Politics and Place Cards

Let me start by saying, this is not a blog about politics. I don’t have an opinion to share, and I don’t care what your opinion is. I almost didn’t post this blog because people seem to lose their minds when you say the word “political.” All I’m talking about today is planning a large event known as a political rally. These events are incredibly detailed, require lots of people, money, and space, and can draw huge crowds. Not to mention, your work will most likely be seen on television, potentially around the world. No pressure.

As with any event, it starts with your goals and objectives. Clearly identify what your particular rally needs to accomplish. Is it to announce a candidate’s plans to run for office? Is it to fundraise in an area where the candidate has a following? Is it to make remarks before and/or after an election? These are similar and yet very different based on the final outcome you desire. All will need a venue, personnel, budget, security, AV and production support, media, marketing, logistics, risk assessments, timelines, and more. However, how you use them and what you do with them can range from simple to incredibly complex.

Let’s talk about a campaign fundraising rally. Identifying a location in the country where the most number of the candidates supporters can travel to easily would be ideal. The more money raised, the better the campaign that can be run. The more supporters in one place, the more money likely to be raised. Estimating what that number might be will help direct you to the best venue suited for the event. Most fundraisers include a dinner, so there are those logistics to consider, as well as music or entertainment, and different speakers; some local “celebrities” who support the candidate, others who might be more nationally known, and someone who generally makes a pitch for financial support. Then the candidate themself makes their remarks. Finding a venue that can fit the right number of people, serve a decent meal in a short period of time, support the production needs, and partner with you on parking management or valet service, security constraints, and cost will be critical. 

To start, a political rally is like planning most events (with some twists). You’ll need basic information such as date, time, schedule, and who the key stakeholders are. As the schedule is built, the production team can add the time to open doors, run soundchecks, and when load-in and load-out will happen. The security team can include times for safety briefings and security walk-throughs. Adding time for decorating, meal service, and the order for the speakers will keep things running smoothly. There will need to be invitations and registration created, F&B menus selected, seating charts designed, a marketing and social media campaign launched, and decorations ordered. Volunteers will need to be invited to help with setup, teardown, check-in, and more. Permits might need to be secured for noise or having a fundraising event. A risk assessment should be performed, a mitigation plan built, and insurance secured. Pretty typical. This still requires a planning timeline, identifying milestones, creating checklists, and gathering a myriad of people to accomplish it all.

Here’s where some of the twists come in. Most events don’t generally coordinate with the media. The news needs to be invited to cover the event on television. They are often provided with an area where they can watch and report on the goings on separately from the actual event so they are not a distraction. There will be reporters, camera crews, and producers. When fundraising, you’ll also need to set up a method for collecting money. These days, an online platform is a must as very few people or organizations make donations with physical checks, although you want to be ready to accept those as well. There should be no barrier between someone’s desire to financially support the candidate and your ability to receive them. 

One other must is that on their way in, you want to equip guests with rally signs and placards, as well as branded swag supporting the candidate, so in the background of camera shots, no matter the angle, there’s a slew of signs with the candidate’s name plastered on them. Plus, the guests go home with memorabilia from the event and hopefully these items become walking billboards for the candidate throughout the days and weeks to come. 

As with any event, the event planning checklist is extensive, far beyond what was covered here, but you get the idea that a political rally has some uniquenesses that need to be thought through during the initial planning meeting and goal-setting phase. If you haven’t worked within the political arena before, I highly suggest you contact an event planner who has and take them to coffee. Ask about their experiences and what they recommend you watch for; what are some things that they have learned that go well and what pitfalls they’ve seen along the way that you want to avoid.

Have you planned a political rally? Tell us one thing we should watch for.
Comment here or send me an email!

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For great complimentary planner resources, visit tracybaer.com.

Here are two helpful websites if you’re planning a political rally.
1.https://www.heroic-productions.com/how-to-organize-a-rally/
2.https://venueonlakelily.com/how-to-prepare-for-a-successful-political-rally/