Sharon Hastings plans seven fund-raising events a year for the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa that draw hundreds of guests and thousands of dollars that support cancer research.
Sharon Hastings
Moffitt Cancer Center
What She Does: Coordinate major special events for the Foundation
Staff: Two, plus a multitude of college interns
Biggest Job Challenge: Time management and prioritization
Favorite Hobby/Activity: Watching the University of Florida football games
Pet Peeves: Rudeness, being late
What are the biggest events you do?
Magnolia Ball for 850 guests, Partners Breakfast for 750 guests, Sarasota Women's Cancer Luncheon for 600 guests, Key to the Cure events in two different cities for a combined 750 guests, and the Moffitt Classic Golf Tournament for 125 guests.
How soon do you start planning an event?
It depends on the event, but typically six months prior to the date. For our Magnolia Ball (our biggest event), we secure the venue a year out and the entertainment 9 to 10 months out.
What trends or themes have become popular in your area to use at events?
For our Magnolia Ball, we typically create a "look," instead of a theme, that is centered around the entertainment. For example, two years ago we had the Pointer Sisters, so the decor was fun, flirty, and feminine with bright colors and swirling swags of fabric from the ceiling. This year with Hall & Oates, we opted for a more rhythm-and-blues feel and a subdued look with lilacs, sapphire blues, and hints of orange for accent.
What has been your most challenging event/situation at the center?
This year we added several new elements to our [Magnolia] ball such as a Match Challenge where a couple pledged that they would donate $250,000 if the audience would [collectively] match that amount. Not only did the guests agree, but they went over the amount and raised more than $575,000. It can be challenging to motivate your staff and give them the confidence to try something new, when you are not sure yourself what the result will be.
How do budgets affect your job when planning events?
We have a duty to be fiscally responsible stewards of our donors' monies. We create budgets each fiscal year and do our best to stay at or under our projected expenses. We also look for opportunities to get goods and services underwritten to continue to reduce or eliminate our expenses.
How have events changed in the health care industry since you've been at the center?
Unfortunately, expenses continue to go up every year, which can potentially affect revenues. Also, there is always the question of how can we make this better for next year? The guests also expect us to outdo ourselves each year, which can be challenging.
What has been your favorite event you've planned for the center? Why?
I would have to choose our most recent Magnolia Ball, as we truly had a team approach this year to planning the event, from pre-production, to execution, to post-event follow up. It was fun working with the crews, and the least stressful of all my years involved with planning this event.
What was your most stressful moment at an event?
Probably at our gala two years ago when the sound system died right before the main entertainment was about to begin. The sound company had to do some creative rerouting and thankfully got the sound to work, but it was the longest 15 minutes I've ever experienced.
—Vanessa Goyanes
