This document is intended to guide you through the use of the Night to Shine™ Event Management System and help you plan your event with excellence. It also contains advice on managing details outside of this system to make your event successful and run smoothly. Many years of hosting this event have brought many lessons, and this document will provide solutions to them. This system not only facilitates event registration but also assists with all the details leading up to the event. It enforces and automates the policies and requirements established by the Night to Shine™, Tim Tebow Foundation[1].
Collecting registration information is only a small part of a successful Night to Shine™ event, but how the information is collected and used has a major impact. If the information is not managed properly, it becomes a significant burden to run an event smoothly due to mishaps such as:
Even when using this system, your event may still have unmet expectations at times, but this system should greatly reduce them. Before this system, I spent countless hours managing spreadsheet data and event details, which was not an easy task. Coordinating with several people to accomplish different tasks using the same data—such as verifying background checks, role assignments, correcting information, printing lanyard tags, and coordinating with vendors—was daunting. Requests included:
Requests for data are specialized by the need at the time, and of course, they want the information immediately. This system cannot meet every need, but it does generate the majority of them.
It only takes one misunderstanding from a person using shared data for a spreadsheet to become missing, corrupted, or sorted incorrectly. This seems to happen every year, even up to the day before the event, because people are tired and rushing to get things done. Different people perform this task because it is usually volunteer staff, and people move on. Because they are new, they have not had a chance to learn from past mistakes, so you're starting all over again. I’ve been there. Data not managed properly can lead to many unmet expectations from vendors, volunteers, and guests. Many events are canceled because people remember how “painful” it was to manage all the details. A poorly run event will discourage people from supporting it, helping at it, or wanting to attend. Getting the right person to manage the event is still critical, but this person faces many challenges with well-intentioned volunteers. This system is designed to ease this process and help you provide the best experience possible. It also enforces the policies and requirements for the Night to Shine™ event established by the Tim Tebow Foundation.
Proper event management and planning are crucial because they ensure a smooth, organized experience that meets the objectives of the event while minimizing risks and inefficiencies. Effective planning allows for the allocation of resources, scheduling, and coordination of various elements such as logistics, vendors, and personnel. This not only enhances the attendee experience but also helps manage budgets, stay on schedule, and resolve unexpected issues quickly. Good event organization creates a more memorable, successful event that aligns with expectations and achieves desired outcomes.
Our hope is that you stay encouraged to continue supporting this cause that the Tim Tebow Foundation has created. This event will change your life for the better and encourage both volunteers and guests. Many times, the burden of details prevents people from experiencing the full rewards of doing something worthwhile. The principle of sharing burdens is explicitly stated in Galatians 6:2: "Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." This verse underscores the call for believers to support each other, reflecting the love and compassion that Christ demonstrated. The "law of Christ" refers to the commandment to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34).
Our hope is that this system reduces the burden of event management for the Night to Shine™ event so that you're encouraged to continue hosting the event and your volunteers remain encouraged and excited to participate and return. People are more willing to participate in well-managed events. This system's goal is to help you get there. When an event is well-managed, it allows people to see the “big picture” more clearly, focus on the “important” details (Matthew 25:40-45), avoid being overwhelmed by stress, and enjoy the event. I have seen other groups give up because the event management burden discouraged them, and this has robbed them of experiencing this blessing.
The security of the system and the information sent is taken very seriously. All data on the server is password protected and encrypted to provide the highest level of protection. All communication traffic is encrypted to the highest level with Trust Seal, strong SHA-2 and 2048-bit encryption.
At any point in time that access to the system appears to be compromised, the admin to the event should login, change their password, pause the event, and contact the support team.
A strong password is one that is at least 12 characters long, uses a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters in a random order, and avoids using common phrases or sequential strings (like ABCD and 12345). A strong password also leaves out numbers or phrases that can be linked to your identity, like your name, address, phone number, or anniversary date.
2-Factor Authentication will be used. Authentication factors the management system uses include the following:
A time allowed online will be limited based on the role:
When the login time expires, the user will be forced to re-login.
Accounts are used to keep record of previous and current participants of the Night to Shine™ events. This is helpful to remind previous guests and volunteers of an upcoming event to solicit their participation.
When an account is created, some of the details are verified which means the contact information is accurate and it allows users to update information after registration but before an event if needed. This also prevents a user from submitting multiple registrations that creates duplicate entries in submission. Some users do not remember if they registered or not, and to be safe, register again.
Every user must make an account to use the management system. Their cell phone and EMail address must be verified before they can access content in their account.
The verified phone number can be used as the username for login.
To support the 2-factor authentication requirements, the user's phone will be used. When the account is created, the phone entry will be required. A text message will be sent to that number and the user will have to enter the sent code successfully for the phone verification to be approved.
The verified EMail address will be used as the username for login.
To support the 2-factor authentication requirements, the user's email will be used. When the account is created, the email entry will be required. An email message will be sent to that account and the user will have to reply successfully for the email verification to be approved.
There are many cases where two different people have the identical first and last name. Each account will be unique and identified by either the verified email address or the verified phone number. The system will not allow duplicate email addresses or phone numbers.
If the phone number is not verified, 2-factor verification cannot be performed. Until the account is created and 2-factor security is set up, the user will not be able to sign up for an event.
Account privileges are managed by the Event Admin for all users registered for the event they are managing.
The Event Admin has the most access on the system for managing the event. They will be able to create, edit, add, or delete all features for the event. They will be able to manage access levels for all users registered for the event.
The event Admin can assign other users Admin By Role, which means the users given Admin By Role privilege will have Admin rights over the users registered at the event assigned to their role. For example, if a user is assigned the role “Buddy”, the Event Admin can make that user Admin By Role and that user will then be able to have Admin privileges for the users for the event that have the “Buddy” role. If the Event Admin wants the same user to be Admin By Role for two roles, like “Parking”, then the Event Admin can assign an additional “Parking” role to the same user, which will make them Admin By Role for “Parking” and “Buddy”.
A volunteer is a user that is working for the event. It could be only to help setup, or tear down, or they may want to be a role and help setup in addition.
The volunteer user will be asked to select up to 3 roles they prefer, but the Event Admin will assign the role to the user.
The volunteer user account will contain pertinent details about the event for them. It will show the status of:
Once the Event Admin has assigned a volunteer their role, their account will reflect this assignment and notify the user by text message and email.
The volunteer user account will also contain their attendance status of their mandatory Event Training, and the information about how to attend it.
The volunteer user account will communicate if their background check status is in good standing and current enough to participate in the event. If a background check needs to be completed and the Event Admin chooses so, the system can solicit the user to complete the background check.
The guest account will show the event details that they have registered for. If the option is selected by the Event Admin, the system can solicit a response 2-3 days before the event, a confirmation of their attendance.
The guest account will also allow them to manage their details to help the event facilitate their needs better. What is nice about this, is the user only needs to review and update any changes when they register for the event the following year.
A vendor account is needed for a person that is providing a service during the event, like:
A vendor account on the management should not be created for those not attending the day-of event. The system will make it clear during the account creation process that it is for vendors attending the event to prevent a misunderstanding. Depending on the services they provide and where they will be during the event, they may not be required to attend the Event Training meeting. Depending on the policies established by the Night to Shine™, Tim Tebow Foundation, and the interaction level the vendor has with the guests, they may not need a background check.
A vendor account will be similar to a volunteer account in many ways, but will have additional information that describes what services they will be providing. The role assigned to the account will be “Vendor”. A vendor cannot be another role during the event. They are there to perform their services. They have not been trained to start participating in other ways.
A volunteer account given Role Admin which includes “Vendor” will manage this group.
An Event Admin account needs to be created to create a new event. Once the user has created this account, they will be able to update the details of their event. The details of the event will be:
Registering for an event means that a user of the system adds the event to their “cart”, in a sort of way. They will have access to previous events they have registered before using this system.
When a user wants to register for an event, they will be able to search for the event. Their search will identify all events that match their search criteria. Once they find the event that they want to participate in, they will select it and start the registration process.
Because the user has created an account, some of the following information may already be obtained:
All roles will gather the following information:
When registering as a guest, additional information will be collected to cater to their needs:
When registering as a volunteer, the following information will be collected:
When registering as a vendor, the following information will be collected:
Sometimes people realize they cannot attend an event that they registered for because of a change. It is nice to have accurate records and expectations during the event for planning purposes. For this, the user has the ability to unenroll from the event so the coordinator of the event knows not to expect them.
The system will also have the ability to remind our participants that the event is coming up soon, and ask them to verify that they are planning on attending. It will also advise them that if for some reason that they cannot attend they should update their status to let the system know not to expect them.
When a user unregisters from an event, this will not affect their login account, only the status of their participation. If a user unregisters from an event, the Event Admin will still be able to access the contact information for the user.
A goal is to host as many guests as your facility, resources, and volunteers can handle. When there are not enough volunteers willing or able to be “buddies”, the registering guest needs to be put on a wait list. As the time to the event gets closer and the commitment levels of the participants can be better assessed, the event coordinator can decide how many guests on the waitlist can attend the event.
The guest waitlist is able to be managed by this system. When a guest is moved from the waitlist to the event, notifications will be sent out to notify the guest. Confirmation for the guest will be expected.
As more and more events are hosted and the participation levels are monitored, the system can build predictions to help you manage expected participation levels. By having access to previous event statistics, this will also assist in predicting outcomes.
With Guests
With Caretakers
With Vendors
With Volunteers
With Roles
The volunteers must attend one of the Event Trainings prior to the event that explains what to expect for the evening. If they do not attend this meeting, they are not allowed to participate. This requirement can be overridden by the Event Admin for individual users as they want. There may have been prior volunteers that the Event Admin is well aware of the volunteers' awareness of the event information.
All volunteers 18 years old or older and volunteering at the event with the guests will need to have an active background check in good standing. The system will help to facilitate the background checking process. If a background check is needed, the user can be prompted to run a background check and also solicit a request to ask them to cover the cost to reduce expenses to the event. If the background check returns as pending for review, the Event Admin and the Admin By Role will be notified to review the report before accepting or denying the user to participate at the event. The Event Admin or Admin By Role can update the background check status if the background check was performed by another system.
You should not run background checks until after the volunteer has attended Event Training. The Event Admin can decide to run background checks automatically once volunteers attend the event training.
Roles by Area Defined
Defining New Area Roles
Minimum Age Requirement
Role Descriptions
Managing the Role Group
Vendors
Select Vendor that is required to attend training by Vendor Role
Guests
Assignment
Volunteers
Sometimes lists are sometimes needed during an event to facilitate the way you would like to run an event. Lists of EMail addresses with Names and Phone numbers might be given to Role Leaders. There are several lists that can be generated with the following data:
These lists can be generated based on one or more roles.
The list can have up to two custom named fields that can be added to the list. They are:
Role Totals
Guest Totals
Volunteer Totals
Information
Customizing
Printing
Lanyards
Event Training Meeting
Volunteer at Event
Guest at Event
Vendor Meeting
Vendor at Event
Donations are a big part of the success of the Night to Shine™ event. This system will assist the management of the needs that the event has. It could be money, gift bags, flowers, food, picking up items, and more. The system will help the Event Admin to communicate the needs. Users will be able to see the needs and commit to fulfilling them. The Event Admin will know what needs are not met yet to adapt to another plan of action.
The general public will have access to this list as well without the need of creating an account. The need will have a clear description about what it is and who to contact to fulfill it. Many times the community surrounding the event are willing to assist in the effort but not be able to commit to the day of the event.
This chapter is dedicated to providing advice to the group that is hosting the Night to Shine™ event. This is practical advice from experts that have refined and ran this event for many years.
Finding the right person to plan this event is no small task. We have found that it is imperative to have a single person responsible for managing the event. Finding a person that can do this job with excellence requires a special skill and is not meant for someone that just thinks it's easy or willing to take it on because no one else will. Even with an event management system available, the Event Planner will make or break the success of the Night to Shine™ event.
Once you find the right person, be very nice to them and never let them go.
The Event Training meeting accomplishes these goals:
The training meeting may be conducted by one person or a team. A person that is most familiar with the facility may talk about the facility layout, the security officer may talk about event security, etc.
Finding the right person to explain special needs and what to expect is really important. Having an appreciation and respect for their situation sets the right attitude and expectation for the volunteers right from the beginning. It is important to convey the fact how God sees people with special needs and to adopt those same sets of eyes when they work the event.
Some places you can look for this person is at special needs camps or special education teachers.
An effective trainer in this field needs to be knowledgeable, compassionate, and skilled in delivering meaningful, impactful training that influences the way others perceive and treat individuals with special needs.
Conducting a retrospective after the event to find out what went right and what went wrong is a good idea. This system will generate summary statistics of how the event went to assist in this retroscpective.
By reviewing these areas, the post-event analysis will give a comprehensive understanding of what worked, what didn’t, and where improvements can be made to ensure future events are even more successful.