CRESTVIEW—Until recently, the problem of multiple community events scheduled on the same day has been the bane of Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce Art and Culture Committee chairwoman Rae Schwartz. Her committee has established a central community calendar and will host a free workshop 5-7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 15, to help local organizations promote their events.
An active community leader in a variety of interests, including arts, education, the library and Boy Scouts, Schwartz packs a full calendar herself.
“The lack of a central planning calendar has been a problem we have faced in Crestview and north Okaloosa County,” she said. “How many times has an organization planned a great event only to find another great event scheduled for the same day? The chamber has been very gracious to open up their website calendar to any community organization.”
The chamber of commerce’s online calendar is available at www.crestviewchamber.com. Chamber membership is not required to add events to the calendar or attend the workshop.
Schwartz said there are many local organizations—including church programs, school groups, service clubs and professional organizations—that offer events that are open and beneficial to the community. However, enthusiastic members don’t always know the best way to promote their events.
Since becoming president of the Okaloosa Arts Alliance, the official county arts organization, holding an annual workshop at which any organization is welcome to add its events to a community-wide calendar has been one of Schwartz’s goals. Establishing a single community events calendar was another.
At the suggestion of members of the chamber Art and Culture Committee, the workshop expanded to include short presentations by chamber members on writing effective promotional material and press releases; how to have posters, flyers and brochures printed; and how to have affordable, effective signage produced.
Presenters will represent chamber businesses including Hart Printing, Signs Galore and the News Bulletin. There will also be a brief presentation by the Okaloosa Library Cooperative on the Viva Florida! heritage program.
WANT TO GO?
The Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce Art and Culture committee’s Community Calendar Workshop is 5-7 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Crestview Public Library and is open to any community organization. The workshop is free and chamber membership is not required. Refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Library.
Add your organization’s events to a central north Okaloosa County planning calendar and learn effective advertising and promotional techniques from local business leaders. Call Rae Schwartz at 585-5672 for more information.
To have your event added to the planning calendar in advance, email your organization name, event, its date and time, location, and contact information to Schwartz at bakerny@yahoo.com.
To place an event on the central chamber of commerce website, visit www.crestviewchamber.com and click on the “Calendar of Events” button under “News and Events.”
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Workshop conquers calendar conflicts