Christmas Casual Networking SOP

These are networking events but designed to be very casual events to celebrate Christmas and mid-year Christmas and an opportunity to thank our members by inviting them along and we subside the cost of drinks and provide nibbles. We do not have a speaker at this event but you may choose to have a short intro and update from either (or both) the Business Manager and the Chair.

Time allowance for Business Manager: 6 hours per event

Event set up

Once you have your dates -

• Select your venue and book in
• Update your social and newsletter images
• Add in your newsletter templates from about 6 weeks prior (if you pre-prepare these)
• Whilst you don't require RSVP it is good to ask if people know they are coming to let you know just to guage numbers
• Do personalised member follow ups a few days before the events
• Confirm with the venue a week before and discuss food options
• Ensure the venue is up to speed with the discount voucher system and how it will work

Business Whangaparaoa offer discount drink vouchers to Members only but invite all business owners/managers and provide the nibbles free. You will find a publisher version of the drinks voucher template in the Google Drive folder (you need to change date and venue each time). How this works is -

• As Business Manager, you hand out a voucher (or two) to the member and their guest when they arrive
• They present their voucher when they purchase their drinks and get the discounted drinks price
• At the end of the evening the venue will count up the number of vouchers and calculate the amount due which you will pay with the food costs
• You will complete a reimbursement form to subsequently be reimbursed by Business Whangaparaoa

Note all templates can also be found in the Google Drive folder and/or Canva.

On the day

• Arrive early at the venue
• Set up your flags and banners
• Ensure the bar staff are familiar with how the drinks discount vouchers will work
• Decide when and what you will order around the food
• After the event pay the accounts and pack down

After the event

You will then need to get reimbursed and prepare an event report for your next Executive meeting.

It is important to note that whilst you can claim the food costs under any funding arm you have you cannot claim the balance paid for the discounted drinks and so this will need to be recorded as a Business Whangaparaoa cost.