COVER STORY – Summer fair guide


PART 7 Promotions


Target audience: Who are your potential visitors, and where do they go for information? Newsletters, emails and social channels will work, but get the children on board too. Spread the word locally on listings websites and social media. ●Write a press release – see p33 Promotions calendar: Juggling multiple messages across


different media? A promotions calendar will help you keep track. Start with the basics: Include the date and time along with the top attractions. Focus on the six weeks before the fair with a big push at the end. Posters: Create a simple design with font sizes big enough to be read from a distance. Use it on social media and print at A3.


Banners: Ask for permission from the local authority a month before putting up banners. Programme: Include a timetable, site map, location of fi rst aid, raffl e prizes and information about the PTA plus anything promised to sponsors. Other design jobs: Signage for toilets, recycling, fi rst aid, refreshments and stalls.


Go green


Find alternatives to plastic plates, cups and cutlery. Buy local, seasonal, organic food.


Ask external stallholders about their sustainability practices.


Donate any leftovers to a local food bank or shelter. Avoid unnecessary printouts.


Ask visitors to bring cloth bags and refi llable water bottles.


Signpost the recycling area and mark bins clearly.


Ask visitors to walk or cycle to the event or to carpool.


PART 8All about the money


Admission: Set prices at round numbers ie, £2 admission or £5 for admission plus three raffl e tickets. A ‘pay what you can’ system is inclusive and eliminates change entirely. Games and stalls: Offer activities at different price points so everyone can join in. It’s easier for everyone if a game costs 20p or 50p as it only requires one coin. Aim to send every child home with a prize. Refreshments: Check deals at local supermarkets or try wholesalers and ask about sale-or-return. Take into account the cost of any packaging. Vendors: Be transparent about money – agree on a fee or arrange for the PTA to receive a percentage


PART 9On the day


● Prepare a bag containing practical essentials such as string, scissors, spare batteries and pens and paper. See our event survival kit at pta.co.uk. ● Make sure everyone knows when the site opens and that volunteers know where to go. ● During set-up, keep everyone motivated by providing snacks and hot drinks. ● Light the barbecue with enough time for it to reach the correct temperature. Help prevent queues by having buns at the ready and


onions pre-chopped. ● Look after cash in a transparent way. Appoint a minimum of two people to be responsible for fl oats, collecting and counting cash and storing it safely. ● Once the fair closes, it’s all hands on deck to get everything back to normal. Ask the school beforehand if you need the following day too! ● Bank cash as soon as possible.


of the takings. Get it in writing. Excess stock: Hold a playground sale to dispose of leftover items that aren’t suitable for the food bank. Find a dry place to store non-perishables. Cash: Work out how much fl oat each stall requires and order it from the bank in plenty of time. Ask each volunteer to sign for


their fl oat when they start and each time cash is collected from the stall. Cards: Ideal places to put the PTA’s card machine include the gate, the bar, profi table stalls and big attractions. Or sell tokens at the entrance that visitors can ‘spend’ to avoid handling cash. ●Raise more – see p51


Use a token system or award free turns on attractions and stalls to avoid cheap plastic prizes.


Thank and review Tell everyone what the fair achieved and refl ect on what worked and what needs thought.


SEE OVERLEAF


for our practical guide to event logistics


Fairs bring the community together: Use images where possible to remind everyone of the great time they had. Thank them for coming along and supporting you. Fairs raise money: Let everyone know how much the fair raised and what you plan to do with the money. Spend funds so parents see a benefi t to their children. Fairs encourage volunteering: Thank volunteers and follow up on anyone interested in knowing more about the PTA. Fairs enable the PTA to tell its story: Let supporters know how they can support any future plans. Fairs help us reach out: Write to sponsors and let them know how much was raised and what you plan to use the money for. Feedback: Hold a committee meeting to discuss what worked, and what you would do differently next time. Ask attendees, volunteers and external contractors to complete a feedback form.


pta.co.uk SUMMER 2022 21 PART 10


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