Meet the Team

From left to right: Megan, Antoinette, Sam, Lauren, Cait
All of the girls are Communication Studies majors at The College of New Jersey.

Megan is a senior Communication Studies major in the public and mass track and a Health Communication Concentration at TCNJ. She recently planned the first event of a Speakers Series for the new Public Health Communication Club at TCNJ which she was part of founding. Next semester she will be interning with the Family Resource Network for events. Upon graduation in the spring she would like to work in the public health field and make a positive impact on people’s lives.

Antoinette is in the organizational track. She has worked in many fields and volunteered with the TelecomPioneers since she was eight. With her mom she has helped plan nonprofit events from creating a team for a race for the cure, painting maps on school playgrounds and sewing hug a bears for children in need. She is looking forward to graduating this December. After graduation she wants to get a job with an event planning firm and continue in this field.

Sam is a senior in the public and mass track. She has planned and directed events throughout her community including a fundraiser for the local episcopal church. She is looking forward to graduating this August. Upon graduation she hopes to continue in the field of event planning.

Lauren is a junior in the public and mass track. She is also a Spanish and Women’s & Gender Studies Minor. She is president of an on-campus organization and has acted as its event planner for the past two years. Lauren has brought speakers to TCNJ campus and has planned fundraising and educational events as well. She is still not extremely certain of what she wants to pursue as a career after graduation, but is strongly considering continuing in the event planning field.

Cait is a junior in the organizational track, and a minor in Professional Writing. She was the client liaison for this event. She has been working on event planning projects since her freshman year of high school and has been an active volunteer for the American Cancer Society. Her goal for the future includes working for the American Cancer Society, and to one-day open a small public relations firm for non-profit organizations to use at an affordable price.

2008 Hope Cuts Video

Thank Yous

Thank you flier


Thank you letter

Event Survey Results

Here are some of the results from the short 10 question survey we asked customers to fill out at the end of the event. We plan to use their feedback from this event to improve the future events.

The 3 C's of the Event

Another set of important event planning considerations were customer, capabilities, and competition.

Customer: We were fortunate to have a built in customer base. We hoped that many of Donna's existing customers would come out to the event, which they did. An additional objective, however, was to bring in new customers, specifically from a younger age group and college students. We also had to make sure that we targeted possible clients in the Ewing area because many people do not want to travel too far for salon services.

Capabilities: We tried to stick with very realistic goals. Our main objectives were to bring in new customers and a younger crowd. We had a small budget, but minimal needs. Most of our food was donated and the rest was bought with the donated Wegman's gift certificate. Other food was baked by ourselves. We were constrained to Donna's as our location but with a little rearranging we were able to convert the second room into a complete area for Hope Cuts. We had few constraints.

Competition: A main area of competition was that many people already have a specific salon and hair stylist they like to use so it can be difficult to get someone to switch. Our event was on a Sunday afternoon which could conflict with religious services or family time. People often use Sundays as catch up time. There was little competition as far as money or emotional investment, the primary competition was time.

A big part of our challenge was to assure the customers that going to this event would be worth it to them. They could receive great salon services for discounted prices, enter their name for a chance to win prizes, learn more about breast cancer, and come out for a fun day that required little commitment.

The 6 A's of the Event

The Hope Cuts event last weekend was very successful in part because of the attention paid to the 6 A's of event planning.

Anticipation: We posted the Donna's Hair Studio Hope Cuts fliers we developed on the TCNJ campus and in the windows of local businesses. They were also placed in professor mailboxes. We also had a table at Community Fest on October 25th and in the TCNJ Student Center the Monday and Thursday before the event in the hopes of reaching out to new clients. At these tables we had literature about breast cancer, fliers for Hope Cuts, and answered any questions about the event. An ad for Hope Cuts at Donna's ran in a local Mercer County newspaper. In the month leading up to the event, we left brochures specially designed for Hope Cuts at Donna's including special pricing for the event and breast cancer information. This way current clients could make their appointments for the event in advance.

Arrival: To draw attention from the street we hung a City of Hope banner and pink balloons from the shopping center sign. We also hung our hand-made Hope Cuts banner outside of the salon along with additional pink balloons. Parking was not an issue because most of the other shops in the plaza are closed on Sundays. We did make sure to park most of our cars at the far end of the lot to leave the front spots for clients. We cleared the aisles in the salon so both doors could open. One was used as an entrance and the other as an exit. Guests at the event entered into the area designated for activities. We assigned one person as a specific greeter who told them about sign-in and the activities offered.

Atmosphere: The Hope Cuts atmosphere was very festive and reflected the cause of the event. All of the decorations were in pink to support breast cancer. Streamers hung across the room and pink balloons danced along the ceiling. All of the signs in the store had the same pink border. Pink tablecloths were used as well as pink silverware, plates, and napkins. There was a constant reminder that everyone was there to support the breast cancer cause. Two members of the TCNJ radio station provided upbeat and fun music for the event further contributing to the atmosphere.

Appetite: There was plenty of food for the customers to enjoy at the event. We received a sandwich platter donation from Delilicious and a pizza donation from Mama Floras. We also had a veggie platter, chips, sodas, and water. Each member of our event planning team brought a baked good. We made pink heart-shaped chocolate candies and had a special "Hope Cuts" cake. We wanted to ensure that our customers, vendors, and staff were well fed.

Activity: Aside from the obvious activity of salon services, we wanted to keep our customers entertained while they were waiting for their appointment. In tradition with Hope Cuts, we sold raffle tickets for a chance to win a prize through Hope Cuts. We also sold tickets for the tricky trays that were displayed in the salon. These prizes were donated from various companies and included many beauty and kitchen products. Winners were drawn as the end of the event. Outside vendors from Pampered Chef and Tupperware were invited to display their products so the customers could shop. They also offered a portion of their sales as a donation to Hope Cuts. A table was set up with information on preventing and detecting breast cancer. Finally, we created an activity booklet with puzzles, breast cancer information, and a place for the customer to put a photo of them with their new style.

Amenities: Hope Cuts is wonderful with providing tons of products to giveaway. We put together goody bags with pens, shampoo packets, and lip glosses with different products for men and women. Hope Cuts t-shirts were offered to take as well as several purple beanie bears. Informational breast cancer literature was available to everyone. Each customer was encouraged to fill out a feedback survey and sign up for Donna's mailing list so that we can further perfect the event next year.

Brochure Side 2

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