Charity Pamper Evening

[Severnrose]

First of all, APOLOGIES for long post. I hae searched previous threads before which have been very helpful but just had some more questions

I am planning on organising a Pamper Evening in my local town to raise money for Breast Cancer. I have done some research and found a few helpful tips and ideas of things I need to be thinking about but I just want to hear from anyone who has had experience of arranging one and what you found worked well and what didnt work. I also have some other questions too:

1. Did you charge for entrance fee, if so how much?
2. Did you sell tickets to the event before hand or just rely on people turning up on the day?
3. I am expecting to have beauty therapists/nail techs/tarot card readers etc etc there and was wondering who arranges their time slots? Do they do it on the night or should I be doing that? (Dont think it makes sense for me to be doing). Ive read in some posts that the therapists get bookings before the event - do I just leave them to organise this and do what they want?
3. Venue: what type of venue is best? School hall/church hall/somewhere with a bar?
4. Refreshments - Did you offer refreshments? If so, what? Did you charge for them?
5. Did you have a raffle? Did you charge seperately for this or did they automatically get entered into it with their entrance fee?
6. Did you do gift bags at all? What did you put in them?
7. Is it ok for me to use some of the money raised to go towards advertising the event etc? I wont make any money out of it but dont want to be out of pocket.
8. Did you have family members/friends helping out at the event - how many would you recommend?
9. Did you decorate the venue in any way?
10. How long did it take to plan? I am hoping to hold it on first Thursday in March - do you think this is enough time to arrange?
11. Finally, how long did your evening last (times).

Thank you!!! Guidance/advice VERY much appreciated, I really want to make this work as think its a great way to raise money and also help local business get more customers.

 

[Dolly6410]

hey! first of all well done for organising one and good luck, i have never organised one myself but i have attended plenty as a beautician.

1. most of the time people pay around £2 for an entrance fee, one time it was £3.50 and they got one free drink with that price, like a token to take to the refreshment stand.
2. most of the events i have been to people have sold them before and on the door, sometimes they will say for instance £2 if you buy before or £3 on the door... that kind of thing.
3a. i have been to one where the person who organised it took bookings for me which was alot easier for me because then i was going knowing i was fully booked for the night BUT they always, and i mean always screw something up, like get my treatments wrong and i'm booked in for stuff i'm not offering, or double book me so i have people getting annoyed at me for running late or missing them out, its more hassle than its worth so i'd just tell them to bring a time sheet so clients can book in on the night, you risk them stood around with no clients but it saves hassle for you.
3b. majority of the ones i have been to have been in a school hall, just remember you need LOTS of power points, i went to one at a prison but it was in the officers social club, but there wasn't many power points and they had millions of extension leads running everywhere which wasn't the best.
4. at the social club they had a bar so they had that open which was a real hit with the guests that came, but at the school hall ones they usually have the canteen (not sure how you spell it sorry) open and they offer squash or wine and they do charge a small fee, but anyone working gets free drinks, but do not give out wine, i saw a therapist get quite drunk at one and it was not good LOL.
5. every event i go to has a raffle, the workers have to bring a prize, most of them i have to pay £10 for my table and a raffle prize, the guests have to pay something around 20p for a ticket or 50p for a strip.
6.No gift bags, they did this at one of the events i went to and it was awful, you had to pay £10 to put your leaflet in a goody bag and then they'd do all the good stuff in it, when one of the guests showed me her goody bag it was just full of leaflets and she admitted she was just going to throw it away at the end of the night. gift bags never go down well.
7. keeps tabs on everything you spend in a book, and yes take the money out of the profits... advertising, hall costs, decorations, refreshments.
8. get all the help you can, you will need someone on the door, someone walking around making sure its going smoothly, someone to run refreshments, someone on the raffle table (or maybe if you want to save bringing too many people get the person on the door to asks guests if they want a raffle ticket and sell them then and there, although some people might like to have a wonder first and then buy, in which case you'll need a seperate raffle person).
9. normally its decorated with a few banners to say about the cause, maybe some balloons...
10. sorry no help with this
11. the times for these events are usually 6.30-9.30, 7-10, 7-11. and then an hour before and an hour after for your stalls to set up and pack away.

 

[amys-beauty]

1. Did you charge for entrance fee, if so how much? About a £1 any more say £2.50 they would get a free drink...

2. Did you sell tickets to the event before hand or just rely on people turning up on the day? Sell tickets before hand but make them like 50p or so more expensive to buy on the night.

3. I am expecting to have beauty therapists/nail techs/tarot card readers etc etc there and was wondering who arranges their time slots? Do they do it on the night or should I be doing that? (Dont think it makes sense for me to be doing). Ive read in some posts that the therapists get bookings before the event - do I just leave them to organise this and do what they want? Tell them to bring a time slot sheet and when people arrive they do it on the night. I sometimes get bookings before hand and write it on my timeslot sheet.

3. Venue: what type of venue is best? School hall/church hall/somewhere with a bar? Anywhere, easy accessable and easy parking.

4. Refreshments - Did you offer refreshments? If so, what? Did you charge for them? Do drinks, from squash to wine, maybe from 50p-£2. Get someone in to do cupcakes or something like that

5. Did you have a raffle? Did you charge seperately for this or did they automatically get entered into it with their entrance fee? Do a raffle and go round in the night to clients and stallholders and get them to buy it then. Stallholders should donate a raffle prize.

6. Did you do gift bags at all? What did you put in them? You could put everyones business cards in them, maybe some samples?

7. Is it ok for me to use some of the money raised to go towards advertising the event etc? I wont make any money out of it but dont want to be out of pocket. Not sure on that question. Sorry!

8. Did you have family members/friends helping out at the event - how many would you recommend? I would get around 3 helpers.

9. Did you decorate the venue in any way? Not really apart from some signs but would be a nice touch if you did.

10. How long did it take to plan? I am hoping to hold it on first Thursday in March - do you think this is enough time to arrange? That should be fine

11. Finally, how long did your evening last (times). Usually 7pm-10pm

Best of luck!!!

 

[Severnrose]

Wow thankyou both SO much for taking the time to reply. From reading your answers I've thought of another question about the layout! (probably gonna think of loads of questions leading up to the day), what does the actual layout of the room usually look like? Are the stalls/work stations all round the edge of the room? Also what sort of space is generally left for each work station (just an estimate!) or should ask each person how much space they need?

Sorry, I know it would make so much sense to go to one myself before I attempt to arrange my own but there isn't one near me soon! X

 

[Dolly6410]

Wow thankyou both SO much for taking the time to reply. From reading your answers I've thought of another question about the layout! (probably gonna think of loads of questions leading up to the day), what does the actual layout of the room usually look like? Are the stalls/work stations all round the edge of the room? Also what sort of space is generally left for each work station (just an estimate!) or should ask each person how much space they need?

Sorry, I know it would make so much sense to go to one myself before I attempt to arrange my own but there isn't one near me soon! X

usually its round the edge facing inwards and then in the middle in a square facing outwards, so it kind of makes a square walk way round, does that make sense? means people arent walking inbetween peoples stalls, that really winds me up! lol. usually they say 1 table per person and if you want more you need to request it and pay more for extra space, also ask 'do you need an electrical point, yes or no' so you know who to put near them. also a nice touch at one of the school halls i went to was they had a library off the hall and they used that for the therapists. make sure you put the tables out and label them so people don't just set up anywhere, make sure you think carefully about your layout, don't put 2 jewelery stands together, don't put a beautician next to someone noisey, if you have a food stall (cupcakes so on) put them near the refreshments. hope this helps

 

[Tinkes1980]

I've not had experience in organising anything like this, but my boyfriend organised a fundraiser before Xmas and they were able to get wine and soft drinks on sale or return from morrisons or tesco, so make sure you do that so no one is out of pocket!

 

[Severnrose]

usually its round the edge facing inwards and then in the middle in a square facing outwards, so it kind of makes a square walk way round, does that make sense? means people arent walking inbetween peoples stalls, that really winds me up! lol. usually they say 1 table per person and if you want more you need to request it and pay more for extra space, also ask 'do you need an electrical point, yes or no' so you know who to put near them. also a nice touch at one of the school halls i went to was they had a library off the hall and they used that for the therapists. make sure you put the tables out and label them so people don't just set up anywhere, make sure you think carefully about your layout, don't put 2 jewelery stands together, don't put a beautician next to someone noisey, if you have a food stall (cupcakes so on) put them near the refreshments. hope this helps

Very helpful thank you! So much to think about! If I wasn't so impatient I would wait till I had been to one myself but no! I can't wait! It's always my problem! Hopefully with some help from all the great advice, I might just be able to pull it off! Thing I'm most worried about is the stallholders having done a similar event in the past and thinking mine was rubbish.....I'm so excited tho, I love organising things ha ha!

 

[Severnrose]

I've not had experience in organising anything like this, but my boyfriend organised a fundraiser before Xmas and they were able to get wine and soft drinks on sale or return from morrisons or tesco, so make sure you do that so no one is out of pocket!

Thank you! Would never have thought a supermarket would be happy to do this, I will certainly give them a try if I decide on a venue without a bar. Do you know if he just contacted the store manager?

 

[R D Beauty]

I am glued to this thread as I would love to do something like this but don't really have a clue good luck! Let us know how it goes. Xx

 

[Severnrose]

I am glued to this thread as I would love to do something like this but don't really have a clue good luck! Let us know how it goes. Xx

Hi! I will definitely let you know how it goes, if u think of any good ideas let me know!! all I've done so far is contact the charity to advise them what I'm doing and ask for some posters or anything else they can provide me with. Will look online at venues today and maybe call a couple of them got a 3 year old and a 10 week old so we'll see how that goes ha ha!

If this all works well then I might do some sort of guidance/checklist to help others cos other than the amazingly helpful geeks on here, I can't really find much other info on it. X

 

[brittone05]

Massive good luck hun - I am just organsising my first pamper evening and am bricking it haha xx

 

[Severnrose]

Just wanted to say the pamper evening is tonight! Little bit scared/nervous/excited! Sure I'm going to forget something!!

 

[Severnrose]

Thought id just let u all know how it went, if anyone's interested!

Great night, really busy, think approx 100 people turned up which I was SO pleased about. Had 22 stalls in total with a mix of beauty and pamper treatments and also craft/gift sellers. The stallholders told me it was the best evening they had ever done and if I arrange another can I let them know almost all of the treatments were fully booked before the event so everyone was really busy with treatments.

Raised over £500 for Breast Cancer so very pleased with my first attempt!!

If you're thinking of planning a similar event, it will take up a lot of your time if done properly but it's worth it - go for it!!

 

[Dolly6410]

well done! good for you for getting in there and doing it and even better that you pulled it off so pleased for you x

 

[Severnrose]

well done! good for you for getting in there and doing it and even better that you pulled it off so pleased for you x

And a lot of my great planning was down to your great advice! So thank you! X

 

[Dolly6410]

glad i could help

 

[souz]

severnrose well done you, thats an amazing amount of money for a great cause, i may look into doing something similar!!

you have inspired us all xx

 

[Littlemiss72]

Hi. I have been asked to attend an event to do some beauty treatments. What treatments work best at these events? Any ideas gratefully received xxx

 

[sharons-hair]

Just found my-self glued to reading this. So inspireing ( think i spelt that wrongly). Got me thinking now.........But well done X


(Sorry mistake with the title) should have read well done!

 

[Severnrose]

Hi. I have been asked to attend an event to do some beauty treatments. What treatments work best at these events? Any ideas gratefully received xxx

Hi, mini mani's and mini pedi's were so popular. I even had to ask the lady doing them if she would mind one of the other therapists doing them too as I kept getting people asking to book them. Also, hand massage (£5 for 15 mins), Indian head massage (£5 for 15 mins) these were the most popular treatments. If you are picking just one or two I would DEFINATELY go with the mini manis and mini pedis. Has the organiser not asked you to do something in particular? When I organised mine I was careful with this as didn't want loads of therapists offering the same treatments, I wanted to make sure we had a good mix.

There was:
Bio gels
Mini mani / pedi
Facial waxing
Hand massage
Back massage
Indian head massage
Reiki
Spray tanning
Mini makeover
Mini facial

Can't do anything that requires a patch test. Hope that helps? Xx