By Bruce Ross, Executive Director – (262) 224-4949 or bruceross@wi.rr.com
This article originally appeared in a March 19, 2020 Special Edition Wisconsin Waterfowl Association Newsletter to our chapter leaders.
We’ve already postponed four WWA banquet events due to the development of this outbreak, and while your chapter may not currently be affected by this, you may be confronted with the need to postpone your event for any number of reasons (venue cancels, new health advisories or other). Before announcing this, check with your RD to understand the implications and procedures to minimize any adverse impact on your patrons or WWA. The announcement wording should be checked with Kelcy or me to ensure it complies with WWA policies.
Postponing will be a clear disappointment for you and your team, I’m certain, and likely the last thing you’ll be anxious to consider is re-scheduling it. This may be difficult to contemplate, after all your efforts to put on a fun, profitable community event. But please do re-schedule. WWA will be hard-pressed to deliver on our missions without the funds derived from your rescheduled event. State-level support will be ramped up as much as possible to support your own efforts. If you ever come to doubt this, call me and let me know your concerns.
Rescheduling requires coordinating your chapter schedule with venue and RD availability and probably your likely attendees…. and now must consider the trajectory of the virus in our population. Your RD will help with this decision process.
Communicating with your patrons. It will be important to keep them informed of what’s happening with your event. This is a chance to strengthen that WWA community by building trust. If you have to postpone, let them know as soon as possible, even if you have not firmed up a re-scheduling date yet. Let them know that their advance payments are secure and a refund will be available if they desire it…. but encourage them to consider leaving their payment ‘on the books’ for the next event. Consider some sort of ‘loyalty package/raffle” for those who do so.
Funds and donations that have been collected must be safeguarded and properly accounted for to ensure their integrity and provide confidence to the donors.
Donated merchandise should be inventoried and locally stored to the confidence of your chapter chair. Any advance donations collected by the chapter should be deposited in your bank account and your donor list complete and shared with Kelcy, as well as your registration list that includes ticket package information. WWA does not currently have a “Delayed Event Checklist” but if that becomes necessary, we will develop one with you.