Andrew Roby Events had the honor of producing the virtual event for the National Congress of Black Women. The National Congress of Black Women, Inc. (NCBW) is a (501) (c) (3) nonprofit organization. NCBW serves as a nonpartisan voice of advocacy on issues affecting the appointment of women at all levels of government. Their goal is to increase the participation of women of color in the educational, political, economic, and social arenas.
The National Congress of Black Women’s programs benefit thousands of people annually. They work with many organizations that represent varying ethnic backgrounds. With a focus on science, technology, engineering and math, NCBW youth education programs offer educational scholarships, mentoring and leadership development. NCBW reach students of color in underserved communities, offering college based learning programs, college preparation services, access to technology. They provide resources to compete in the workforce. Current programs include:
- College for Kids
- College for Teens
- Leadership Training
- The Commission for the Presidential Appointment of Minority Women
- The Young Ambassadors Program
The National Congress of Black Women Virtual Event Requirements
When contacted about our virtual event services, The National Congress of Black Women wanted a producer who would be able to easily help them with their upcoming fundraiser. Equally important, nonprofits have been drastically hit hard since the start of the pandemic. CT Nonprofits & COVID-19: A Pulse Survey on Organizational Impacts and Needs, found that 29 percent of all respondents, 46 percent of small organizations with annual budgets under $1 million, and 19 percent of larger organizations said they were “struggling,”. It was extremely important for the The National Congress of Black Women to use this virtual event as a means to raise funds to continue their mission objectives.
We first began by understanding who their audience was. Following this, it was important for us to know what NCBW wanted out of their virtual event outside of fundraising. The charity had a number of notable Speakers participating in the virtual event. Stacey Abrams, Dr. Maya Wiley, Cynthia Marshall from the Dallas Mavericks, Attorney General Letitia James, and New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell to name a few. They also wanted entertainment, which we encouraged. Many virtual events lose the attention of their attendees when they are filled with Speaker content. Integrating entertainment via BB King New Orleans and others made the virtual event even more special.
Virtual Event Producer Procedures
After establishing who the key players were and the objectives of the fundraiser, we implemented how to make it happen. Our first objective was to find the best virtual event platform for the event. We tested out Cisco as recommended by NCBW and Townscript, but ultimately settled for Zoom. Zoom was easier for the attendees to navigate through and had the streaming speed we needed. While Townscript was a good option, we chose not to use it due to the delays experienced between speaker transition. The platform itself was not fast enough for transitions. Cisco, simply is not a virtual event platform and is better suited for standard meetings.
Furthermore, with the platform selected, we created branding for the landing page and allowed guests to see the key Speakers involved. It’s important that your registration page have adequate branding and information. This is critical to help attendees support your fundraiser. The more information they have the better chances of them getting excited about the actual event.
Once the event day arrived, we produced a variety of options. The virtual event included live Speakers, some pre-recorded video, music, as well as networking. Overall it was a perfect charity fundraising idea to stay top of mind.
In Conclusion
Virtual events are a great idea for charities to gain more traction and get support from there constituents. Not all virtual events are created equal. Because of that, each organization seeking to host a virtual event, must understand their needs. One must not try to replicate what another organization has done. The National Congress of Black Women was a great organization who knew what they wanted and was ready to execute according to their plan.
Lastly, if you are seeking a virtual event producer, please allow us the opportunity to show you our capabilities. Contact us here, to discuss.