• Attend other cultural events and take notes on what you liked, what worked and what didn’t work. Talk to the event organizer and follow their leads on funders, invitees, marketing and advertising venues.
• Determine what your goal for the event is. Is it to use it as a fundraising event? Gain new members? Create awareness of a specific issue or story? Focus your audience and venue around the goal you want to achieve.
• “Widen the tent”: Consider inviting other like-minded cultural groups to participate, as a way to increase diversity and turnout for your event.
• Consider serving authentic food at your event. You might have a good chance of attracting an audience of foodies, while showcasing an integral aspect of anyone’s culture.
• Spread the word the old-fashioned way by hanging posters in likely haunts of your target audiences, and through social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Meetup and Eventbrite.
• Create a list of potential partners who have the ability to get the word out. Make it easy for them to spread information by giving them pre-written web announcements, newsletter articles, signs and photos.
• Have kid-friendly activities and promote the event with parents who are looking for fun things to do with their kids. You’ll also foster values of diversity and multi-culturalism with the next generation.
• Putting on events is expensive, but there is help. Seek out programs with the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, King County’s 4Culture and the Seattle Foundation.
