tips from fundraisers please on hosting for celebs and press

shelovestobuystuff

I need advice please on how to arrange things for visits from celebs and press at the charity shop I work in.I have been given the job of planning a volunteer drive which runs for a week in April.I have not planned any event like this before so am a bit unsure and want to know what the usual protocol is.
My goal is to secure a local celebrity volunteer for each day of the event and have local press attenbd each day for interviews and photos.Press have agreed and i just have to send them my shedule once confirmed.I have contacted 9 celebs so far and can contact more if I need to.I have had 3 say yes so far and I only asked yesterday so I am sure I will get my one a day that I need.
So what I need to know is what do you do on the actual days of the celeb visits and press photo shoot.I am thinking of using the shop changing room as a hospitality area,for tea coffees on a wee table etc.Do we show the celebs round to meet staff etc then onto shop floor for photo shoot?I have never done this before so advice appreciated,thanks.
Do we close the doors or wait and see if the crowds get too big first?Do we notify council and police of the celebs visits,especially if they are politicians,will we need security or will the police do that?

EastEndLass

Well done you for getting such a high success rate!

From my experience, you wont need to contact the council or police. If they are in any need of security, they will provide their own.

Meeting the shop staff would be great - choose a volunteer who has been there since your shop first opened if possible.

You could use a changing room for hospitality, but you're likely to have more customers turning up, and they're going to be a bit annoyed if they have to try on stuff because you've got refreshments in there! i'd have refreshments out the back if it's just for the celeb - that way they can chat to the volunteers before rushing out to do their professional bit.

You have to remember that they realise that you're a charity and wont be expecting huge things from you - the best ones are completely non-diva and they want to meet the team, and have a huge amount of small-talk ready! Make sure that you have lots of facts and figures to hand, or in your head about both your charity as a whole, and about your shop specifically (eg, how long you've been open, how much you've raised so far, how many volunteers you have, how much you make a week, how many bags of stock you get, who's your oldest volunteer etc etc)

They will be commandeered by the press anyway, asking them to pose in certain ways. Make sure that you have a think about what would make a great photo in your shop, that's not going to be in the way for the punters.

Good luck! And take lots of photos - don't leave it just down to the press!