Festive decoration for a holiday party. (Blue Streak photo)
This is another guest post by Maria Cornelius of Moxley Carmichael. Maria expertly handles EventCheckKnox, which is designed to help event planners avoid having their events conflict with similar functions. Even though EventCheck Knox is designed for planners, it can be accessed by anyone. Look before you book! -Cynthia
It’s been stifling hot in August, but I need you to think about December. Specifically, I need you to provide the dates – and details if available yet – of your important holiday fundraisers.
As of now, the EventCheck Knox calendar for December 2019 looks like a half-decorated Christmas tree compared to December 2018.
The month of December gets packed as people scurry about getting ready for assorted holidays, including Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa – and the accordant parties, services and gatherings associated with all of them.
If your nonprofit or organization is holding an important fundraiser in December, such as the University of Tennessee School of Music Holiday Musicale or the East Tennessee Foundation’s Red & Green Evening, I need the date as soon as it is set.
As always, all that is needed to place an event on EventCheck Knox is a confirmed date. The details, including venue and ticket prices, can be added later. Just click HERE to submit your event.
And speaking of fundraisers, the month of December is loaded with requests for support that fill email inboxes and postal mailboxes. It’s not an ideal time for a high-end gala, because those who are eager to give are a bit overwhelmed by all of the end-of-year-giving appeals. Attendees also are feeling event fatigue because the months of September, October and November are full of fundraisers.
The Knoxville Opera Guild moved its annual ball to October starting in 2019 to get out of the crowded holiday party season in December.
The Knoxville Symphony League did the same thing a couple of years ago with the Symphony Ball – in that case, moved the annual event from December to late winter/early spring – to much success. (And a shout-out to the Symphony League: The 2020 ball already is on the calendar for Feb. 29.)
KSO Music Director Aram Demirjian with his wife, Caraline, right, and Elizabeth Offringa at the Symphony Ball in March 2018 when it was timed to St. Patrick’s Day with “An Emerald Evening” theme. (Blue Streak photo)
If you’re going to have an event in December that is not holiday-themed, it needs to be a breakfast or luncheon, not your signature evening gala.
The intent of EventCheck Knox is to help planners select dates in advance and avoid overlap of events that could compete for attendees. It is not always possible. Knoxville is full of worthy nonprofits and worthwhile fundraisers, and there are limited days in every week that work for an event planner trying to line up venue, speakers, catering and entertainment. But at least planners will know ahead of time what else is happening.
I want to unwrap the dates early and get them on the calendar. Send me events to open.
Maria Cornelius, a writer/editor for Moxley Carmichael, populates the EventCheck Knox calendar. She is enjoying the final days of hot summer evenings with baseball games and cold draft beer – and is ready for cool fall afternoons and college football.
If you have any questions about the calendar or how to submit an event, please call Maria at 865-544-0088 or email her at [email protected].
