in return.

That could include event visibility, naming opportunities, digital promotion, inclusion in event content, customer engagement, an on-site presence or creative ways to connect the sponsor directly to the experience.

Good community event planning includes thinking about sponsors early enough that we're building actual partnerships rather than calling businesses two weeks before an event asking for money.

The question shouldn't only be:

“What can this business give us?”

We should also be asking:

“How can participating help this business?”

Event Marketing Starts Long Before Event Day

You can create an amazing event and still have disappointing attendance if nobody knows about it.

Event marketing should begin with a clear message.

What is happening?

Who is it for?

Why is it worth attending?

Where is it?

When is it?

And what makes it different from everything else someone could do that weekend?

From there, community event planning can include a marketing strategy using websites, local SEO, Google, social media, community calendars, email marketing, local media, participating businesses, sponsors, tourism organizations and collaborative promotion.

One organization shouldn't have to carry the entire marketing burden.

When participating businesses and organizations understand the plan, they become part of the promotional network.

That's another reason Get Connected comes before Become a Destination.

What McEver Group Can Do

McEver Group can work with chambers of commerce, DDAs, municipalities, tourism organizations, nonprofits, community groups and individual businesses at different stages of the process.

You might already have an event and simply need help making it better.

You might have an idea scribbled on a piece of paper.

You might know your downtown needs more activity but have absolutely no idea what kind of event would work.

Or you might want someone to look at your entire event calendar and identify opportunities you're currently missing.

Our community event planning services can include concept development, event strategy, tourism ideas, visitor-experience planning, vendor strategy and recruitment, sponsorship development, collaborative business promotions, event marketing strategy, event branding and community activation.

You don't necessarily need us to do everything.

Sometimes you simply need the right plan.

Community Event Planning Pricing

I want this part of McEver Group to be accessible to small communities and organizations that don't have huge economic-development budgets.

You shouldn't need a $20,000 consulting contract just to get somebody in a room who can help you figure out what to do next.

Event Idea Session — $150

Have an idea—or know you need one?

This is a focused 90-minute strategy session where we work through the concept, audience, location, timing, business participation, potential revenue, sponsors, vendors and marketing possibilities.

You leave with direction instead of another meeting about having another meeting.

Event Strategy Blueprint — Starting at $350

For an organization or business that wants a more developed plan.

We'll take the idea further and develop the event concept, target audience, visitor experience, potential business partnerships, vendor opportunities, sponsorship ideas and promotional direction.

This is a great option when you have people who can execute the event but need help creating the strategy.

Existing Event Review — Starting at $250

Already have an annual event?

Let's look at it with fresh eyes.

McEver Group can review the event from the perspective of the visitor, participating businesses, vendors and sponsors and identify opportunities to improve the experience, increase participation and create stronger economic impact.

Sometimes community event planning doesn't mean creating something new.

It means making something you already have considerably better.

Vendor + Sponsor Development — Starting at $350

Need help building the business side of an event?

McEver Group can help develop vendor opportunities, sponsorship packages, recruitment messaging and strategies for getting local businesses involved in meaningful ways.

Final pricing depends on the size and complexity of the event.

Event Marketing Strategy — Starting at $350

We'll create a promotional roadmap for the event, including messaging, website strategy, social media, local promotion, participating-business marketing, community calendars, email opportunities and other appropriate channels.

This can be added to an Event Strategy Blueprint or used for an existing event.

Community Event & Tourism Strategy — Starting at $750

This is for chambers, downtown organizations, municipalities and tourism groups that want to look beyond one event.

We can evaluate existing events, local businesses, attractions, seasonal opportunities and potential visitor experiences and begin developing a larger strategy for bringing people into the community.

Rather than asking, “What event should we have?”, we start asking:

“What could we become known for?”

Customized programs and ongoing consulting are quoted based on scope.

What If You Need Someone to Actually Produce the Event?

This is where another part of the McEver family of businesses comes in.

McEver Group develops the strategy.

For select events that need hands-on production, coordination, styling or execution, we can also connect the project with Sip Style Social Events.

That gives organizations options.

You may only need McEver Group to develop the idea and hand your committee a roadmap.

You may want help developing vendors, sponsors and marketing.

Or you may decide you want help bringing the actual event to life.

The level of involvement can match the project, the organization's capabilities and its budget.

Why McEver Group?

Because I don't look at an event as an isolated Saturday on the calendar.

I look at the business across the street.

The restaurant around the corner.

The person driving through town.

The photographer looking for somewhere interesting to visit.

The family wondering what they're going to do this weekend.

The sponsor trying to decide whether their money is accomplishing anything.

And the business owner wondering whether all those people attending the festival will actually walk through their door.

That's the perspective I bring to community event planning.

I'm interested in what happens when business development, marketing, tourism, events and community development start working together instead of operating as completely separate things.

Because that's where small communities have an opportunity to do something really special.

The Three-Part Grow Your Town Strategy

This is why McEver Group's approach starts long before we plan an event.

01 — GET FOUND

Help customers and visitors discover your businesses and community through stronger websites, SEO, Google visibility and clear marketing.

02 — GET CONNECTED

Build relationships between businesses, organizations, customers and the community so people aren't trying to grow alone.

03 — BECOME A DESTINATION

Use community event planning, tourism concepts and memorable experiences to give people a reason to visit, participate, stay longer—and come back.

Put those three pieces together and something changes.

We're no longer just marketing individual businesses.

We're creating places people want to experience.

Give Them a Reason to Stop

You don't need millions of tourists.

You don't need a giant attraction.

And you don't have to become something you're not.

Sometimes growth begins with one really good reason for somebody to turn off the highway.

Then another reason to stay for lunch.

Another reason to walk downtown.

Another reason to visit a business they didn't know existed.

And one really good reason to say:

“We should come back.”

That's what Become a Destination means.

Get Found. Get Connected. Give Them a Reason to Stop.

That's how we grow businesses.

That's how we create destinations.

And that's how we Grow Your Town.

READY TO GIVE PEOPLE A REASON TO STOP?

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