INFORMATION PACKET FOR TABLE CAPTAINS

Annual Auction & Gala

Saturday May 11, 2013

Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle

We are excited to announce that planning for 2013 Auction & Gala has commenced. The success of the Gala is truly made possible by you and your guests. With this in mind, I’d like to invite you to serve as a Table Captain for Village Theatre’s Annual Auction & Gala slated to be held on Saturday, May 11, 2013 at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel.

Table Captains are absolutely essential to a successful event. It has been proven over and over again that the majority of guests attend fundraising events because they have been personally invited to come by a friend, family member or colleague who is serving as a Table Captain.

Our goal for the number of tables we want to have this year is ambitious. For gala 2013 our goal is to fill the Spanish Ballroom with 35 active, bidding tables. For the past several years, we have hovered right around 27 tables, despite the fact that the Spanish Ballroom can comfortably seat up to 35. This means that we have been missing out on at minimum 8 tables (80 potential guests!) that could be at the Gala buying grab bags, bidding on auction items, participating in Fund-a-Need and giving to Village Theatre.

We need your help to reach this goal. Here are some ideas of how we can make it happen:

  • Never been a table captain before? Become one for the first time! It is a wonderful opportunity to bring friends and family together to support something you are passionate about.
  • Co-captain a table with a friend or family member
  • Have you done a table in the past but think you could pull together two tables this year? Do it!
  • Do you have guests who have sat at your table in the past who might be ready to host their own table this year? Encourage them to become table captains.

Table captains have simple responsibilities: invite and confirm the attendance of 10 people, including yourself, and to provide a list of these guests to Whitney by the dates listed on the instructions page. You are NOT required to pay for your guests’ seats. Some prefer to do this while others find that guests feel more invested in the event’s success when they purchase their own tickets. The choice is yours and both options can be effective as long as expectations with guests are clearly communicated.

No matter which option you choose, please remember the table captain mantra:“Bidders not Eaters”. In other words, please fill your table with 10 people who are willing and able to give generously.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me at (425) 392-1942 x 151 or by email at .

Thank you for your commitment to Village Theatre!

Sincerely,

Whitney Lewis

Special Events Manager

TABLE CAPTAIN GUIDE & TIMELINE

  1. Complete Commitment form by Jan. 31, 2013.
  1. Turn in invitee list to Whitney by Friday March 1, 2013.To ensure that Village Theatre does not send your guests duplicate invitations in the mail, please inform us who you will invite so we can remove them from our mail list. If you would like Whitney to send invitations to your invitees, please let her know by the above deadline. Please also provide any personal note you would like to include (these can be typed or hand-written). We want your invitees to know that the invitation is from YOU.
  1. Invite potential guests: Each table seats 10 people. We recommend that you invite more than enough people to fill your table, as many will not be able to attend. Start early! It is considered best practice to begin with phone calls. Then mail an invitation with a personal note inside and follow-up.
  1. Make it compelling: Give your guests more reasons to come. Consider putting together a group of people who know one another, or who may want to meet on another. Tell them why you care about Village Theatre.
  1. VERY IMPORTANT - Communicate expectations: This is an auction benefit event to raise funds for Village Theatre and it is always best for you and your guests to understand the expectations in advance. For example, if you purchase your guests’ tickets for them, communicate that the expectation is that they make a donation matching at LEAST the amount you spent on their ticket (in this case that is $250) or more. This is just one example. Please communicate whatever expectation you believe is appropriate for your guests. Reach out if you need help or guidance with this piece. It is extremely important to our success.
  1. Friday April 19th, 2013 is the deadline for turning in your confirmed guest information.If at all possible, please turn in your guest information prior to this date.
  1. Confirm your 10 guests: Please communicate with each of your invitees to confirm their attendance. Keep your communication direct and personal so your guests will know you are expecting them to attend the Gala. Please keep reminding your guests about the event up until the morning of the big day. Village Theatre will also be sending out confirmations, so pleaseprovide thorough and complete contact information for your guests.
  1. Overflow guests (more than ten per table) are welcome; just let us know in advance so we can have seats for everyone!
  1. Many companies match their employees’ donations; remind your guests to bring their company’s gift matching form with them to the event. If they forget the form the night of, they can turn in the paperwork after the event as well.

May 11, 2013Auction & Gala Day

Welcome your guests when you see them arrive. All guests will be assigned to a numbered table, and this will be indicated on their name tags, which will be provided along with all other necessary information at check-in. Help lead them to the silent auction and encourage them to bid on all the wonderful items! Also, tell them about the raffle, entertainment etc. Get them excited so they have fun and are eager to participate.

SAMPLE EMAIL OR LETTER INVITATION

Dear______,

I am serving as a Table Captain for Village Theatre’s Annual Auction & Gala and I would be honored to have you join me at my table.

The Auction & Gala will be held on Saturday, May 11, 2013 at Seattle’s Fairmont Olympic Hotel.

As you know, I care deeply about Village Theatre. [Insert why you care deeply about Village Theatre here.]

Note that this is an auction and a fundraiser, so I encourage you to attend prepared to bid on the spectacular auction items that are sure to be in store and with a giving spirit. The Gala raises critical funds necessary to support the ongoing youth education and original musical programs that have come to characterize Village Theatre. Auction items are more fantastic every year so the more you spend, the more great prizes you take home and the more you give to Village Theatre. Everyone wins! Here are some items that are typical at our gala to give you an idea of what to expect:

  • Facial treatments, Spa days, Private Pilates instruction, Massages
  • Penthouse Suite hotel stay in downtown Seattle
  • Luxury hotel stays at Fairmont properties around the world
  • Tickets to several local theatre companies such as Taproot, Seattle Shakespeare Company, 5th Ave. Theatre and Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan
  • First-class and coach unrestricted airline tickets
  • Prime seating and VIP experiences at Seattle sports venues (Mariners, Sounders and Seahawks included)
  • … And much more to come!

The mission of Village Theatre is to be a regionally recognized and nationally influential center of excellence in family theatre: To promote a season of top quality productions; To commission and produce new musicals that achieve national exposure; To train young people in theatre skills for career opportunities and enriched lives; To develop a broad-based appreciation for live theatre and To promote positive values through art.

This year’s raise the paddle portion of the gala will go directly to benefit Village Theatre’s acclaimed Youth Education programs such as KIDSTAGE, Institute and Pied Piper which impact the lives of over 63,000 young people and their families regardless of ability to pay every year.

I sincerely hope you can join me to celebrate and support these efforts. Please let me know as soon as possible if you will be able to attend. RSVPs are due to Village Theatre by Friday April 19th. Thank you!

Warm regards,

(your name)

Guests to be invited list

Due: Friday, March 1, 2013 (or sooner!)

Please let us know who you will invite to sit at your table in order to prevent potential guests from receiving duplicate invitations.

Table Captain Name: ______

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CONFIRMED GUEST LIST

Due: Friday, April 19th, 2013 (or sooner!)

Table Captain Name:___ _

To ensure a positive experience for you and all your guests please use this form to let us know who will be sitting at your table (yourself, plus nine confirmed guests). Completed contact information is very important! Please provide full addresses, phone numbers and emails even if you think we have them. Thank you for being thorough and prompt.

Guest Name / Home Address / Telephone AND Email
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If you do not have a full table of 10 people, please let us know your preference:

  • Please fill the empty seats with other guests; or
  • I commit to filling the empty seats and providing you with names byFriday, April 19th, 2013

Deliver to Whitney Lewis: Fax to (425) 391-3242 or email: