DUSTIN SCHIRER

WOOLLY FARMS GALA

Director / Production Lead / Editor
Woolly Farms Foundation

My first year with the Woolly Farms Gala, I mostly focused on video content and paid attention.

I watched where the event flowed, where it got stuck, where guests looked confused, and where little moments added friction. There were a lot of opportunities to make the experience better.

The following year, I stepped into the role of Creative Director and Show Director, and we got to start solving them.

That meant everything from marketing and sponsorship strategy to social content, show flow, screen graphics, production, lighting, sound, and building the run-of-show. The goal was simple: make every part of the experience feel intentional.

We customized the OneCause giving platform so it felt like part of the event instead of a third-party tool. We also built a stronger pre-registration and guest communication strategy that made check-in quick, easy, and almost invisible. Those little improvements set the tone before the program even began.

Before the event, we spent a lot more time telling the story. I created a series of sponsor thank you videos that gave our sponsors something they were genuinely excited to share instead of just another logo on a screen. It built momentum leading up to the gala and reinforced a sponsor-first approach that paid off in a big way.

By event night, all 600 seats were spoken for. The previous year had more than 700 attendees but raised significantly less. It wasn’t about packing the room. It was about filling it with the right people.

The gala went on to become the organization’s most successful fundraiser to date, growing revenue from roughly $320,000 to nearly $500,000. There were a lot of people responsible for that success, but I’m proud of the role our team played in making the experience feel more intentional from the first invitation to the final number reveal.