Pre-Event Checklist for a Successful Event Day

This checklist walks you through all the recommended pieces to think about to have a successful event on Trellis.

Before event day arrives, it’s important to review all areas of your fundraiser to ensure everything is ready to go. Use this guide to make sure your event runs smoothly.

Event Tickets

1. Ensure that Event Tickets is enabled, even if you are not selling any tickets through Trellis.
2. Confirm the event start and end date and time, and double-check your event's time zone settings.
3. Hide any event tickets that you do not want donors to be able to purchase during the event.
4. Add a hidden complimentary ticket (price set to $0). This is incredibly helpful if you need to add an attendee directly from the Check-In Tool without selling a ticket.
5. Decide if you want any event reminder emails to be sent to ticket holders.
6. Request a bulk upload of attendees. For more on how to request a bulk upload, check out this article.
   1. If it is important for tables to be grouped together, you may want to process those tables via the SES, as our bulk upload tool does not work with table purchases.
   2. If you don't want the uploaded guests to count towards your fundraiser's goal, you must upload them using a complimentary ticket.
7. Save and Publish any changes.

Registration / Check-In:

1. Review Check-In Tool training materials in our Help Desk. 
2. Confirm your Check-In Tool settings under Fundraiser Builder > Fundraiser Settings.
   1. Decide whether to ask for credit cards, send sign-in links, and/or enable Rapid Check-In (check-in with QR codes and not collecting guest info).
3. Plan your check-in process. For the best experience, we recommend:
   1. Assigning paddle numbers at check-in (not pre-assigning them). This means volunteers don't have to find a specific paddle during check-in and can just select from the next paddle from a pile. 
   2. A dedicated backup check-in station just for issues or troubleshooting with guests. It's best to have a member of the organization at this station.
   3. A dedicated check-in station for sponsors, major donors, VIPs, board members, etc.
   4. A greeter or floater to help direct guests to check-in stations.
   5. Aim for a ratio of 1 volunteer to every 30-50 guests for a smooth experience with short lines. 
4. Decide how you will handle last-minute attendees. This includes walk-ins, people who swap for other attendees, or last minute additions to tables.
5. Create and print out Check-In Instructions for volunteers. Use our Template for guidance on what to include.
6. Test check-in by running a full mock check-in.
   1. Add yourself as an attendee and practice checking yourself in.
   2. If you are scanning QR codes on tickets, test scanning a ticket to find an attendee.
   3. Credit card scanners are only available on the native browser app on mobile devices (Safari on Apple, Chrome on Android). 
7. Make sure all guests are in the Trellis check-in tool, and have table numbers assigned.
8. Confirm that all volunteers have access to the Event and Sales Manager (ESM).
   1. Volunteers should sign in on their personal devices ahead of time, or rented devices should be pre-logged in using an account the organization has created.
9. Train volunteers ahead of the event, then do a refresher with volunteers the day of the event.
10. Send an email to all ticket holders using our messaging system with a reminder of the event. You can attach their event tickets to this reminder email.
11. Create a printed master guest list as a backup in case of needing to cross reference, or due to any wifi issues. It is helpful to have two printed lists: one sorted alphabetically by last name, another sorted by table number.
12. Save and Publish any changes.

Silent Auction:

1. Check your auction start date and time and end date and time are correct. The auction will automatically close and payments charged as soon as it hits the end date. You cannot reopen won items after the auction has closed.
2. See if Donate Your Bid and Overtime Bidding are enabled/disabled.
3. Make sure the auction page is visible to bidders in the navigation menu by enabling the toggle in the main Auctions menu in the fundraising builder.
4. If your fundraiser thermometer and goal are filtered by specific drivers, make sure to include winning (unpaid) and paid (won) auction bids. 
5. Print out the auction item sheets and test out making a bid on an auction item using the sheet's QR code. (You can delete that bid before the event from the dashboard > results > auctions > bids). 
6. Save and Publish any changes

Items for Sale:

1. Make sure items for sale are set up in the system and ready for purchasing. Double check prices, inventories, visibility, tax receipt values, and if sales are always open.
2. Make sure any items that aren't for sale at the event (like sponsorships) are set to hidden. 
3. Confirm how you are selling items at the event. Trellis recommends using QR codes at stations so guests can make purchases themselves from your fundraising page.
4. If volunteers are adding items to carts on behalf of attendee, make sure you and your volunteers are trained on how to add to attendee carts. 
5. Confirm who is covering fees for items for sale. If volunteers are adding items to carts on behalf of attendees, make sure volunteers know this.
6. Confirm whether Item Buy Now, Pay Later is enabled or disabled, under Item Settings. This allows attendees to pledge to buy items.
   1. If you are running a raffle or contest using items and you will need to use the Trellis All Transactions Export to run your draw, you will want to make sure Buy Now, Pay Later is disabled. 
7. Save and Publish any changes

Fund a Need:

1. Set up your Fund a Need giving levels under Donations > Edit Fund a Need.
2. Decide how you are collecting donations during the Fund a Need. For a more efficient event, we recommend you have your attendees make donations via their own mobile device. If you prefer paddle raises, you will want to use our Fund a Need Quick Entry Tool to enter paddles into the system. 
3. Make sure you have configured how you are accepting payments via the Fund a Need feature: Charge with Pledge Backup, Charge Only, Pledge Only.
   1. For the FAN Quick Entry Tool Payment, we recommend Pledge only, that way you can check paddle number entries before cards are charged.
4. If donors are using their mobile devices to make donations:
   1. Set up the Simple Fund a Need view under Fundraiser Builder > Live Event Views.
   2. Note: This feature is different from the rest of the builder - changes to this view only appear for the user who set it up. One person must be in charge of configuring this view.
   3. Confirm the right drivers are selected to show in the Fund a Need Simple View thermometer. You should include: Pledges, Donation Options, Pre-seeded Donations, and Custom Donations.
   4. Make sure all pre-seeded donations have been entered, are organized in terms of value, and the person responsible for releasing them has practiced releasing (and unreleasing) donations.
5. If using paddle numbers to accept FAN donations:
   1. Make sure you and your volunteers know how to use the FAN Quick Entry tool in the Event and Sales Manager (ESM).
   2. We strongly recommend the volunteers that are entering in paddle numbers have a quiet place away from guests to enter in paddles, away from distractions. This will reduce the odds of making mistakes.
6. Confirm who is covering fees for donations. Make sure this is included in volunteer training. 
7. Make sure custom donations are enabled under Donations > Custom Donations. This ensures the regular donations page on your fundraiser will always be live and active, and allows people to make donations before the Fund a Need. 
8. Save and Publish any changes.

Raffle:

1. Ensure that raffle tickets are visible on your event page and available for attendees to purchase.

2. Confirm the raffle draw(s) are scheduled in alignment with your Run of Show.

3. Ensure the person running the raffle draw is familiar with how to use Trellis for this process. The draw process differs depending on whether your organization is based in the US or Canada.

4. If volunteers are adding raffle tickets to attendee carts, ensure they are trained on how to do this within the Event and Sales Manager (ESM).

5. Save and Publish any changes.