With college football season in full swing, we've gotten inspired by the age-old tradition of tailgating. Tailgating is closely tied to college football, but looking at the history, the first tailgates had nothing to do with sport.[Tweet "College football season is in full swing, take a look at the tradition of tailgating. #GovEventsBlog"] The first recorded tailgate in the U.S. may have occurred in mid-summer of 1861 in Manassas, Virginia, before Confederate forces and Union soldiers met in the First Battle of Bull Run. Civilians arrived at the battlefield in wagons loaded with wine, whiskey, and food. This is not unlike the party atmosphere that surrounded the late 18th century French guillotine executions during which people gathered to eat in the square near the scaffolds while the list of people to be executed was read.
Today's tailgates may take place before less gory events, but the idea remains the same: people with a common interest gather together to share food and drink and talk about the event they are about to witness. While there may be many "I'll never do that again" personal lessons learned from tailgating, there are other things a successful tailgate can teach us about holding a fun and engaging event.[Tweet "Things a successful tailgate party can teach us about event planning. #GovEventsBlog"]
- Stick to a theme - Tailgates center around the love for one particular team. Decorations, color of plates, and even the food all reflect love for that team. For professional events this means finding a unifying theme for your event and making sure everything ties back to it. Look at session titles, giveaways, signage - is there a common thread through all of it that drives home your theme?
- Go local - Depending on where the game is located, the home team gives tailgates a unique feel with localized traditions. Look to tap into local culture and cuisine with your events. What food is that city known for? Serve it. Check out the local media and find out what restaurants are hot and trending and see if you can incorporate them into your off-site parties.
- Build on passion - for tailgaters, there is a shared passion for a sport and/or for a team. Find out what the shared passion is of your attendees. Is it innovation? Is it saving money? Is it a particular technology? Tap into the inherent excitement of attendees and center sessions around these topics. Leverage their passion by giving them easy, fun, sharable content on social media. If you post about something they are already excited about, they are more likely to share it.[Tweet "For tailgaters, there is a shared passion for a team... Find the shared passion for your attendees. #GovEventsBlog"]
- Plan activities - The best tailgates feature more than just food. There are games of cornhole, beer pong, or even screens streaming other games. At your event, look to do more than sit people in a room listening to a speaker. How can you get people moving and engaging with one another? Can you insert some games into the event? How about networking icebreakers?
- Be prepared - At a tailgate you are preparing your food out of the back of a vehicle in a parking lot. Before you leave, you have to make sure you have absolutely everything you need. From food, to utensils, to trash bags, to supplies to clean/control potential messes, everything needs to be packed efficiently. For events, make sure you have all office supplies you could imagine needing. This includes extra ink for printers, extension cords, and even stain removal products for the inevitable coffee spill. If you have to buy these on site, you may pay a premium to the venue or find yourself wandering the streets of an unfamiliar city looking for supplies. Create an event kit that you can use over and over again, refilling as supplies get low.
We'd love to hear your thoughts on how to pull the passion of tailgaters into professional events. Give us your ideas and experiences in the comments.
