Why I Organise a Community Event

I am the organiser of the North Laine Halloween Trick or Treat Trail for kids. It is a free community event in Brighton next weekend, put on by the North Laine shops spanning Trafalgar Street to Bond Street. These are the reasons why I set it up (and you should too):

* As a free activity for kids and parents. Not all kids are fortunate enough to brought up in areas where there is a strong community and they can go Trick or Treating. If kids are very young, going out after dark can be scary for them; this daytime activity allows them to be part of Halloween, have all the fun of dressing up and getting treats in a safer environment. It also provides parents with something – and something free to boot - to do with their kids when the half term looms, not ignoring the added expense of having kids off school.

"Thanks for organising this, such a great idea!! #lovewhereyoulive" - NC

* To show that we are a community to our customers. As bricks-and-mortar retailers times are not easy at the moment (as the numerous empty retail units on the high-street show). We rely on our customers to actively make a decision to not buy that thing online, but instead come and buy from a shop instead. By providing and taking part in this free event we are hopefully showing our customers that it is worth supporting us, that we care about them.

"When you've just had a baby and remembered you promised your kid she could go Trick or Treating in the North Laine, Brighton (because they don't do it where you live). Grab a sheet, cut a hole in it and go nuts on the hair and makeup!!!!! She had the best time!" -PM

* To bring a sense of community to us as a group of retailers. I am part of the North Laine Traders Association in Brighton, and we meet a couple of times a year. The reality is most small business owners are working all the hours just to keep their business on track. This event allows us all to feel that we are not alone, there is a limited amount of working together and we get to learn each other’s names. I know my neighbours now!

"Thank you to all the shops that kindly open their doors welcoming our children in for trick or treat. They have such a great time and happy with their hauls." - HA

* As a way of increasing exposure for all participating businesses. Most small businesses don’t have enough time, budget, or even mental space to organize a promotional event. Some businesses are franchises or a local branch or a national firm, and/or there isn’t anyone with the authority to make decisions or invested enough to want to participate in the local community. By organizing an event these businesses can take part in very cheaply, with all the steps outlined very simply for busy managers and shop owners to follow, it is a no-brainer to participate in. The attendees are visiting shops, seeing and meeting staff being nice to their children, a real human connection is being built with those shops and the brand they represent – no amount of advertising can recreate that.

* Bring fun into those shops. I work in my shop behind the counter, working face to face with customers - and have done for years - so I’m very aware that for retail shop assistants day-to-day work can be boring. Especially if there is an event like Halloween, instead of FOMO and perhaps resentment because they are working instead of getting their outfits worked out, there is an event in the shop itself and work becomes fun. In this event staff are encouraged to dress up (all of them want to anyway), and I can’t tell you how sweet it is having all these cute little parade of monsters coming into the shop being all scary. Halloween definitely doesn’t feel like a work day.

* Challenges. It is time-consuming, especially the first time I did it. I had to go round each shop individually, introduce myself, get email addresses etc. and basically get to know my neighbours – that takes time. It definitely takes perseverance, not all people read their emails, and the steps they need to take have to be outlined in a really easy way for people to implement. Since first setting it up last year, there is now an Easter Egg Hunt Trail, as well as the Halloween Trick or Treat Trail, so the same shops participate, it is much easier to organize and get everybody participating. I have noticed that some of the shops who haven’t participated in the past, have ‘To Let’ boards outside now – maybe their unwillingness to participate was just a symptom of not really knowing how to develop their business/keep their business current. In my opinion it highlights the importance of engaging with the community.

North Laine Halloween Trick or Trick Trail (Brighton, UK)

Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th October 12-4pm

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