The Leader
June 2019: Opening Your Lodge's Doors

Lodges can and do host public events of all kinds, from prospects nights to fundraisers for local community groups and nonprofits. No matter what it is, follow a few tips to make sure it goes off without a hitch.

• Give Yourself Time: At a minimum, a three-month lead time is necessary for planning a public event. You might need even longer if you’re co-hosting with another organization—many hands may make light work, but they tend to impact people’s schedules. Start with this event calendar checklist as a reference.
• Get It on The Radar: Schedule your event when your lodge is updating its annual calendar. This makes sure your event is on everyone’s minds right at the beginning of the year.
• Don't Forget Publicity: Establish a budget for the program that includes both publicity and the costs of staging the event. Publicity costs can be more expensive than you think, but town newspaper calendars and social media use are both budget-friendly ways to publicize your event.
• Delegate: Create a subcommittee and appoint a chairman for the event. They can report in before or during your stated meetings to make sure everyone is kept in the loop. Communication is by far the most important thing when planning an event.
• Get The Word Out: The best-planned event isn’t worth much if no one shows up. When promoting your event, it’s important to know your desired audience and reach them where they are. For instance, a family-oriented event can be publicized over Facebook, where parents are constantly on the lookout for news. If it’s a prospects night and you’re trying to bring in a younger crowd, consider advertising at a local community college or university.
• Create a Publicity Calendar: A “save the date” advertisement can run four or more months in advance of an event. However, the bulk of your advertising efforts should start around three months before the event and gradually ramp up as the date draws closer.
• Word of Mouth is Best: The most cost-effective—and just plain effective—form of publicity is personal recommendations. So encourage members to get the word out themselves; a personal invite from a member will get the best response. That starts with making sure members know about the event: Post an invitation or announcement on your lodge website, publicize it in your Trestleboard, and post an announcement somewhere in the lodge building.
• Have talking Points: Use this media kit to help answer potential questions posed by the media, if they’re attending. Information in the kit can also be handed out at a prospects night event.

A few other logistical preparations go a long way toward hosting a successful public event:

• Make sure the lodge building is clean inside and out and well lit.
• Request reservations so you know how many to expect.
• Station members at the door to greet guests as they arrive.
• Prepare nametags from the reservation list and give them to the potential members and their families when they arrive. And have a few blank one extra, for latecomers and people who didn’t RSVP. Make members’ nametags different from the guests so people can identify them as Masons—maybe a different color.
• Position a table at the door with Masonic literature for guests to pick up.