A fundraiser has to give supporters a reason to show up, and a reason to bring friends. A holiday laser light show for a charity fundraiser does both. It turns a donation into a night out, it’s easy to promote, and it photographs beautifully for your social media and sponsor reports.
Electric Holiday Miami knows this firsthand. Our first season in 2020, a drive-in laser show at Homestead-Miami Speedway, was built around Toys for Tots, and guests who brought a new, unwrapped toy received free popcorn. Read the full story in our Electric Holiday 2020 recap.
Fundraising models that work with a light show
Ticketed drive-in night
Sell admission per car, with a limit on how many people per car. Drive-in events are easy to cap and easy to sell out, and every car that comes through the gate is a chance to collect donations too. See our drive-in show guide.
Donation as admission
Instead of tickets, ask for a toy, a coat, canned food or school supplies. This works especially well for community and church events and gets a lot of goodwill and press.
Tiered tickets
Offer general admission plus a premium tier with front-row parking or seating, a goodie bag, or a meet-and-greet. Premium tiers often raise a large share of the night’s revenue.
Gala add-on
For a seated dinner or auction, a short laser moment before the paddle raise or at the end of the program gives the night energy at the right time.
Giving sponsors real visibility
Sponsors want to be seen. A light show gives you several ways to recognize them:
- Logo slides on video screens before the show
- Thank-you announcements over the PA or FM broadcast
- A “presented by” credit in the show introduction
- Sponsor colors in the lighting design for their segment
- Signs at the entrance where every guest passes
Keeping costs under control
Every dollar spent on production is a dollar that doesn’t go to the cause, so plan carefully:
- Right-size the show. A shorter show repeated several times often raises more than one long show, because you can sell more entries.
- Find an underwriter. Many fundraisers have one sponsor cover the production cost so all ticket revenue goes to the cause.
- Use donated venues. Parks, schools, churches and businesses with big parking lots are often happy to host a charity event.
- Bundle vendors. Getting lasers, sound, lighting and a DJ from one team avoids paying several setup fees.
Volunteer roles to plan for
- Check-in and ticket scanning
- Parking or seating guides
- Donation collection
- Concessions
- A greeter team to share your mission with guests
Telling your story during the show
The audience is gathered, focused and in a good mood, which makes it the best moment of the night to share why you’re raising money. A short message before the show starts, or a brief video on screen, connects the fun of the night to the people you serve.
After the event
Share photos and video while people are still talking about it, thank your sponsors publicly, and post the total raised. Laser show photos get a lot of engagement, which helps you build momentum for next year.
Plan your fundraiser
Tell us about your cause, your date and your fundraising goal, and we’ll help you find a show format that fits. Our team at Nation Wide Sound DJ’s has supported South Florida events since 1989. See the Electric Holiday show on our homepage.