On July 25th, I organized a free screening of the movie Caddyshack in Hope, BC as part of the Neighbourhood Small Grants program. The goal of the event was to bring community members together for an evening of entertainment and socializing, while also offering a much-needed break from everyday stresses. The event was well attended, with approximately 50-60 people enjoying the classic comedy.
Event Planning and Promotion
To organize the event, I collaborated with the local cinema to select a day and time that worked within their schedule. I also ensured that the movie could be licensed and shown for free, which was a key part of making the event accessible to everyone. Promotion played a significant role in the event’s success. I designed posters and social media graphics, which were distributed both in person and online. A lightbox-sized poster was placed outside the cinema, while smaller flyers were distributed around town. The cinema even put it up on their giant marquee above the building! I also collaborated with the local golf course, where flyers were placed in the clubhouse, and emails were sent out to members.
Fostering Audience Interaction
One of the main challenges I faced was creating a way for the audience to interact with each other. To solve this, I organized a trivia contest after the movie, which encouraged socializing. I curated a set of trivia questions from the Internet, focusing on the movie’s plot and characters, and offered Dollarama gift cards as prizes. Before the movie started, I invited everyone to join us in the cinema lobby for the contest. After the screening, people mingled, answered questions, and had a good time testing their knowledge of Caddyshack.
Who Was Involved
The cinema was instrumental in helping with promotion by displaying the poster, advertising the event on their website, and sharing it on social media. Additionally, they handled all the technical aspects of running the movie. Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive. People laughed throughout the movie, applauded at the end, and expressed their gratitude as they left. Many were excited about having a free entertainment option and the opportunity to meet new neighbours.
Lessons Learned and Reflections
This event taught me the value of incorporating interactive elements, such as the trivia contest, to encourage people to engage with each other. In the future, I would consider making the trivia more interactive by forming teams or incorporating activities like acting out scenes from the movie. Overall, it was a fun experience, though it involved more work than I initially expected. The event wouldn’t have been possible without the financial support of the Neighbourhood Small Grants program, which covered the costs involved.
Since the event, I have run into several folks around town who attended the event and they expressed how much they enjoyed the night asking whether similar events would be held in the future. While I would love to organize more events like this the cinema is currently closed, but I remain hopeful that it will reopen.
Conclusion
This event demonstrated the importance of community engagement and the need for accessible entertainment in Hope. Bringing people together for a free screening of Caddyshack not only provided a night of fun but also fostered new connections among neighbours. Given the chance, I would definitely consider organizing another event in the future, applying the lessons I’ve learned to make it an even more interactive and enjoyable experience for everyone.
