San Francisco Pride: Event Planning for a Million People

How do you begin to plan an event that 1 million people will attend?

Event-planning pro Jarno Stegeman, also known professionally as The Event Tutor, spoke with George Ridgely  (opens in a new tab), the executive director of San Francisco Pride, about how he and his team prepare for the world-renowned San Francisco Pride Parade and Celebration.

Ridgely says the parade requires year-round preparation. “Sure, there are some slower times, but there is never a time that you are not planning,” he says.

Planning an event of this size is not for the faint of heart. There are a million things that could go wrong. “The street fair, for example, is an outdoor event contained within six blocks. So you’re dealing with displacing traffic and public transport, displacing people access to their businesses and homes.”

However, Ridgely provides helpful tips on raising money, finding sponsors, event promotion, and logistics. “If you are just starting out as an event planner and you have no experience with all of this, I would advise you to hire a consultant who can walk you through the process or hire an event producer that has that kind of experience,” he says.

Check out Stegeman’s post for more  (opens in a new tab).

A Surprising Reinvention

Congrats, @NCChamber  (opens in a new tab)! How 75yo #nonprofit  (opens in a new tab) transformed @thegrowthguy  (opens in a new tab) @HuffingtonPost  (opens in a new tab) https://t.co/yB2n8WpNb1  (opens in a new tab) h/t @deirdrereid  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab)

— Jay S Daughtry M.Ed. (@ChatterBachs) January 11, 2017  (opens in a new tab)

Ten years ago, the North Carolina Chamber  (opens in a new tab) was in such bad shape that it was borrowing money to meet its monthly payroll. But just last year, it won an award from the national Council of State Chambers that is given to chambers that exhibit innovative initiatives and excellent service to their members.

How did the chamber turn its fortunes around? The Huffington Post takes a thorough look  (opens in a new tab) at the transformative steps the organization took.

Other Links of Note

Facebook is working with the media: In the wake of “fake news” controversy, Facebook has launched a journalism project  (opens in a new tab) to better partner with media organizations and strengthen “news literacy.”

Should you try an “exec exchange” program? A Fast Company article reveals how CEOs switching jobs for the day  (opens in a new tab) can lead to valuable insights.

Dealing with turnover: The Nashville Business Journal investigates how organizations with high turnover rates  (opens in a new tab) are still able to accomplish their goals.

(torbakhopper/Flickr)