This Wow Box was the subject of Conversation 5 in my COVID-19 series, “The Next Six Months.”
You can register for the free series to listen to all conversations.
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How do you create a memorable experience when you can’t curate the evening?
This has been the dilemma for many auction planners since COVID-19 forced galas to go virtual.
A thematic evening with controlled ambiance — music, lights, food, drink and a carefully crafted stage program — goes out the window when an event becomes virtual.
With a virtual gala, you can no longer control the setting in which your guest hears your organization’s messaging.
One way to stand out in a virtual world is to give your guest a physical item.
Consider this switch:
- Pre-COVID19, nonprofits gave guests gift bags. Items varied, but common gifts included cookies, tree ornaments, notecards, or packets of wildflower seeds. They were smaller items meant as a quaint thank you.
- With virtual events, gift bags have become “Wow Boxes.” These heftier physical items balance out the “virtualness” of the event itself by providing something tangible to each guest.
Many of my clients are offering two types of wow boxes — a standard and an upgraded. The video below shows what was in one of the standard wow boxes at a recent virtual gala.
To learn more about this specific wow box, listen to Conversation 5 of the free COVID-19 series.
You’ll hear how the executive director kept her community partners in mind by featuring local businesses and creating tailored #LiftUpLocal experience boxes.
What has been the best item you’ve seen in a wow box?
Post your thoughts below.
Our “engagement” box included a bottle of wine (donated by a generous sponsor!), 2 logo keychains of a home – our mission is homeless services, and 2 branded masks – the new must have fashion accessory that has legs for our mission! We included our event postcard with instructions to take a selfie during the event and post it or email it, and we picked a winner from those and gave a prize, so that there was 2-way engagement beyond bidding. We also included an agency ‘sticker’ for laptops. The boxes were incredibly well-received!
I especially like the idea of the postcard to push for social media engagement. Cross platform promotion. Good job!