Inviting Elected Officials and Community Leaders to An Event
A guide on how to invite politicians and elected officials to your next big event; identifying their role within it; the speaking order for elected officials; how to prepare for day-of and what to do post-event.
Congrats! Your company has big news to share and you’re hosting an event. You’ve decided to invite elected officials, dignitaries and other community leaders to attend.
So how do you invite politicians and elected officials to the event? And how do you identify the roles they’ll play? Speaker? Supporter? Distinguished guest? Equally important: in what order should you recognize elected officials, and what order should they speak (if at all)? What to prepare for the day-of and what to do (if anything) post event?
These are just some of the aspects to consider. Other key logistics include why, who, role, timing and coordination. Take a look:
Why invite politicians and elected officials
First and foremost, what is your motivation for inviting politicians and elected officials to the event? Do they have a place in the story you are telling? Does the news directly impact their constituency?
For example, is a new facility expanding in their city/state and providing job opportunities to their residents? Did they champion support or funding for a new community initiative? Are they offering citations for celebrated award winners? If yes, then you are on the right track to request their attendance. If not, you may want to re-evaluate why they are being invited – just to have their “face” present usually is not the best strategy.
Who to invite
Which officials do you want to invite? Always refer back to the “Why” when addressing the “Who.” Again, what is the direct connection between that person and your message? For example, you might invite the Mayor because the event has local relevance and they are the face of the city in which the event is being held. It shows the city’s endorsement and encourages local buy-in. If the event holds statewide significance, tying to the state’s priorities like infrastructure, healthcare, education or economic development, you might consider inviting the Governor. The Governor represents the entire state, therefore their involvement and presence underscores the event’s significance.
Next, create a “priority” list of officials to invite. This can certainly be a mix of federal, state, local, and community leaders, but try to limit it to those who are most relevant and distinguish between who will have a speaking role and who will simply be recognized at the event. (Remember, instead of amplifying your message, too many speakers can have the opposite effect of drowning it out.)
Also, not everyone you invite will be able to attend the event. Start with the officials most important to the announcement, and if needed, have a second tier of officials to approach– but be sure to leave enough time to do so! (See “Timing and Coordination” below.)
What their role will be
In what capacity do you want the elected official to attend? As a keynote or participatory speaker, to deliver a welcome message or support, or to join as a distinguished attendee?
This needs to be taken into consideration in the context of the whole event – purpose, audience, and agenda. However, we recommend a speaking role for elected officials who do attend. It is both a sign of respect and a chance to strengthen your message. Even if the remarks are a brief welcome and thanks, the opportunity shows the official that you value their contribution, and it demonstrates to the audience the official’s broader support of the initiative.
Again, be sure the official has a tie to the event and has been briefed on your message and their role – things can go off-topic very quickly otherwise. You will want to work with the official’s office/staff to do this – which brings us to our next topic:
Timing and Coordination
Timing and coordination will make or break your success when you invite politicians and elected officials to your event. Getting on the calendars of public officials is tough. The more lead time and coordination with their scheduler and office staff, the better.
Timing
The first note is to be flexible. In our experience, many times officials genuinely want to attend and support the events of their constituents, but their schedules just don’t allow without enough lead time. Being flexible in planning the event – such as date, time, or agenda, will prove valuable in securing the attendance of elected officials.
Start reaching out at least 6-8 weeks in advance of the event if possible to submit scheduling requests. Also, try to be aware of other public obligations – such as when Congress is in session and the Representative or Senator will be away in Washington D.C. (unless that’s where you are, too!)
Coordination
When conducting outreach, you’ll always want to coordinate with the official’s scheduler and office staff. Each official has their own scheduler and it’s best to work through them to receive a request form and secure their attendance. You will also provide additional details at this time – including the “Why” from above and the event details. (If you’re hosting a PR event, here’s a handy guide to planning and executing those details!)
Invitations
Official invitations may also be sent out from a high-ranking official of the company (such as the CEO or Board Chair), or a less-formal contact if there is a personal relationship, but these should not replace coordination directly with the public official’s scheduler.
Once the invitation has been accepted, be sure to work with the scheduler or appropriate staff member to keep the official informed of the event, provide any relevant materials, and guide messaging if needed.
Precedence
Here’s a bonus tip, because it comes up for just about every event we do. Yes, there is an established protocol to the order in which to recognize politicians and dignitaries at an event AND to the speaking order for elected officials (if they are speaking). But they are not the same, which can be where things get a little dicey.
The order of introducing elected officials at an event
By general rule, you should acknowledge attending officials starting with the highest rank first (federal, state, and local). For example:
- Federal Delegation – State Senators followed by Representatives (both in order of seniority) 2. Governor
- Mayor – if more than one city/town is represented, the Mayor of the city/town which the event is being held in is the highest ranking and should be recognized first
- City/Town Officials – same as above for multiple city/town officials; if officials are from the same city/town, then rank by seniority
The speaking order for elected officials at an event
The speaking protocol for elected officials is different from the recognition order, with the most-local official speaking first. So, using the example from above, you’ll want the officials to address the audience in the following order:
- Mayor
- Governor
- Federal Delegation
Note: beyond the Mayor, other city/town officials would only be included in the speaking program if they had a direct connection to the project.
If a dignitary cannot make the event but sends another representative on their behalf, that individual should be given the same order of priority (as the dignitary) when they are recognized or provide remarks.
Admittedly, ranking and seniority are not the easiest things to identify, but you can view the full order of precedence on the US Department of State website.
Preparing for Day-of Protocol
Be sure to put together an agenda for the day and share with all the dignitaries and their teams ahead of time so they can know what to expect. On the day of the event, have a dedicated point of contact to welcome the official. Create a seamless experience by introducing them to key guests, guiding them through the event, and respecting any time constraints they may have. If inviting the media to the event – which is often the case – be sure to inform the media in advance of an elected official’s attendance. Similarly, if the media is planning to attend, make an effort to inform the elected official’s staff so they can be prepared; providing some talking points about the reason for the event is helpful, too.
Post Event Etiquette
A best practice after the event is to send a thank-you note or email, expressing genuine gratitude for their attendance and contributions. Highlight any specific moments that resonated with attendees, and share a few photos if possible. This not only shows your appreciation but also creates a memorable and positive experience of working with you, increasing the potential of them attending a future event of yours.
When you invite politicians and elected officials to an event, the keys to success are knowing your event and the officials’ roles within it; be flexible with the timing; give yourself plenty of time for scheduling; and always coordinate with dignitary staffers. Happy inviting!
This post has been updated from an earlier version, originally published in August 2017.
