Spring has nearly sprung, and with that comes an influx of Variety events. As a Special Events Coordinator, I am often asked about my job. So I thought I would take the opportunity to shed some light on a day in the life of a Special Events Coordinator at Variety – The Children’s Charity.
At any given time, I could be working on a number of events from Radiothons to Boat for Hope to E4V (Events for Variety), but right now I am in the thick of planning one of my favourites – Food Fight! The Battle for Brunch. Event day -- April 10th -- is a mere three and a half weeks away, and excitement is building.
Food Fight brings together some of BC’s great chefs who will prepare a brunch dish for event guests. It is then the guests who will sample, judge, vote and ultimately crown one chef the Food Fight champ.
Today, my morning starts with a cup of coffee and a date with my emails. When you are continually sending out invitations to participate, requests for auction and raffle items, and logistical questions to the venue, an onslaught of responses await each day.
Then it’s time for a quick department meeting (did you know that Variety has three Special Events Coordinators and a Special Events Manager to look after the many fundraisers and events that take place each year?). We meet weekly to brainstorm, discuss ideas and generally help each other out. Today, I am looking for suggestions of places to approach for raffle items – the team comes up with some great ideas. Back to my desk to turn those ideas into reality.
Following a quick lunch of soup, sandwich and crossword puzzle, it’s time to get back at it. I must chase some information from the participating chefs and complete some paperwork for event permit applications. Then I’m off to the venue (the beautiful Terminal City Club in downtown Vancouver) for a site inspection. Today we are looking at room layout – where will everything go? How will it fit? Will it flow? Are the enough electrical outlets? And so on. Good news: Everything is coming together as planned.
I may be biased, but I think this is going to be a fantastic event.
Food Fight! The Battle for Brunch will be held at The Terminal City Club on April 10th, 2011. Tickets are $45 each and available online at www.variety.bc.ca/foodfight.htm.All proceeds benefit Variety – The Children’s Charity.
This event wouldn’t be possible without the support of our presenting sponsor, MarketPlace IGA, our print media sponsor, The Georgia Straight, the participating restaurants, and auction and raffle donors.
