Hospitality and Fund Development Committee Guidelines

Hospitality and Fund Development Committee Guidelines

Wisconsin Farm Technology Days

Revised 2016

Introduction

The Fund Development and Hospitality committee has two separate and distinct functions: the Fund Development function, which is primarily conducted during the first half of the three year planning/preparation process and the Hospitality function which is carried out at the show the year prior to local county show. Due to the fact that these functions are so different, the two activities will be covered separately. (Occasionally host counties actually have 2 separate committees, but given that the majority of the Fund Development responsibilities are completed before the Hospitality functions begin, it is not necessary).

Formation of Fund Development and Hospitality Committee

A core committee of 6-10 individuals should be identified. At least some of these individuals should be well-known and respected throughout the county and be in a position to seek large contributions from prospective donors. All members need to feel comfortable making one-on-one contacts to solicit contributions. It is desirable if committee members are able to devote a significant amount of time contacting potential contributors during a fairly intensive fund raising campaign lasting 2-3 months, and then lesser amounts of time over the duration of the three year period prior to the show.

FUND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

The Fund Development function should be one of the first activities of the host county. Many counties indicate in their final reports that they wished they would have initiated Fund Development earlier. There are a number of reasons for initiating Fund Development as early as possible:

Fund Development generates a lot of activity and visibility early on in the host county
Some companies choose to spread their contributions over two or three years
Some activities of the Fund Development committee such as selecting a commemorative tractor or other items to sell require forward planning and lead time
Generating donations early helps to alleviate cash flow issues for the host county
Securing several large, high profile contributors early tends to stimulate future contributions
If the Fund Development committee begins it work before other committees become active, it minimizes the problem of multiple individuals/committees contacting the same entity requesting a contribution

Fund Development Plan

The committee should develop a well thought out plan that covers all phases of Fund Development. The plan should include:

Types of Fund Development activities
A timeline and budget for each activity
Assignment of committee members to head up each activity
A plan for recognizing/thanking all contributors
A detailed plan for providing “value” in terms of recognition and visibility for large contributors

Tax-Exempt Status

Wisconsin Farm Technology Days is a “tax exempt” entity. It is not a “non-profit” entity. Sponsorships are deductible by businesses as business expenses for advertising. Contributions by individuals not connected with any business entity are not tax-deductible.

Types of Fund Development activities:

While the solicitation of sponsorships is the primary Fund Development technique of every host county, most counties also raise funds through one or more of the following activities:

Sale of commemorative tractors and machinery
Sale of clothing
Sale of cookbooks or other “smaller” items
Fund Development events such as golf outings
Raffles
Sponsorships of items used/needed at the show such as trams, scooters for people with disabilities, benches, etc.

Types of Contributions:

Sponsorships are made in the form of cash, “in-kind” contributions, or sponsorships of some aspect of the show. In-kind contributions are usually assigned a value by the fund raising committee. It is important that the Fund Development committee develop a system of recording all in-kind contributions secured by other committees. There are a wide variety of sponsorship opportunities related to the show. Many of these opportunities, along with suggested sponsorship levels, are outlined in a paper attached to (at the end) this document.

Sustaining Sponsorships:

Sponsors can sign a three-year agreement for show sponsorship. County fund raising committees retain 100% of the sponsorship the first year of the sponsorship. The sponsorship is split 50:50 with WFTD Inc. the remaining two years of the sponsorship. If the Sustaining Sponsorship includes both cash and “in kind”, the “in-kind” is counted toward the county share. IT IS IMPARATIVE THAT COUNTY SPONSORSHIP BENEFIT PACKAGES NOT EXCEED SUSTAINING SPONSORSHIP BENEFIT PACKAGES FOR SIMILAR LEVELS OF SPONSORSHIP. Review the document describing the Sustaining Sponsorship program for further details.

Keys to success:

1, Start early!

Make personal contacts – especially with large anticipated contributions
Focus on “local” sponsors first (statewide business entities that serve as sponsors of the show each year generally only contribute to a county in the year the show is hosted
Strategize the “right” person to make the “ask”
Strategize “natural” sponsorship opportunities-seed from seed dealers, equipment from machinery dealers
Have an attractive recognition package that will appeal to large sponsors and clearly spell out the benefits of sponsorship-. Websitevisibility, show signage, free show passes, etc.
Secure several large contributions early in the process.

Caution:

It is crucial that ALL Fund Development efforts are coordinated through the Fund Development committee. It is important that other committees not go back to donors seeking additional cash and in-kind contributions after the donor has made a commitment.

The Fund Developmentcommittee should keep other committees well informed of sponsors they are pursuing that may provide both in-kind and cash contributions.

Hospitality Committee Guidelines

Wisconsin Farm Technology Days

Revised 2015

Introduction

Formation of Fund Development and Hospitality Committee

HOSPITALITYCOMMITTEE

The Hospitality Committee is responsible for setting up and hosting an exhibitor Hospitality lounge at the show in the year prior to their local county show. The county hosting the show for the current year will provide a trailer for this function. Tables and chairs are provided by WFTD, Inc. Outdoor seating may be needed since the trailer may become crowded at times. The activity is primarily a goodwill gesture designed to encourage exhibitors to sign up to exhibit at your show. Details are as follows:

If at all possible, food and drinks should be purchased from the local host county food committee. This supports the local show and simplifies delivery and storage of the food. The exception to this rule is that counties often make available “bite sized” samples of food that are unique to their county.
The lounge should be staffed from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM each day of the show.
Occasionally, the location and visibility of the Hospitality trailer encourages visitors as well as exhibitors to stop in. The committee needs to be alert to the possibility of this occurring.

Exhibitor visits

On the first morning of the show (Tuesday) the Hospitality committee often works in conjunction with members of the Promotion Committee and the Executive Committee to visit each of the exhibitors at their lot or booth to distribute materials relating to the next year’s show, drop off a gift bag prepared by the promotion committee and invite them to visit the exhibitor lounge. These “visits” are usually organized by the Promotion Committee.

Additional Responsibilities:

Information Booths:

The HospitalityCommittee usually provides volunteers to work in the information booths which are small tents located just inside tent city so that visitors will pass by as they come through the admissions gates. Workers in the information booth should be well- versed on where things are located in tent city, details on how to get to field demos and farm tours, etc. Workers will also distribute the official show programs to visitors. WFTD drawing entry forms (evaluations) will be available at the information booths. Visitors should be encouraged to fill out the evaluations to be eligible for the daily drawing. Tents are provided by the host county with the chairs and tables provided by WFTD, Inc.

Transportation for People with Disabilities:

The HospitalityCommittee typically has the responsibility to secure a vendor that provides “scooters” for people with disabilities each day of the show. There are several companies that might be interested in providing this service, however, since the “scooters” must be capable of getting around in rough and sometimes muddy situations, many companies may not be interested. Usually the company that provides this service expects to be paid by the host county in addition to charging a fee to the individuals who rent them. The company may request that the host county provide a small tent from which to base their operations and will request electrical power for charging the batteries of the scooters.

Important Sources of Information

While the responsibilities outlined in the preceding points provide a basic description of the committee’s most important responsibilities, the following sources of information can be extremely helpful in providing details and options relating to how preceding counties “got the job done”.

Multi-county Meeting attended by past and present committee chairs (usually held in early December)
Reports generated by committees from the preceding show
“Shadowing” of committee chair for a day at the preceding show