HRC Boston Annual Dinner Web Site

Thank you for agreeing to serve as a 2011 Table Captain.

It's Fall and time to kick into high gear to sell our tables for the Dinner Gala.

First, make sure you have purchased your own tickets for the event. This will enable Box Office Tickets to automatically email you when people join your table.

Next make sure you ask everyone who might consider joining you. People are quite familiar with the table captain setup and are often just waiting for people to ask them to join their table. So make sure you 'cast a wide net'. The dinner is more fun with new people at your table sharing the excitement for the first time.

To help you fill your tables, we have created this Table Captain Tool Kit, chock full of all the information, logistical and otherwise, you need. You'll find answers and encouragement, and even a few sample invitation letters you can personalize and send to your friends to inspire them to join you.

Table Captains are our best resource for making the 30th Annual HRC New England Dinner an amazing experience. We want to make sure you have all the support you need to make the process easy and rewarding. If you need any further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us at tc@hrcboston.org

Brian Bourquin & Judy Sunblade
Table Captain Co-Chairs

We hope you find these tools helpful in your
Table Captain process:

Sample letters you can personalize to send to your friends
– LGBT Community (click here)
– Straight Allies (click here)
"Elevator pitches" to help you develop your own personal message about your involvement with HRC
FAQs about HRC in case someone asks you a tough question
Table Captain event information
Save-the-Date in PDF format that you can easily send along
in an email
Dinner invitations in PDF format (click here)
A preliminary (and growing!) list of your fellow Table Captains

2011 Table Captains
as of September 29, 2011

Matthew Bacon & Glenn Sundin
Jeremy & Michael Baker
Ian Barrett & Bryant Brazeal
Sonya Bivins
Brian Bourquin & Paul Mataras
Mary Breslauer & Rebecca Haag
Barbara Browning & Kimberly Ward
Jason Cathelyn & Matthew Evans
Richard Clark & Tom Murphy
Fidelity Investments hosted by John Biske & Duane Lefevre
John DeCiccio
Edwards Wildman Palmer
Chris Flynn & Dan Newton
Ralph & Miriam Freidin
Susan Getman & Ann Rogers
Neil Glickman & Steve Riel
Bob & Jose Goldman
Kathleen Henry & Kim Marrkand
Merck Research Labs
Miranda Hooker & Richard Welch
Chris Joseph & Travis Mitchell
Kevin Knoblock & Canh Vu
Michael Leslie & Gail Tsimpreu
Robin Lindsay
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams - Boston/Natick
Mount Auburn Hospital
Northeastern University
Frank November
Derek Osterman
Mario Rodas
Andy Rubinson & Rob Davison
Mark Shura & Dan Harvey
STARR EMS INC.
Judy Sunblade & Monica Brunaccini
Deb Taft & Terri Rutter
WilmerHale
David Wilson & Rob Compton

Table Captain Tips & FAQs:

WHAT IS A TABLE CAPTAIN?

Table Captains are key participants in the success of the New England Dinner, making it one of the most successful in the nation each year. By stepping up to be a Table Captain, you commit to working to fill a table for November 13. Many Table Captains fill more than one. You do not have to buy a full table personally and fill it, although some Table Captains take that route. Most HRC Table Captains instead ask their table mates to purchase their own tickets, which attracts new and returning attendees to engage in HRC's efforts for the ensuing year.

WHAT IS THE SUGGESTED PROCESS TO ORGANIZE A TABLE?

Filling your table begins with extending the invitation. Invite friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, or whoever else you feel may have an interest. The best invitation for your guests is a personal one. Invite them in person, by telephone, or e-mail. There are sample invitations found on the Table Captain Toolkit, accessible through the main dinner site at www.hrcboston.org. You can use these as they are, just fill in your name, or change them to suit your style. Or, invent your own. The most important thing is to invite. Don't wait until the last minute. Start early. People's calendars fill up quickly. Getting on their schedules as soon as possible will give you the highest likelihood of successfully filling your table. Being clear about the date, cost, and method to buy tickets gives people the information they need to take action. Even if they don't buy their tickets right away, you will have set an expectation.

WHAT IF SOMEONE ASKS ME WHY THEY SHOULD ATTEND?

Let them know that this year is a vital one for LGBT equality. Given the powerful political, corporate and individual relationships HRC has built over the years, it is uniquely positioned to influence hundreds of national, regional and local efforts. Workplace equality, marriage equality, repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell, and other pro-LGBT federal and state legislation all rest on our involvement. This is a crucial moment to help HRC take action. The HRC New England Dinner allows you to make an impact on LGBT equality. The event serves as one of the primary revenue-raisers for HRC's work and is critical for HRC to carry out its vision for LGBT equality. Beyond making an impact on our future, the dinner is a fun and energizing evening. The silent auction has wonderful items to bid on, including travel, artwork, and one-of-a-kind experiences. The people at your table, and throughout the event, will be great company. And your tablemates will walk away from the evening knowing they've made an impact on LGBT equality.

WHAT IF I CANNOT FILL MY TABLE IN TIME FOR THE EVENT?

We are eager to have you fill your table and create the best event for you and your group that evening. But you will not be penalized for unsold seats. Smaller groups may be combined, or you and the guests who are joining you that evening may have other individual ticket-holders assigned to your table. We want this to be energizing and fun, so give it a try!

HOW CAN I ORGANIZE A PRE-EVENT?

We have a vision that every table at the Hynes Convention on November 19th will be filled with GLBT supporters and allies from across New England. We expect to have regional groups, neighborhood groups, cohorts of friends, extended families, corporate and industry leaders, and organizational partners gathered together for the New England 30th Annual Dinner. To fill their own tables and encourage others to join the excitement, some Table Captains have asked us how they could plan their own pre-events. Summer BBQs, fall house parties, company lunch gatherings, or simply gathering at a local restaurant or club are a great way to put the date on calendars and get commitments for one, two, or as many tables as you can fill. Contact us at (email) to take an organizing role, let us know your event plans, get the word out via our Facebook site, or get advice about how to make your pre-event a success. We can even provide you with a DVD of an inspiring HRC video to play for your attendees!

HOW DO I RESPOND WHEN SOMEONE IS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE TICKET PRICE?

I understand that $225 seems like a lot of money, especially in a challenging economy. But your dollars have incredible impact thanks to HRC's powerful relationships and connections. This dinner is one of the primary annual fundraising activities of HRC, and they rely on New England's support to help them achieve success in:

passing pro-GLBT legislation
ensuring our families and jobs are protected from discrimination
electing fair-minded politicians, and
a myriad of other issues including aging, coming out, health, and the military ban

HRC fights for LGBT rights on a national level. Some may question the need when some New England states already have gay marriage and employment non-discrimination, but right-wing conservatives have their sights on our region. HRC is working to mobilize people in key states like California, Arkansas, Arizona, and Florida to enact pro-LGBT legislation. Our financial support has an impact of national proportions. Encourage them to explore the HRC website to learn more about all that HRC does.

Once again this year, you can split the total ticket payment over multiple months - 4,3, or 2 monthly payments over 4,3, or 2 months depending on when you place your ticket order. Buy ahead if this will help!

WHY IS THERE A $7.50 HANDLING FEE PER TICKET?

Almost every charity event we have been able to identify has a per ticket handling fee. HRC is no different, but in the past covered this fee from its own resources. HRC's leadership has determined that this is not a wise use of HRC resources to cover handling fees for event tickets; from early feedback, many of the members who are involved in and support HRC through different avenues seem to agree this is a sound decision. We hope you will appreciate HRC's commitment to focusing organizational resources on core priorities instead of event costs.