PLAN NING ASPECIAL EVENT: A St ep
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Missouri Civil War
Sesquicentennial Commission
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PLANNING A SPECIAL EVENT 3
WHY ORGANIZE A SPECIAL EVENT? 3
THE NAME GAME 4
ORGANIZATION IS THE KEY 4
LOGISTICS 5
BUDGET... SHOW ME THE MONEY
6
THE SITE PLAN
8
OTHER DETAILS TO CONSIDER 9
STAFFING PLAN
10 PUBLIC RELATIONS
11 HOSTING CIVIL WAR REENACTMENTS
12 THE MAIN EVENT
13 13 FOLLOW-UPS
SPECIAL EVENT PLANNING CALENDAR
14 RESOURCE GUIDE
15 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING EVENT PLANNING
16 MISSOURI CIVIL WAR SESQUICENTENNIAL COMMISSION
The purpose of the Missouri Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission is to increase awareness
and Wlderstanding of Missouri's role in the Civil War; to encourage civic, historical, educational,
economic, and other entities throughout Missouri to organize and participate in activities to com­
memorate the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War; and to foster an inclusive spirit of reconciliation
that appropriately recognizes the experiences and points of view of all people affected by the Civil
War and its aftermath . .
www.mociviiwarlSO.com
1
consideration
a
WHY
A SPECIAL EVENT?
or
because it will give
• Increase community spirit
community uniqueness to others
or better communicate an image
cultural skills and talents
• Generate revenue
or person
• Commemorate a
• Provide fun
ed ucational activities for residents.
Before you start
your
event, it important to think about why you and/or
your community
wan! to organize an event.
2
3
obi'ecl:ive has been determined and you know
are
the event, but
what do
and does have a theme? These are the next questions that must be answered,
theme is what defines your event and will
Deciding on a theme
will also make each step
a built-in focus,
to
For
_ Mo.,
an annual
Festival each fall because several ohhe area
fanners grow and seU pumpkins. The festival includes
US. volunteers under Gen. Nathanlallyon
steamboat on June 15,
occupation
lend itself to a theme, you should still consider creating
community
to create revenue for a
your event around a theme 11 patriotic theme or a
theme that you select should be
into every aspect
e,'ent,
entertainment and activities that
on Implementing,
is to
on an
marne for the event The name should
The next
be short and
if it is easy to pronounce and
This will
the
name willlaSI for years and will
remember your event and create interest in the event A
convey the purpose oftbeevenl.
ORGANIZATION IS THE KEY
Now that the first few hurdles have bee n crossed it's time to ge t 10 work. The Ii rst
be to establish an
structure, An executive committee should be estabusnea.
should consist of an event director or co·directors and a
for each of the functional
coordinalinl! all committee
committees, Each committee chaimerson will be resoonsible
and finance. Other committees may need to be added
on the types of activities that you want to include in your event
The next step is to recruit individuals to fill these
roles, It is
to recruit
individuals from II
in order to form a well-balanced team or committee, It
is also
to
who to ask for aSSistance, Each person should have
an interest in the success ofthe event, as well as time and energy to dedicate to Ihis
Ut:I}CllUU'!,:
4
for any event can be
There are lots of details that should be
considered as the
The first
with local organizations
the
event should be scheduled when there are no other activities scheduled in town or in the
towns, This wi!! eliminate some of the competition that the event might face, For
you wouldn't want to have an event on the same night the local
the same week a festival that the
game or
attendance at your event
suffer. You
also want to consider the time
weather, II
be too hot
for your event and 100 wet in April.
In the case
Civil War event, will be important to consider
dates and themes, will also be important to consider when addi.tional Civil War-related
and reenactors are available.
The next
decision to determine the location
the event Most festival type events are
conducted in outdoor venues, As research
appropriate locations, there are several
factors to consider, These include the
f' Y1~Pl'tM aIle ndance
• Restroom facilities
open areas
reenactments)
facilities for your event
for vendors and other eqUipment
or schools,
Locations that a[e often considered include city parks, town squares,
Now that you have the
questions answered, the fun can
Once the date
the event needs
and location are selected, your committee(s) can start to brainstorm about
to include, As the
it is
at least
to remember
that there are no bad ideas. It is
idea workable than to make a
workable idea fun and exciting,
Once you have a list of ideas for your event, you can start to
which
work best
your community, The
are
endless, Activities that
craft exhibitors, food contests, carnivals, horseshoes, historical
or other theatrical shows, live music,
for you to have every
at your event so you wiH have to divide your list into feasible ideas and ideas that are out of
reach. As you
to form the
of activities that will make
event, you should include
a variety of acth'ities that will suit all types of
It will also
important to select events
that will work well at your selected location.
5
BUDGET... SHOW ME THE MONEY
Once an outline
of activities has been
determined for the event,
it is time to start thinking
about budget. This may be
one of the most challenging
parts of the planning
process. As with any
budget, you will need to
include expected expenses
and income iri order to
have a good picture of the
"bottom line:' The best
place to start will be wi,t h
This Confederate $3 bill was issued shortly after Missouri's admission to
expense estimates for your
the Confederacy.
event plan because this
will show you how much
money you will need to raise in order to meet your financial goals for the event. There may be
props, equipment, signage etc. that you have to purchase in order to make your event a success.
You should start to put together a list of items that will be essential for yo ur event. It may be easiest
to start at the top of the list of activities that have been selected and make a list of all supplies
and equipment that will be needed for each activity. Once you have established your list, you can
identify things that might be donated through local businesses. Examples might include the local
lumberyard donating lumber for picnic tables or the newspape r donating paper for craft projects
or printing services. Then you should identify the items that the event committee will need to
purchase prior to the event. Many of these items may require research into sources and cost. These
items should be divided up among the group members , who can then report the findings of their
research back to the group.
Once you have established a good estimate of the items and related expenses that are associated with the event, you can begin to research possible funding sources. There are actually several options for event funding, including sponsorships, grants, donations, entrance fees, food and beverage sales and booth rentals, as well as many others. Some of these options obViously will not be available until the actual event occurs, but there are several options that can still be explored for preliminary funding or seed money. Your group may decide to hold some smaller money-making events as a way to raise money. Some examples might be a benefit meal like a chili supper or a raffle contest featurin g donated prizes from area businesses and individuals. There may also be sponsorship opportunities for your event. Many local, regional and national companies have money set aside for sponsorship of events that enhance local 6
communities. Companies will often give money and/or an in-kind donation (a donation of goods
or services instead of money) to a special event in exchange for having the company name and/or
logo associated with the event. Companies may choose to sponsor the overall event or to sponsor
one specific aspect of the event, such as the children's craft area.
There are several ways to find sponsors for your event. The first step is to create a sponso rship
packet that includes information regarding the goals for the event and an overview of how those
goals will be met. It should include information about estimated attendance, types of activities,
other sponsors of the event, benefits of sponsorship (i.e . booth space at event, amount of exposu re
in media etc.) and sponsorship options.
This packet can then be sent or delivered to a variety of businesses both local and statewide.
Good sources for business listings are the convention and visitors bureau, merchants association
and chambers of commerce. [t is always a good idea to follow up this mailing with a personal call
to discuss the options available.
Other sources of funding that may be available to your group are grants, donations and loans.
There are a variety of sources for these types of funding in every community. There may be
private foundations that provide funding. Other places to look might include area banks, electric
cooperatives, county government and local gas or phone companies. A list of possible funding
sources is provided in the appendix of this document.
Other sources of income that will need to be addressed at some time include admission fees,
food, beverage and/or merchandise sales, booth rentals and other income that may result from the
event itself. Many community events are free and open to the public. However, other events charge
an admission fee. This may be as small or as large as you like, but it is crucial to keep it affordable.
If you decide to charge an admission fee, it will be important to consider how you will regulate the
fee collections. Are the festivities taking place in a building or an enclosed area that will restrict
the flow of people? If not, it may be hard to collect the admission fee from all visitors.
There are also money-making opportunities available in the food and beverage area as well
as other vendors. There are several options open to yo u in this regard. You may opt to charge
all vendors (food and merchandise) a flat rental fee for their booth space and then the vendor
keeps all proceeds. This is by far the easiest method for all parties, but mayor may not make the
most financial sense. Another option would be to waive the booth rental fee and instead receive
a portion of the booth sales. This method is much more variable. [f there is small attendance,
then sales will probably be smaller. So your income from the booths would be smaller. On the
other hand, if you draw a large crowd, then sales will be up and so will yo ur profit. It is difficult
to predict attendance, so this method is a bit more unpredictable. Still another source of income
might be from entrance fees for judged contests during the event. For example, it may cost $5 to
enter the costume contest or $25 to enter the canoe race.
7
THE SITE PLAN
Now that you have established a name, theme, and budget, it is time to start looking at the
specifics for your event location. This will be the most time-consuming portion of the event
planning process, but it is the key to a successful event. The site plan for your event should include
a variety ofinfo Fmation including a schedule of events, a clearly-labeled map of the event grounds,
traffic control and parking information, electrical requirements, food and beverage requirements
and regulations, staffing plan and anything else that refers to the logistics for the event.
The first logistical thing to consider should be the expected attendance. This will allow you
to begin thinking about the physical needs of your event, including rest rooms, parking and traffic
flow. There are no scientific methods for calculating attendance at an event. There are lots of
factors that can influence that number,like the weather, cost, location and amount of publicity.
1hlnk about the number of people that reside in town and the surrounding area. Once you have
your attendance goal or estimate, you can start to crunch the numbers and make things happen.
The next step is to locate or create a map of the event grounds. This map will be used for a
variety of purposes including serving as the basis for many of the logistical decisions that you
must make prior to the event. This map will literally help you get a picture of how the event
grounds will look and how the event will function. You will be able to identify areas for each
activity, locations for rest rooms , parking areas and entrance gates, as well as mark traffic flow
for the event. Once you have the map, you should start to identify and label each of these
components on the map (or a copy of the map).
The next step is to create your schedule of events. It may seem early for this step of the
process, but it will help you make better traffic flow estimates and ensure that you have plenty
of space, workers and equipment for all activities. The exact times do not need to be established at
this time, blllt a general timeframe will be helpful. As you start to place activities on the schedule
for the event, it is important to also decide on a location for the activity. When deciding a location,
you should consider space requirements as well as electrical requirements. For example, a sheep
shearing demonstration will need a fenced area for the sheep while a fiddle contest might need a
stage. It is 'also important to leave plenty of time before each event for setup and after each event
for clean up of the area.
Another logistical detail that is often overlooked deals with traffic control and parking. The
majority of your visitors will arrive by car. They will need a safe, convenient place to park and
someone to direct them to this spot. It will be unlikely that the location for your event will have
ample parking for all visitors. You will probably need to look at nearby fields or school parking
lots. Depending on the location, you will probably need signage from all entrances that .direct
people to the par king. You will also need volunteers to assist with parking cars. It may be
possible to recruit local Boy Scout or Girl Scout troops to assist with this. Another option for
assistance may be the city or county police auxiliary or cadets. If the parking is not located near
the event grounds, you may want to consider a shuttle of some type. Many local farm bureaus
have trams that can be used for special events, like those used at the Missouri State Fair. You
might also want to consider school buses or mini-buses.
8
OTHER DETAILS TO CONSIDER
FACILITIES
The n umber of portable
toilets needed to rent for your
event should be determined.
Most companies that rent
portable toilets will be able
to help you determine the
number of units you will need
for your estimated attendance.
The y should also be able to
look at your site map and
determ ine logical locations
for all restroom facilities. It is
recommended that a portion
of the toilets be accessible to
persons with disabilities.
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FIRST AID/EMERGENCY PLAN
You will need to have a first aid station located on the event grounds. This detail is often easy to
fOFget, but it is important for large events. This station should be open during the same hours as
the event and should be staffed with a nurse or other emergency medical personnel. You should
also have one or more ambulances on site during your event. Your local emergency medical
response team or fire department should be able to help you determine exactly what types and
how much emergency response personnel and equipment you need on site.
INSURANCE
The next logistical step is insurance for the event-liability insurance to be exact. Every
special event must have liability insurance to protect against any claims that may arise , There is
a good chance that nothing will happen, but in this day and age you can never be roo careful.
An insurance representative can help you determine the minimum amounts that you will need.
Depending on the location of the event, you may be able to purchase a rider as part of of the local
city or county insurance policy. It may also be possible to purchase coverage based on a local
community group such as the Lions Club or Knights of Columbus. Regardless of the method
you choose to acquire your pol icy, it is essential that it be in place for the duration of the event,
including setup and tear down days.
9
PUBLIC RELATIONS
event. The next step
to create a
¥"'WIl""" to work at the event.
sizewill
of volunteers. is never too
your schedule of events and
rest
will need for each
where you will need volunteers and how many
to schedule people in shorter shifts oftlme. It may be easier to
small shifts of two hours each than it would
the process
of the event.
you will need to carry out your
you can
volunteers. You should start to pas;
friends. It is much easier to sell the event and yO\lf need for
local community and
know. You should also consider
".l\.iimJ~"" of these groups might be
ladles aUldliary at your
or even the
and
Scouts. Most of these groups
better opportunity than a speCial event
will
re(:ruitlll~
ask
need for volunteers. The local paper, TV station andlor radio
or on their local
sen.ice annoullcement
ortvprl'i<ina can be done in the form of posters and fliers
about any topic related
with the media, would
to
them
this committee.
what information the
and a means
which to reach them. This
should
the
what, when and where for the event WHAT. This is the information that
want
will event include
information about
WHO: A target audience should be identified for
event.
group mo'gn'pf!lIc) that share similar social or economic traits that you arc going to focus your
m,ck.tin" efforts toward
an elfort gel them to attend
event. For
your
be families with
children.
should be a timeline of when you want to
to
applicable deadlines for pUDllcallon~
target
WHERE: The "where" of a
should mclude aU types of media available in the
that have the same
or target audience as the event. Other useful
information
include contact information for
media source. Brochures,
newspapers, radio,
television are all effective avenues
which you can
There afe also many free options for
relations
dub
newsletters, community calendars and Web pages,
filers and posters, letters to
the editor and press releases.
relations canlpaign can
committee
a positive image as
The work of the
and
not end
the event is over. is never too soon to
start spreading the word about your
Each community has different
venues available
and you should learn
the most effective
are for your area.
the event to The
committee will also be essential
other last minute decisions or
are made concerning the event If there are problems
the event, facts to
various and concise manner. Soldiers at drill.
11
HOSting
THE MAIN EVENT
your visitors.
it will be important to work with trained and p".,priPf),cpri
reenaClor groups. Here are some tips to
make a reenactment successful:
process.
can give
• Consult Civil War reenactment units a~
YOll advice and contact information for appropriate units. In Missouri, attend a Missouri Civil War
Reenactors' Association
meeting to present the event and ;get it sanctioned.
• Include "sutlers" in the olanninll.. Sutlers are vendors who sell
them around can contribute to the
sll.opping for new equipment and the
Ke~~pSaK!$. Sutlers are
• Locate yOUT reenactment in an
location where
and battle activities.
in mind
will be di<rhor<>,
will need space to
without Je()p<lird:izillg
reenactor activities. Consider the
• Schedule reenactment activities so that
reenaclors have time to take care
needs
as well as reenactments. Allow time for reenactors to interact with your visitors. Often this can
some of the best memories
event.
• If there is a story to tell with your reenactment, create
for the story that
what
reenactment activities will be Most reenactor
will have an officers' call in the
and this can
an opportunity to outline
for the reenactment proceedings.
• Reenactor
will be a must. Umbrella groups such as the MCWRA can
process. Reenactor fees can be
but reenactors are
time and
in your
event so fees
not be
a MCWRA sanctioned event, all reenactors will
be
to
fee). Non·members can be
OI'JDflftllnitv to ohm UP at re1l:istration. A partner organization can
you make sure
.
waivers from.
to
weapons. Consider
to ree nactors in
and boun ties for
units.
10 add a reenactment to your event,
.
reenac torS.
toilets. firewood, straw for their encampment and
is
Each unit will need to be considered for
Don't assume that units on the
may come from a variety of
same side
Federal,
will share! Not unlike 1861,
and
compete for provisions.
most effident and fair distribution
• Facilitate communication between the reenactors and the media. Once this communication is
the me dia can coverage of the event and entice more
to attend.
reenactments visit:
12
P"fiHUUI
0
and
the
FOLlOW-UPS The actual event
be over before you know it. is important to
This will
inc! ude
all financial It will also be imoortant "Wr>M.I1M" and/or businesses. This can be done with a
or even a speCial party for all those involved.
to survey those who worked on the event about what went smoothly and
I'l<UlIllll!l committee and volunteers should be asked to
of the event, from concession operations to
to
Everyone has valid ideas!
committee, and you the event went well and the community, the
had a fun and educational time!
events commemorating the Civil War present a great opportunity for a hands-on, fun
more about a
time in the country and Missouri's 13
RESOURCE GUIDE
""'.......,1..1" EVENT direct
SIX-l.:l MONTHS OUT
and • Finalize
volunteers • Contact local support agencies for assistance
:telephone company, trash removal. and fire rt"n••t",,,,,t. committee members, etc.
• Form committees
Two MONTHS OUT
finance.
• Select name andlor theme
• Select event dale
• Determine event location
• Create tentative schedule of events
• Continue to recruit and schedule volunteers
• Continue to •
• Confirm all contracts (for
with vendors) as needed • Create initial
• Create list
eQ1JjPlne!lt etc.
needed ONE MONTH OUT
to to sources of additional information
Vldllflmg.
FUNDING OPTIONS
MisSOUIi Arts Councll-!:'
_
The Missouri Arts Council
financial and technical assistance to
Missouri·based organizations to fund arts
for the
of Missouri
""hpn<ivp .nov n' oronlina programs. For more information. visit the Missouri
or call toll-free 866-407·4752.
Counell
of Economic Development
Missouri
The community development group offers over
tax credit and grant programs to
meet the needs not-far-profit organizations, community groups and local government in areas
community facilities. For more
• Finalize
• Finalize local support age ncy assistance trash removal, fire/police assistance. elc.)
to appropriate m,uKellug news articles, fliers) • Book entertainers and! or reenactors needs DAY OF THE EVENT
'flUlEE -SIX MONTHS OUT
• Finalize Ill..'''''''UlI!;
• Be available
radio interviews
• Handle issues as
the event! • Produce and distribute prc)m()ticmal
brochures)
pUlemUIl sponsors and as needed event
for training sessions
all volun leers
• Promote, promote, promote
via television or
arise ONE MONTH AFTER THE EVENT
• Survey volunteers and/or staff
• Write an evaluation of the event
• Recognize all volunteers for their
• Finalize site
Ameren Corporation Each year, the Ameren
Charitable Trust donates millions of dollars to education, services fo r the the environment. For more information. Web site at Ameren
\'IfWW.ameren.com or call
800-552-7583. Missouri Humanities Council The Missouri Humanities Coundl awards in support
programs Ihe aims of its Cultural and Many Faces of Missouri programs. For more information, Visit the Missouri Humanities Council Web site at www.mohumanities.orll/Ilrants or call toll-free 800-357-0909. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon was the
Union general to
lose his life in tne Civil War at the Battle of Wilson's
• Create
Creek near Springfield. Mo
14
15
AnnmONAL INFORMATION REGARDING EVENT PLAJ\'NlNG
Missouri Civil War
Sesquicentennial Commission
P. O. Box 176 Jefferson City. MO 65101 Web: www.mocivilwarI50.com/ Email: [email protected] Community Support Contacts
Missouri Chamber of Commerce 428 East Capitol Avenue. PO Box 149 Jefferson City. MO 65101 (573) 634-3511 Web: www.mochamber.org/ Missouri Association
of Convention and Visitor Bureaus
P.O. Box 445. St. Joseph. MO 64502 (816) 233-6688 Web: www.macvb.net E-mail address:[email protected] Missouri Association of Fairs and Festivals 941 E Rodney. Cape Girardeau. MO 63701 (573) 270-0898 Web: www.missourifairsandfestivals.org LoCl!! Government on the Net Web: www.statelocalgov.net/state-mo.cfm Missouri Press Association 802 Locust St.• Columbia. MO 65201-4888 (573) 449-4167 Fax: (573) 874-5894 Web: www.mopress.com/ State Agency Contacts
Missouri State Highway Patrol 1510 E. Elm St.. Jefferson City. Missouri 65102 (573) 751-3313 Web: www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov Missouri Department of Insurance Division of Consumer Affairs PO Box 690. Jefferson Ci ty, MO 65102-0690 (573) 751-4126 Web: www.insurance.mo.gov/ Missouri State Puks Toll free: 800-334-6946 • General: (573) 75 1-2479 Web: www.mostateparks.com E-mail address:[email protected] Missouri State Archives 600 W. Main Street. Jefferson City. MO 65101 (573) 751-3280 Web: www.sos.mo.gov/archives Email address:[email protected] Missouri National Guard 2302 Militia Drive. Jefferson City, MO 65101 (573) 638 -9846 Web: www.moguard.com / E-mail address:[email protected] Reenactment Information Contacts
Missouri Civil WaJ: Reenactor's Association
Web: www.mcwra.orgl
Event Planning: www.mcwra.org/planning.html
Fort Davidson State Historic Site 118 East Maple, Pilot Knob. MO 63663-0509 (573) 546-3454 Web: mostateparks.com/ parklfort-davidson ­
state- historic-site Battle of Lexington State Historic Site
P.O. Box 6, Lexington. MO 64067-0006 (660) 259-4654 Web: mostateparlcs.com/ parklbattle-Iexington­
state- historic-site 16 A reenactor prepares to feed hW1gry troops during a reenactment of the Battle of Pilot Knob at Fort Davidson State Historic Site.