An interview with Toni Brown – Part One
Toni Brown
Special events are critical to the life of many nonprofits. They bring people together in support of a common cause, extend your brand, engage new and continuing donors, create a memorable experience, and most importantly raise money. To help you take your event to the next level we asked a few questions of Toni Brown, a talented and highly experienced special events producer and co-founder of The Brown Wynn Agency in New York.
We started with two key questions: Does hiring a special events manager guarantee your event will be successful, and what can an organization do to increase the success of their event? Brown shared the following: “There really are no guarantees when it comes to events. Many factors including, competing events, poor past performance, severe weather, and local emergencies can affect the outcome of a special event. However, having an event manager onboard can help an organization to plan effectively and navigate potential pitfalls that could otherwise sink a great event. Here are five things to focus on to increase success.
- Start the planning process early and have reasonable expectations about the outcome
- Create a detailed monthly action plan. Focus on the plan and make adjustment as needed
- Be open to suggestions and new ideas
- Be realistic and transparent about staff and/or the organization’s capabilities
- Don’t rely on staff to take on event planning duties that are not their primary work responsibilities”
We also wanted to know how Brown got started in this field. Here’s her story.
“My career as a Special Events professional was totally unexpected. I worked for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) in New York, as Assistant to the Director of Marketing, and later as Assistant to the Senior Vice President of Fundraising. Special events was a very important fundraising vehicle for UNCF. I was fortunate to participate in discussions, planning meetings, and allowed to attend events around the country.
UNCF needed a special event concept for New York City. I offered my event idea, but it was rejected three times. The rejection turned into determination, and I decided to create the event myself. I closed my office door and strategically planned my first event called The Flavor of New York. The event was a culinary extravaganza and food tasting event showcasing 10 of New York’s top African American chefs and their respective restaurants, 10 prominent male celebrities that were paired with each restaurant, and 100 amateur male chefs from New York’s five boroughs.
I recruited a popular music industry CEO to serve as the event chairperson, secured one of the city’s most unique and unexpected locations – The Winter Garden at the World Financial Center – to host the event, and utilized my friends and contacts to build an effective and enthusiastic 80-person volunteer committee. In addition to food, the evening included live performances, dancing and donated champagne and desserts. The Flavor of New York was an unforgettable evening and a huge fundraising and public relations success. Over 700 people attended the inaugural event and “Flavor” became a highly anticipated annual event for UNCF.”
Next week: part two of this interview.
Copyright 2022 – Mel and Pearl Shaw of Saad&Shaw – Comprehensive Fund Development Services. Video and phone conferencing services always available. Let us help you grow your fundraising. Call us at (901) 522-8727. www.saadandshaw.com.
