Donations Exceed Event Estimate for Alex Newman Speaking Tour
by Evan Mulch, Program Director
For many years, our field team has taught our volunteer leaders to sell tickets and program advertisements to pay for speaking events. Although selling tickets can be effective, it adds another level of difficulty to hosting an event, as it is a time-consuming process that many of our volunteer leaders don’t have the extra time for. Also, getting business owners to advertise in the program can be quite a chore, especially if they are not yet vocally supportive members of The John Birch Society.
I recently helped orchestrate a South Carolina Coastal Speaking Tour with Alex Newman. The SC Speakers Bureau, which is led by our members, took the following steps to make the speaking tour a success:
- It worked with volunteer leaders in both Summerville and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to secure dates and locations for the tour.
- It signed an event-estimate contract with the JBS’s Freedom’s Voices that estimated the tour expenses would be $1,280.39 (including a $900 speaking and administrative fee, a $363.39 flight cost, and $11 for travel to and from airports).
- It relied on volunteer leaders in Summerville and Myrtle Beach to market the speaking tour.
In Summerville, 87 South Carolinians attended, and $934 was donated at the door. In Myrtle Beach, 65 South Carolinians attended, and $478 was donated at the door. The donations more than covered our event estimate.
All in all, don’t let the hurdles of selling tickets and getting business advertisements stop you and other volunteer leaders from bringing Alex Newman to your community to speak! Americans will donate their treasure if we bring the talent — and Alex is one of the most talented Americanist speakers on earth!