With the impending release of my novella Survivor in October I have busy planning a large scale event that will simultaneously launch not only my book but also two others that follow the same theme of domestic violence awareness along with fundraising for a local charity in Las Vegas. As the person that developed the idea, along with some wonderful friends that will be doing an online event to partner with me and of course being the author of Survivor I am the contact person and spearhead of this entire endeavor.
I love planning events but this is by far the largest one I have ever attempted. There is a major difference between doing a book signing where you simply bring some table decorations a several copies of your work and putting on a two to three hour production that is open to the public and benefits a well known and beloved organization. I have so many ideas but I am at the point where I have to be realistic and make choices. One of the largest I am struggling with is where to hold it. I have been in talks with the hotel and casino that I work for at my day job and it is likely they will agree to donate a room for me to put on the event.
That would be a great location for the ability to promote as well as build a working relationship for future events. The pros are numerous. I would have the space to do activities I want like possibly have a local band perform as entertainment or the self defense demonstrations put on by instructors from the gym chain that is located all over town. The foot traffic would be much stronger being located on the world famous Las Vegas Strip as well which would of course draw people in for the event. The only true con I see is that it is purely a blank slate.
That is a blessing and a curse. With the open plan I can do almost anything I can imagine however I am a part time dealer and beginning indie author so my investment is minimal to say the least. Everything that is going into this event is strictly donation and volunteer powered. The more open space to fill the more donations and voluntary action I will need. If a band performs I will need that to not only provide themselves and their instruments but also their equipment. Any refreshments will need to be donated as well as anyone that works a food or beverage station. I see all of this and understand the overwhelming amount of work that this would put on me and the event I want to produce however I also know what a triumph it would be to pull off that kind of affair.
I also have the option to hold it in closer quarters at a local bakery and sweets shop. It is already decorated along with having a built in coffee bar and kitchen that would make refreshments much easier. The intimate nature is great for book signings and the tables inside are present for the informational booths I had envisioned. The problems though are that none of the entertainment I would like can fit plus the amount of attendees would drop significantly because of capacity and location in proximity to the Strip. The choice seems obvious but I am just concerned about my ability to fill all the needs of the larger location.
I never considered myself a control freak but I am seeing how I could be seen that way as I attempt to shoulder the entirety of this event on my own. It is not that I do not trust anyone to help me so much as I am so undecided that until I have a clear plan it would be impossible for me to delegate. Once I have a set location and time I can begin to ask others for their assistance. I am just hoping that everyone that is volunteering right now will still be there when I am actually ready for them to jump in.
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