Admin

Event planners must be ready for all types of challenges and disruptions that can take place. 

Having to pull the plug on an event that took months of preparation and planning can be a tough decision to make. It can happen for many reasons: low ticket sales, the performer falls ill, a community crisis or state-of-emergency, funding issues, etc. 

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been the cause of hundreds of canceled events around the world. When an event must shut down, it may leave you scrambling to come up with a solution that keeps your ticket holders informed and slightly less disappointed. 

Having to cancel is a real bummer, but we’ve come up with some simple tips to overcome the sudden status change and keep your customers (somewhat) satisfied. 

Confirm that the event cannot go on

Cancellations are sometimes unavoidable and out of your control. These types of situations may be government-mandated, or due to weather, venue orders, the entertainer’s health, or out of an abundance of caution. 

Review your booking agreements and contracts if the cancellation is on the venue or performer. You’ll probably want to read up on your insurance policy to see coverage and claim details. 

Cease all ticket sales

If your event is suddenly canceled while the ticket window is still open, quickly cease all ticket sales and payment processing. 

Make sure that you pull down the “buy tickets” button from your website, and that you alert your third-party ticket vendors to remove the listing. 

Consider your options

Depending on the circumstances, you may have some options to give your customers. 

Is the event able to be saved and postponed to a later date? You’ll be able to turn around some fans’ day who can’t wait to attend the rescheduled event. 

Other options to offer your fans include issuing a refund or applying their purchase to a future event in the form of credit. Your fans may be satisfied with the options, and you’ll want to be transparent about the process of both and inform them of the steps to take. 

Try to make the process as easy as possible for your affected customers. You want them to remember how you helped correct an unfortunate situation. 

Communicate updates to the public

Get the word out to the public of the event’s status. If you’re selling tickets at the door, you’ll need to notify the masses to keep customers from traveling to buy tickets to a canceled event. 

Send out a message on your social media, through email, text, and website posts. Create a banner informing those of the event cancellation and the contact information where they can direct their questions. 

It’s better to over-communicate – that way you have a greater chance of reaching every ticket holder. 

Enlist a response team to answer customer questions

With a sudden change such as this, you’ll need a few more helping hands to deal with the volume of incoming calls, chats, and emails. 

Having an internal FAQ resource sheet available to your response team can help them accurately and confidently answer the questions and concerns coming their way from frustrated customers. 

Say sorry with an incentive or peace offering

An apology email can help explain the situation to your customers while acknowledging their frustration and disappointment. 

It’s a great opportunity to tell your customers your plan of action and reassure them that you’re handling everything, and you can let them know of any incentives or peace offerings you may be offering to help express your sincerest apologies. 

Some ideas include:

1. A discount on a future event
2. Food and drink voucher redeemable on the postponed date
3. Free custom event t-shirt and a promotional baseball cap
4. Covered parking fees at a future event
5. Branded tumbler to use at drink stations for unlimited refills

If you’re able to hold a virtual event and live-stream the performance, consider sending the ticket holders a swag bag of goodies. It’ll help foster goodwill. 

Is your company looking for a fun and effective way to raise money for an organization that’s near and dear to your heart? A charity golf tournament is an excellent fundraising platform that participants, sponsors, and attendees will enjoy. 

Planning the perfect golf tournament requires significant time and money, but it can yield substantial benefits for the charity of your choice. There’s a lot that goes into executing an event like this, which is why we’re sharing our tips-of-the-trade so you can “ace” your event! 

Define the Goals for Everyone

Defining your company’s goals for the golf tournament is the best way to set up your event for success. First, determine the objective and how you plan to achieve it. What kind of goals should you be reaching for? Here are a couple of questions to consider: 

• What is our purpose for this golf tournament?
• Who’s benefiting from the event and how?
• How much do we plan to raise?

A master strategy deck that clearly states your goals for the tournament can help keep everyone on the same page. Be sure your goals are defined, fundraising intentions are clear, and the beneficiary is identified when planning a golf tournament. 

Create a Budget

Ideally, you should determine your budget early on as it will help guide your decisions through the planning process. Take into account your anticipated expenditures, such as marketing and advertising spend, golf course rent, green fees, hiring of third-party event planners, food and drink, and golf gift kits. You never know when things may go awry, so be prepared to have room in the budget for last-minute or unplanned expenses, too.

Select the Golf Course

Once your budget is sorted out, you’ll need to decide what golf course you plan on hosting your tournament at. 

Consider the golfers who will be playing your tournament. Are they casual or intermediate players from your company, or are they PGA pros? You want your participants to be comfortable and equipped on the course you choose so they can raise the most money possible. 

Selecting the best golf venue is a crucial component of the tournament’s success. You’ll want to think about the players’ skill level, venue location, and price. 

Gather an Army of Volunteers

To pull off a successful tournament, you’ll need to have a lot of helping hands. Enlist volunteers who are knowledgeable about golf, have a passion for the cause, and are skilled in planning events and organization. 

Assign your team to areas where their skills can be most utilized. Volunteers who are experienced golfers or understand the game can help answer questions that come their way at the information or registration tent, or they could be useful caddies to the participating golfers. 

Those passionate about the cause can help spread awareness to attendees, while your team with exceptional event planning and organization skills can lend a hand in the operations and logistics of the tournament. Wherever they’re most suited, make sure the volunteers are also comfortable manning their assigned stations. 

Sign-On Sponsors

Sponsors are essential for a prosperous golf outing. Generally, golf tournaments have a headlining sponsor and several tiered sponsors. 

A headlining sponsor generally receives the most brand exposure during the event. Adding the headliner’s logo on all media, or naming the players’ lounge or award ceremony after them, is a great way to make sure their investment is well-placed. 

Tiered sponsorships allow businesses the option to choose how much they want to donate. Companies who become a tiered partner can enjoy seeing their name and logo at a specific area of the tournament. Branding opportunities are endless and can include sponsoring a hole, outfitting the players and volunteers with golf attire, or supplying the open bar and bartenders.  

Advertise, Advertise, Advertise

Now that your goals, budget, golf course, volunteers, and sponsors are worked out, you need to spread the word about your event! On the invitation, make sure to include all of the important details: date and time, location, the sponsors, entry fees, etc. 

Think about your company’s established channels of communication and use them to your advantage. Do you have a massive social media following? Post the invite as an event! If you have a solid list of email contacts, send an evite (email invitation). Going for a more formal look? Printed invitations can help achieve the look you’re aiming for. 

Anticipate Attendance

Don’t be afraid to cap the number of attendees that you allow to enter the event. Depending on the invitee type, a more intimate group could be all that you need to reach your desired result. 

A large participant pool could make the event go on longer than anticipated. Taking time to scope out the golf course layout, confirming player count, and staggering tee-times can help keep the tournament moving along efficiently. 

Keep the Food and Beverages Flowing 

Your golfers paid their entry fees to support your cause, so make sure they’re well taken care of on tournament day! Don’t forget to coordinate food with the venue and where to set up. Whether you use their on-site food services or a catering company, the venue may have a specific location in mind for plating and distributing meals. 

Almost as importantly, supply your volunteers and participants a place to eat quietly away from the crowds. Make sure you have snacks and beverages available to them so they don’t go hungry! 

Make it Memorable 

You can make the 18-hole event even more fun by hosting contests throughout the day. Awarding prizes for the longest drive, coming closest to the hole, and the wackiest golf outfit are a few ways to keep the competitive (and giving) spirit alive! 

Photo booths and golf-inspired cocktail drinks are also unique ways to ensure everyone in attendance has a memorable experience. 

Raise Extra Money with Prizes

Having raffles or silent auctions at your event is a great way to raise extra funds. Talk to your sponsors, local businesses, and sports teams to see if they can donate some prizes or goodies to bid on. 

If you’re gifting the items, think about offering something like a custom Fender guitar or a North Face Groundwork Backpack to really wow the crowd! 

Send Everyone Home with a Swag Bag 

Everyone loves a good swag bag, especially when it’s brimming with thoughtful and cool promotional items. You might consider a blend of golf promos and everyday products when creating a swag bag for everyone in attendance. 

Elevate Your Gift-Giving Game: Perfect Gift Ideas for Golfers

If you’re searching for the ultimate gifts for golfers, look no further than Pinnacle Promotions. Our extensive range of gifts for golfers is sure to leave a lasting impression. Allow us to guide you through a selection of exceptional options that will make any golfer jump for joy!

Personalized Golf Hats

First and foremost, let’s talk about the all-important golf hat. While clubs may be essential, a personalized golf hat truly tops the list of priorities for any golfer. Consider adding this stylish and practical accessory to your gift list, ensuring they hit the course in ultimate style.

Custom Golf Towels

Another must-have item for golfers is a custom golf towel. Let’s face it, golf towels are indispensable on the green, and every golfer appreciates having one at hand. Be the friendly face that provides them with a high-quality, custom-designed golf towel they can proudly display during their rounds.

Custom Golf Tools

When it comes to practicality, custom golf tools are a golfer’s best friend. These thoughtful and functional tools are the perfect addition to any golfer’s swag bag. Why not opt for custom divot tools? These handy accessories will undoubtedly make a lasting impression and prove invaluable on the golf course.

Bluetooth Speaker

To add a touch of luxury to their golfing experience, surprise them with a custom Bluetooth speaker. Nothing enhances the enjoyment of a round of golf quite like the perfect soundtrack. This thoughtful gift will not only provide them with exceptional sound quality but also ensure their golfing adventures are accompanied by their favorite tunes.

Personalized Golf Balls

But why stop there? For a truly personalized touch, consider personalized golf balls. With their logo beautifully imprinted on each ball, they’ll feel a sense of pride and ownership every time they step up to the tee. It’s a small detail that can make a big impact on their game.

Custom Golf Tees

Another fantastic gift idea that no golfer can have enough of is custom golf tees. These essential accessories are not only practical but also offer an opportunity for personalization. Engrave their logo, a special message, or even a memorable golf quote on these tees, and they’ll appreciate the thoughtful gesture every time they set up for a swing.

Personalized Golf Ball Markers

For an elegant and practical gift, personalized golf ball markers are an excellent choice. These markers add a touch of sophistication to any golfer’s game and make it easy for them to spot and identify their ball on the green. Engrave their logo or incorporate a unique design to create a one-of-a-kind marker that truly stands out.

Custom Golf Umbrellas

Lastly, when it comes to protecting golfers from the elements, custom golf umbrellas are a stylish and practical choice. Shielding them from rain or providing shade on sunny days, these umbrellas offer an opportunity for customization. Add their logo or a striking design that reflects their personality, ensuring they stay comfortable and dry throughout their golfing sessions.

If you still crave more options, look no further than our extensive collection of gifts for golfers. With our diverse range of products and accessories, you’re bound to find the ideal gift to suit any golfer’s taste and preferences.

Make a lasting impression and show your favorite golfer just how much you appreciate their passion for the game. Explore our carefully curated selection of gifts for golfers today and leave them with a smile that lasts well beyond their time on the green.

Ask for Feedback

Lastly, send a follow-up thanking everyone who helped with the golf tournament. Be sure to include in your thank-you photos from the event, how their contributions benefited the charity, and a section where they can provide feedback. 

Ask them to include what they liked about the golf tournament and what areas need improvement. There are always going to be hiccups with every event, but their honest feedback can help your operations improve for the next one! 

There are a lot of moving parts to a charity golf tournament, but the outcome is so rewarding. Strategy, hard work, and dedication can help you spread awareness about the cause or organization you’re supporting and allow your brand to display their philanthropic arm to the world!   

Get out there and have the best golf tournament of your life! Be sure to bring plenty of food and promotional golf items!

The supply and management of corporate apparel are challenging when going at it alone. Without an effective merchandising solution, the task of outfitting an entire group of employees can be overwhelming and near impossible. 

When your responsibilities include inventorying apparel, a corporate apparel program could be the right move. It’s a great way to coordinate a group while reinforcing your brand at the same time. 

What’s a corporate apparel program?

Also called a uniform program or a professional dress program, a corporate apparel program is an initiative to coordinate the selection, production, and administration of branded apparel for an organization. It’s designed to keep the driver of the operation in full control of their brand, logo, apparel, and imprint areas at all times. 

The program drivers influence what employees wear to work, whether it’s during a sales pitch, teleconferencing with clients, just around the office, or at a corporate function. 

Why do I need one?

A corporate apparel program provides an efficient online solution for easy ordering and inventorying of personalized uniforms and custom work attire. This program helps facilitate apparel needs for all types of industries, including healthcare, construction, manufacturing, retail, and corporate environments. 

Supplying custom workwear requires more attention to detail than just routine purchases of the same items and sizes. It’s also about maintaining consistency across the entire organization by incorporating the most current logo, colors, and keeping up with imprint guidelines on your company-branded employee merchandise.  

When successfully executed, a corporate apparel program helps increase brand visibility and can integrate with employee engagement and incentive initiatives, too. Corporate apparel programs help administrators overcome the pain points of inventorying large quantity orders and reorders, alleviate the stress of manual reporting, and help users securely purchase their apparel needs.

How do corporate apparel programs work?

A corporate apparel program is easy to navigate and consists of 3 main parts: selection, production, and administration. To simply put it – you pick the items, we make the items, and you control the output. 

Let’s break it down in 3 easy steps:

1. Selection

   When it comes to the selection of corporate apparel, there are hundreds of available pieces to choose from that can be customized and implemented in your program. With so many options, how does one choose? Well, it depends on your brand, industry, and budget. 

   • Brand. The apparel you choose should reflect your brand’s identity. How your business presents itself in the public is essential for building out your online store. Think about corporate messaging, brand visuals, and market position when selecting your merchandise.
   • Industry. The type of industry you’re in will play a major role in the apparel choices you make. A company in a corporate or retail environment are likely to select more dress shirts and promotional outerwear since those employees are more client/customer-facing, whereas those in more labor-intensive jobs may be more inclined to purchase logoed polos, branded hats, or company uniforms. 
   • Budget. Your budget will determine what purchases you make. At Pinnacle Promotions, we help companies with various budgets outfit their employees with comfortable and on-trend merchandise.   

   Keeping your store up-to-date with new ideas is an excellent way to keep employees engaged and happy. Expanding your offerings to include travel bags and accessories can go a long way, too. Merchandising and corporate apparel program experts can help curate workwear apparel specific to your company’s needs.

   Also, look for someone who can simplify the inventory hold process. From client-owned inventory to partner-owned inventory to a drop-ship order from the manufacturer, make sure you discuss all of the options with a partner you can trust. 

2. Production

   Once you’ve selected your corporate apparel, it then goes into production! This is where your clothing is decorated with your company message and logo. Apparel can be decorated in a variety of ways, such as embroidery, screen-printing, laser-etching, heat-transfer, and debossing. It’s important to find a partner who’s an expert in imprint methods, so you can keep your merchandise coordinated and up to brand standards. 

   Proper inventory management and warehousing are extremely important in creating an effective corporate apparel program. It’s one of the main challenges you face when managing the logistics alone. Having a partner who has expert knowledge of how to run a smooth corporate apparel program can take away the headache that comes with doing it yourself.

3. Selection

   With apparel selection and production out of the way, now is the time to see first-hand what a corporate apparel program can do for your business. 

   Group buys in the company – per department, office locations, etc. – can consolidate spend and improve efficiency. Easy online payments, or a subsidized employee allowance, can do a world of good for engagement and store use. 

   As the administrator, you can pull reports on inventory levels, buy-ins, and shipping costs/tracking just to name a few. Having a custom-branded online portal makes it easy for everyone to purchase their apparel on their own time. Set manager approval rules, group buys, and show what items you want to whom you want to. There are dashboard customization options to make reporting even easier, from order histories to shipping locations to flex payments and more.

   The administration step is the keystone of your corporate apparel program: the easier to administer, the more effective your program will be.

Implementing an apparel program into your company

For more than 25 years, we’ve created corporate apparel programs for brands within the banking, technology, healthcare, and manufacturing industries. Pinnacle Promotions has worked with some of the world’s most recognizable brands and has the experience, know-how, and moxie to put together the right apparel program to suit your needs. 

Our tech experts build custom portals, and our knowledgeable merchandising experts help find the best custom apparel pieces that reflect your brand. So if you’re looking to coordinate your team, find a professional partner who can take the guesswork out of the process by providing a cost-effective sourcing solution.  

See our video below for more of our corporate apparel program capabilities. 

Engaged employees are happier and more productive, but putting together a suite of employee engagement ideas that appeal to a wide range of workers is a complex undertaking. If you’re in need of a little inspiration, here are nine companies that are doing employee engagement right:

Pinnacle Promotions

Pinnacle Promotions delivers a stellar range of employee engagement opportunities outside of general company benefits. The Smile Squad and Doing Good, Feeling Good are two employee-driven groups that give back to our local community through volunteerism and donations.

We also believe in recognizing our employees for their hard work. The Pinnacle “Hall of Fame” recognizes a couple of standout employees and teams every month, from a recommendation made by a colleague or a supervisor. In addition to employee recognition, Pinnacle employees enjoy internal and external office events and bring-your-dog-to-work Fridays!

L’Oréal

Company culture can be tricky for new employees to navigate, especially if they work at a multinational corporation with thousands of employees around the world. That’s why L’Oréal launched the Fit Culture App, which the company describes as a “one-of-a-kind mobile app that helps newcomers in decoding, understanding and mastering the company culture.” Conceived as a type of digital employee welcome kit and designed to be used over the course of a month, the app takes employees through daily lessons that last five to 10 minutes and utilize texts, videos, employee testimonials, games, and real-life missions to familiarize employees with company culture.

Instacart

Instacart is a tech company offering same-day grocery delivery and pick-up in the U.S. and Canada. All full-time employees get a free Instacart Express membership, so their groceries get delivered for free. Instacart also offers free lunch and dinner, annual retreats, weekly events, and even a yoga room in its San Francisco office to keep employees engaged and productive.

Trupanion

Trupanion is a pet insurance company, so it makes sense that many of its unique employee engagement examples revolve around animals. The company offers free pet insurance for one furry family member, a free on-site dog walking service, discounts on pet care, and bereavement leave for pets as well as humans. As an added bonus for the humans, Trupanion also gives new hires stock grants as well as opportunities to purchase company stock with bonus payments.

Airbnb

Airbnb offers comprehensive health insurance plans, family and parental leave, paid volunteer time off and, of course, healthy food and snacks. However, the company also offers a quarterly annual travel and experiences credit so employees can travel and stay in Airbnb listings all over the world. Glassdoor reviews say the credit is $500 a quarter, or $2,000 a year, which is a pretty great perk that makes total sense for the homestay marketplace.

World Wildlife Fund

The mere mention of this wilderness prevention NGO probably brings to mind its logo, a lovable panda. While you’ve surely heard of WWF, you might not have heard of its “Panda Fridays” practice. The company gives employees every other Friday off to encourage work-life balance and employee retention. The practice also reduces the organization’s carbon footprint, since the office isn’t burning electricity and employees can keep their cars off the road instead of commuting.

Netflix

Netflix doesn’t just make some of the best TV shows around—it also offers awesome employee benefits. In addition to insurance and unlimited PTO, employees can apportion some of their salary to buy stock options. The company subsidizes transportation for rideshares, offers a shuttle service, provides Zipcars for free checkout, and offers both valet parking and charging for electric cars. The onsite theater can seat up to 200 people and is used to pre-screen shows before they debut on the streaming service.

Genentech

If you’re looking for great employee engagement example, biotechnology corporation Genentech is an excellent company. The company offers full-service cafeterias, on-site childcare, educational seminars and learning opportunities, tuition assistance programs (up to $10,000 per year), concierge and travel arrangements, sponsored employee sports teams, discounts to area museums and attractions and other on-site amenities including car wash facilities, bicycle repair, haircut services, and spa treatments.

Pinterest

The social media company is serious about helping its employees live Pinterest-worthy lives. The company offers family parties for pumpkin carving, Valentine crafts, BBQs, and Santa-sitting. Pinterest also provides pin-inspired recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Employees can learn new things from each other during studio nights and they also host clubs so employees can hang out with people who share their interests, whether that’s a cappella singing, running, soccer, or wine tasting.

We hope you’re as inspired as we are by these companies’ employee engagement examples! If you’re looking for more ideas, we recommend our collections of welcome gifts for new employees and covetable corporate apparel.