Planning a charity gala in the UK takes 12 months, the right platform, and a clear head on what is and is not Gift Aid eligible.
- Set your net fundraising target in £ first, then build the ticket price and budget around it.
- Platform fees compound across every revenue line: ticketing, auction, paddle raise, and door donations. Keep them at £0 with Zeffy.
- Event tickets, raffle entries, and auction lots at fair value do not qualify for Gift Aid. Paddle-raise pledges and voluntary add-a-donation do.
- Raffles sold in advance are small society lotteries under the Gambling Act 2005 and must be registered with your local council.
- Display your charity registration number and Fundraising Regulator badge on every invitation and event page to build trust with donors and sponsors.
Planning a charity gala can feel daunting: venue contracts, sponsor decks, auction logistics, a committee that needs direction, and a fundraising figure that has to land. This guide walks you through every step, in the order that actually matters.
One reframe before you start: a gala is not one revenue stream. It is four running at the same time, ticket sales, silent auction, paddle raise, and door donations. If your platform takes a percentage across all four, that cut is often a larger line item than entertainment or décor. The first planning decision is not your theme or your target figure. It is your platform. Decide whether you are keeping every pound of the target you are about to set, then build the budget around it.
Use the 12-month timeline checklist below to keep the work organised.
In this article:
What is a fundraising gala, and is it right for your charity?
A fundraising gala is a formal ticketed event that combines a hosted experience, usually dinner, entertainment, and a programme, with multiple ways to raise money in a single evening: ticket revenue, sponsorships, silent or live auctions, and direct appeals such as a paddle raise.
Galas tend to work well for organisations with an existing donor base willing to attend in person, trustees who can open doors to sponsors, and the staff capacity to manage a months-long planning cycle. They can deliver strong return on investment when planned well, but the upfront investment is real.
A quick self-assessment: are you ready for a gala?
- Do you have at least 8 to 12 months of runway before the event date?
- Can you commit a project lead and a working committee of 6 to 10 volunteers?
- Do you have a donor list (or board network) of 100 or more contacts likely to attend or sponsor?
- Do you have the cash flow to front venue, catering, and AV deposits before ticket revenue lands?
If you answered no to two or more, a smaller-format event, an online auction, a giving day, a community dinner, may be a better starting point this year.
How to set your gala fundraising goal
Before you set a target, decide where the money flows through.
If you accept tickets, silent-auction payments, and paddle-raise pledges on a platform that takes a percentage, that comes off the top of every pound you just set as your goal. Decide your platform before you decide your number.
Use a SMART goal, gala-specific
A useful gala goal is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example:
Raise £60,000 net at our 12 October gala, £24,000 from 200 tickets at £120, £20,000 from sponsorships across three tiers, and £16,000 from the silent auction and paddle raise, to fund our after-school literacy programme for the coming year.
Notice the word net. Your goal is what your charity keeps, not what flows through the cash register.
The gala goal formula
A simple way to size your target:
(Expected attendees x average ticket price) + sponsorship target + auction and paddle-raise estimate = total gross goal
Then subtract your event costs (venue, catering, AV, marketing, platform fees) to get net.
Gift Aid and your goal: the important nuance
The ticket price itself is not Gift Aid eligible: the donor receives goods and services (a meal, entertainment, a programme) in exchange, which removes eligibility under HMRC rules (Donating to charity: Gift Aid, GOV.UK). However, if you add a clearly separated voluntary donation line to your ticket page, for example, an opt-in "add a £10 donation to your ticket", that voluntary amount is Gift Aid eligible with a signed declaration, and your charity can reclaim 25p for every £1 via HMRC. Build this uplift into your goal formula.
Ticket pricing: work backwards from cost
A common working formula:
(Total event cost + fundraising goal) ÷ paid attendees = minimum ticket price
Most UK charity galas land somewhere in the £80 to £200 ticket range, with tiered or table pricing layered on top. For a deeper walkthrough, see how to price tickets for a fundraising event.
Creating your gala budget: line-by-line breakdown
Build your budget in two columns: expenses and revenue. Venue and catering are usually the two largest line items, followed by entertainment, décor, marketing, and AV, with a contingency reserve. Treat the percentages below as a starting point, not a rule.
Typical expense categories
- Venue rental, often the largest fixed cost
- Catering and bar, usually the second largest; scales with headcount. Note that in-house venue catering is typically standard-rated at 20% VAT, confirm whether quoted prices are VAT-inclusive (Charity Tax Group)
- Entertainment, DJ, band, auctioneer, MC
- Décor and theming, linens, florals, signage
- Marketing, printed invitations, paid social, design
- AV and tech, sound, lighting, projection, livestream
- Printing and programme, menus, paddles, signage
- VAT, venue hire, AV hire, print, and marketing services are typically standard-rated at 20% VAT; charities are not VAT-exempt by default on these purchases. Confirm quoted prices are inclusive or add the line explicitly. See Charity Tax Group for the technical detail
- Platform and payment fees, see below; at £0 with Zeffy
- Contingency, most planners reserve roughly 10% for surprises
Sample gross-revenue mixes
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| Ticket sales | £10,000 (40%) | £20,000 (40%) | £35,000 (35%) |
| Sponsorships | £8,000 (32%) | £15,000 (30%) | £35,000 (35%) |
| Silent auction | £4,500 (18%) | £10,000 (20%) | £20,000 (20%) |
| Paddle raise / direct appeal | £2,500 (10%) | £5,000 (10%) | £10,000 (10%) |
| Platform fees with Zeffy | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Platform fees (Eventbrite ~6.95% + £0.59/ticket on ticketing alone) | ~£754+ | ~£1,448+ | ~£2,489+ |
| Stripe card processing (1.5% + 20p, applied under most platforms) | Additional | Additional | Additional |
On a £50,000 gross gala, even a modest 3% cut across ticketing, auction, and paddle raise is £1,500, a real line item, larger than most décor budgets. Eventbrite's paid-events pricing (~6.95% + £0.59 per ticket) compounds further. With Zeffy, that entire amount stays with your charity.
Building your gala planning committee: roles and responsibilities
A working gala committee usually needs six clearly defined roles. Recruit for skills first, then for availability.
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| Event Chair / Project Lead | Overall accountability; decisions and deadlines | Senior fundraiser, trustee, or CEO |
| Finance Lead | Budget tracking, invoice approvals, post-event reconciliation | Treasurer, finance trustee, or bookkeeper |
| Sponsorship Lead | Prospect research, outreach, packages, fulfilment | Relationship-minded trustee or major-donor fundraiser |
| Auction and Entertainment Lead | Item procurement, bidding setup, entertainment booking | Well-connected volunteer or events coordinator |
| Marketing and Communications Lead | Invitations, social content, press, email sequence | Communications officer or volunteer with marketing skills |
| Venue and Logistics Lead | Venue liaison, catering, AV, run of show, volunteers | Operations manager or experienced events volunteer |
Recruiting and running the committee
- Start with your board of trustees. Then expand to past volunteers, donors who have expressed interest, and local business contacts.
- Match the ask to the role. "We need someone to lead auction procurement for our March gala, about six hours a week from October through February" is easier to say yes to than "join our committee."
- Meet monthly until month three, then fortnightly, then weekly in the final month.
- Keep a shared dashboard so everyone sees the same numbers.
Your 12-month gala planning timeline
Use this as your working checklist. Copy it into your own project tracker.
12 months out
- Confirm event date and theme direction
- Form committee and assign roles
- Set fundraising goal and draft budget
- Choose your event platform
- Confirm Gift Aid handling and whether a raffle is planned (if so, check small-society-lottery registration requirements)
9 months out
- Finalise theme, brand, and visual identity
- Open sponsor outreach with tiered packages
- Confirm catering, entertainment, and AV vendors
- Begin auction procurement
6 months out
- Open ticket sales and send "save the date"
- Launch first email and social campaign
- Confirm programme speakers and emcee
- Begin paddle-raise script and ask amounts
3 months out
- Close sponsor recruitment
- Finalise auction inventory and minimum bids
- Confirm volunteer roster and roles
- Brief the committee on day-of logistics
1 month out
- Final ticket push and seating assignments
- Confirm every vendor in writing
- Print programmes, signage, paddles
- Run a tech and AV check at the venue
- Brief volunteers in person
Week of
- Final walkthrough at the venue
- Confirm headcount with caterer
- Set up registration, auction stations, and payment tablets or phones
- Prepare thank-you email to send within 48 hours
Day of
- Volunteer briefing 90 minutes before doors open
- Run of show in every team lead's hand
- Designated point person for any issues
- Photographer briefed on must-capture moments
How to choose the perfect gala venue
Venue is usually your largest fixed cost and the decision that constrains every other one: date, headcount, catering, AV. Walk every venue before signing.
Evaluation checklist
- Capacity. A room that feels full reads better than a half-empty ballroom. Aim to fill the room comfortably rather than maximise seat count.
- Step-free access and accessibility. Confirm step-free access, accessible toilets, hearing-loop provision, and that the venue can meet the reasonable adjustments required under the Equality Act 2010.
- Catering. In-house only, preferred vendor list, or bring your own? Each affects budget by thousands. In-house catering is typically standard-rated 20% VAT, confirm whether quoted prices are VAT-inclusive.
- AV. Built-in screens, sound system, stage, dimmable lighting, or rental fees on top.
- Layout flexibility. Can the room hold a cocktail hour, dinner, and a programme area, or do you need a separate space?
- Insurance and liability. Most UK venues require a minimum level of public liability insurance (commonly £5m or £10m), confirm your charity's policy covers the venue and event scope.
- Cancellation and force majeure. Read the clause carefully before signing.
Questions to ask on the tour
- What is included in the rental fee versus added on?
- What time can vendors load in and out?
- Are there noise restrictions or curfews?
- What is the deposit and payment schedule?
- Have you hosted charity galas before? Can you share references?
Virtual and hybrid options
If your donor base is geographically spread, consider a hybrid format: in-person dinner plus a livestream for remote attendees who can still bid on auction items and respond to the paddle raise through their phones.
Securing gala sponsors: packages, outreach, and follow-up
Sponsorships are the line item that can move a gala from break-even to mission-funding. Build the programme in three layers.
Identify prospects
- Local businesses with a community-giving or CSR budget, local banks and building societies, solicitors and accountants, estate agents, independent healthcare and private clinics, larger local employers
- Corporate giving programmes at companies where your trustees or major donors work
- Vendors you already spend with, caterers, printers, AV companies often sponsor in kind
- Past sponsors from any previous event your organisation has run
Build tiered packages
A common three-tier structure (illustrative, adjust to your market and city):
- Presenting sponsor, £7,500. Top logo placement, naming rights on a programme element (for example, the paddle raise), table of 10, a speaking moment, year-round recognition.
- Gold sponsor, £3,500. Logo on signage and programme, table of 8, social media recognition.
- Supporting sponsor, £750. Name in programme, two tickets, thank-you in post-event email.
Corporate sponsorship and tax: a note
Corporate sponsorship payments are handled under corporate gift relief, not Gift Aid. The sponsoring company deducts the payment from its taxable profits; your charity does not reclaim 25% from HMRC on those amounts. See Charity Tax Group for the technical detail. Including your charity registration number (issued by the Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR in Scotland, or CCNI in Northern Ireland) and your Fundraising Regulator badge on sponsor packs and invitations signals legitimacy to corporate donors.
Outreach timeline
Begin sponsor outreach 9 months out. Lead with a one-page deck: mission, attendee profile, expected reach, and the tier menu. Follow up within 10 business days. Close by the 3-month mark so you can print logos on programmes.
What sponsors expect in return
- Logo and brand placement at the appropriate scale for their tier
- A specified number of tickets
- Public recognition from the stage
- A post-event report with attendance, total raised, and any media coverage
Marketing your gala: a 6-month promotion plan
Strong promotion is a sequence, not a single blast.
Email: the core channel
- Month 6: Save the date. Date, location, mission, "tickets open soon."
- Month 5: Tickets live and early-bird offer. Open ticket sales with a 2 to 4 week early-bird discount.
- Month 3: Formal invitation. Full programme details, sponsor recognition begins.
- Month 2: Sponsor and auction spotlight. Tease key auction items.
- Month 1: Final push. "Last tables available" framing.
- Week of: Logistics email. Parking, dress code, what to expect.
- 48 hours after: Thank you. Total raised, impact moment, photos.
All donor and attendee data you collect is personal data under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Ensure your platform is ICO-compliant and that your fundraising communications follow the Code of Fundraising Practice (current version in force since 1 November 2025, including Section 9 on online platforms).
Social and direct mail
- Social content calendar. Twice-weekly posts from month 4 forward, auction previews, sponsor spotlights, mission moments, behind-the-scenes.
- Direct mail. Post a printed invitation to major donors and past attendees at the 3-month mark.
- Press release. Sent to local media at month 2, with a follow-up for event-day coverage.
Metrics to track
- Email open and click rates per send
- Ticket sales velocity, how many sold per week
- Social reach and engagement on event-tagged posts
- Sponsorship pipeline value versus closed
Gala day-of logistics: your complete run of show
On the day of the gala, you want every committee member working from the same minute-by-minute document.
Sample run of show
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| 3.00pm | Venue access; décor and AV setup begins | Venue and Logistics Lead |
| 4.30pm | AV and sound check | AV team |
| 5.00pm | Volunteer briefing; roles and positions confirmed | Event Chair |
| 5.30pm | Auction stations and payment tablets live; registration desk open | Auction Lead and Finance Lead |
| 6.00pm | Doors open; guests arrive for cocktail reception | Registration volunteers |
| 7.00pm | Guests seated for dinner | Venue and Logistics Lead |
| 7.15pm | Welcome from Chief Executive or Chair of Trustees | Chief Executive |
| 7.30pm | Dinner service begins | Catering team |
| 8.15pm | Mission moment: beneficiary story or video | Marketing Lead |
| 8.30pm | Silent auction closes; winners notified by text or app | Auction Lead |
| 8.45pm | Paddle raise begins | Auctioneer / MC |
| 9.15pm | Entertainment | Entertainment Lead |
| 10.00pm | Thank-you and close; outstanding auction payments collected | Event Chair |
| 10.30pm | Bar close; guests depart | Venue Logistics Lead |
| 11.00pm | Venue clear; equipment collected | Full committee |
Volunteer briefing checklist
- Every volunteer knows their role, their lead, and their break time
- Radios or a group chat for real-time issues
- A "guest of honour" list so VIPs are recognised correctly
- The point person for any complaints or emergencies
Contingencies
- Late caterer. Extend the cocktail hour and reorder the programme, move the mission moment up.
- Speaker no-show. Have a trustee ready with a backup mission moment.
- Weather. Confirm coat check, umbrellas at the door, and a transport plan.
- AV failure. Print the programme and run of show on paper. Always.
At-the-door payments and paddle raise
Walk-up ticket buyers, paddle-raise pledges, and auction-winner checkout all need to clear payment quickly. Tap to Pay on any phone means a volunteer can take a card payment on the spot, no separate terminal to rent or charge.
Choosing your gala event platform
The platform you choose has to do five jobs at once on gala night. Before evaluating any specific tool, list what good looks like.
What to look for in a gala platform
- Ticketing. Tiered ticket types, table-level pricing, e-tickets with QR check-in, table-number notes.
- Table management. Assign seats, swap guests last minute, see who has checked in.
- Auction integration. Mobile QR bidding from any phone, no bidder app to download, auto-charge winners at close.
- Payment processing. Online for tickets and pre-event donations, in-person tap-to-pay for the night, recurring options for the paddle raise.
- Donor management. Every gala interaction, ticket, bid, pledge, sponsorship, lands in a single donor record so first-time gala attendees become next year's recurring donors.
The UK charity stack problem
A small UK charity currently running a gala typically pays for several separate tools: Ticket Tailor or Eventbrite for ticketing, JustGiving, CAF Donate, or Wonderful for donations and P2P, Givergy or GalaBid for silent auctions, and Beacon or Donorfy for donor management. Each carries its own fee. The cost compounds across every revenue line on a single night.
Zeffy replaces that entire stack at £0. No platform fee, no transaction fee, no card fee. Ever. More than 100,000 charities and nonprofits have run fundraising on Zeffy, and the platform has helped raise over £2 billion for missions around the world.
Here is the maths. A 200-person gala at £120 per ticket is £24,000 in ticket revenue. On Eventbrite's paid-events pricing (~6.95% + £0.59 per ticket), that is approximately £1,786 lost on ticketing alone before Stripe card processing of 1.5% + 20p applies on top. Apply a similar percentage to your silent auction, paddle raise, and door donations, and the total fee line compounds significantly. With Zeffy, every pound across every revenue line stays with your charity.
Zeffy also handles Gift Aid declarations on eligible donation lines (paddle-raise pledges, voluntary add-a-donation, direct appeal) so your charity can submit claims through HMRC Charities Online and reclaim 25p for every £1 donated by UK taxpayers (GOV.UK Gift Aid guidance). Confirm with your platform provider that it handles UK GDPR data in accordance with ICO requirements and the Code of Fundraising Practice (Section 9, in force since 1 November 2025).
Auction-specific features are available through Zeffy's silent and live auction tools, and the post-event donor work runs through Zeffy's free donor management.
Gift Aid and your gala: what qualifies and what does not
Gift Aid is the single most valuable tax lever available to UK charities, and a gala creates several different income streams that are treated differently under HMRC rules. Getting this right matters: overclaiming is an HMRC compliance risk; underclaiming leaves money on the table.
|
| Gala ticket price | No | Donor receives goods and services (meal, entertainment, programme), the exchange removes eligibility |
| Silent or live auction lot at fair value | No | Donor receives goods in exchange |
| Auction lot purchased above fair value (split payment) | Excess only, with documentation | If the lot is independently valued and the donor pays above fair value, the excess may be eligible with a properly documented split and Gift Aid declaration |
| Raffle or lottery ticket | Never | A chance to win constitutes consideration; Gift Aid never applies |
| Paddle-raise pledge | Yes, with a Gift Aid declaration | A direct donation with no goods or services in return |
| Voluntary add-a-donation on the ticket page | Yes, with a Gift Aid declaration | Must be clearly separated and optional |
| Direct appeal donation on the night | Yes, with a Gift Aid declaration | Collect declarations at registration or via a digital form |
| Corporate sponsorship payment | Not Gift Aid | Handled under corporate gift relief; the company deducts from taxable profits |
Your charity must be HMRC-recognised (holding a Charities Reference Number, separate from your Charity Commission registration) to submit Gift Aid claims via Charities Online. Keep Gift Aid declarations for at least six years. See HMRC Gift Aid guidance and Charity Tax Group for the technical detail.
After the gala: thank-yous, analysis, and next year's planning
The 72 hours after the gala determine whether attendees become next year's table sponsors or one-night-only guests.
The 48-hour thank-you
- An emailed thank-you to every attendee, with total raised and a mission-impact line
- A personalised note to every sponsor, handwritten if possible, with photos of their logo at the event
- A board-signed letter to major donors and paddle-raise top contributors
- Auction winners receive an email with their items and collection or delivery details
- Submit your Gift Aid claim via HMRC Charities Online within the claim window (up to four years from the end of the financial period the donations were received)
Metrics to calculate
- Gross revenue, total raised across every line
- Net revenue, gross minus every expense, including fees
- Cost per pound raised, total expenses divided by gross. The lower, the better.
- New donor acquisition, first-time attendees who became donors
- Average attendee giving, including auction and paddle raise
- Sponsor retention, who renewed from last year, who is new
Post-event survey
Five questions, sent within a week:
- 1. What did you enjoy most about the evening?
- 2. What would you change?
- 3. How likely are you to attend next year? (1 to 10)
- 4. Is there a way you would like to get more involved with our work?
- 5. Is there anyone you would recommend we invite next year?
Convert attendees to regular donors
Within 30 days of the gala, segment first-time attendees and send a tailored email inviting them to set up a monthly gift. The energy of the evening is your best regular-donor recruitment moment of the year. Zeffy's free donor management tracks every gala interaction in a single donor record so this segmentation is one filter away.
Fundraising gala ideas by theme and type
If you are still deciding on a theme, here are eight that work for different audiences and budgets.
- Masquerade ball. Formal, photo-friendly, easy theming. Works well in winter. Higher décor budget.
- Casino night. Game tables with play-money chips are a popular format, but read the Gambling Act note below before promoting. Most UK charity casino nights use play money to stay outside gambling licensing entirely.
- Decades theme (1920s, 1970s, 1980s). Costume engagement, music ready-made. Mid-budget.
- Garden party. Daytime, outdoor, more relaxed. Lower AV and lighting cost. Weather is the risk.
- Awards ceremony. Honour community leaders or long-standing supporters. Built-in promotion through honorees' networks.
- Celebrity chef dinner. Smaller, higher-ticket, intimate. Works for capacity-constrained venues.
- Art auction. Partner with local artists; the auction is the centrepiece. Best when you have art-collector donors.
- Concert gala. A performer is the draw. Higher entertainment cost, broader audience reach.
For every theme, the planning fundamentals do not change: goal, budget, committee, timeline, sponsors, marketing, run of show, platform.
Prize draws, raffles, and casino nights: what the Gambling Act 2005 means for your gala
UK charity galas often include a prize draw, raffle, or casino-style element. Before you promote any of these, understand how the Gambling Act 2005 (regulated by the Gambling Commission) applies.
Silent and live auctions are not gambling under UK law. No licence is needed. Note, however, that auction lots purchased at fair value are not Gift Aid eligible (see the Gift Aid table above).
Raffle held entirely at the event, tickets sold only on the night, this is an incidental non-commercial lottery. No registration is required, provided tickets are sold and the draw is conducted entirely at the event.
Raffle with tickets sold in advance, this is a small society lottery and must be registered with your local licensing authority (council) before you sell a single ticket. Key rules:
- Registration fee: £40 initial, £20 annual renewal
- Single lottery cap: £20,000 in ticket sales
- Annual aggregate cap: £250,000 across all lotteries by your society
- At least 20% of proceeds must go to your charitable cause
- Maximum single prize: £25,000
- Submit a return to the local authority within 3 months of the draw
Casino night with real-money play, heavily restricted under the Gambling Act 2005 and not a practical option for most charities. The standard UK charity casino night uses play-money chips and a prize draw for top scorers, which keeps the event outside gambling licensing. Confirm your format with the Gambling Commission or your local licensing authority before promoting.
Gift Aid never applies to raffle or lottery ticket purchases. A ticket gives the buyer a chance to win, which constitutes consideration under HMRC rules.
Frequently asked questions
When should I start planning a charity gala?
Start at least 12 months before your event date. Venues in demand fill up quickly, and sponsor conversations take time to mature. If you are planning a gala that includes a raffle with advance ticket sales (a small society lottery), you will need to register with your local council before promoting, build that into your timeline. Use the 12-month checklist above as your working guide.
What type of event works best as a fundraising gala?
Formal seated dinners with a silent auction and paddle raise are the most common format for UK charity galas, because they combine high ticket revenue with multiple additional giving moments. Awards ceremonies, themed balls, and celebrity chef dinners work well for charities with a specific community profile or a capacity-constrained venue. The format matters less than having a clear fundraising structure: ticketing, an auction or paddle raise, and a compelling mission moment from the stage.
How creative should a charity gala be?
As creative as your donor base and budget allow. A masquerade ball or 1920s theme can lift engagement and encourage guests to share on social media, which extends your reach. However, creative elements cost money, décor, costumes, theming. A tightly run event with a moving mission moment and a clear ask will raise more than an elaborate party with no fundraising structure. Lead with the cause; let the theme enhance it.
What makes a great charity gala?
great gala has a clear ask, a compelling mission moment, and a frictionless giving experience. Guests should be able to bid, pledge, and pay without queuing or fumbling for cash. The paddle raise needs a confident auctioneer, well-rehearsed ask amounts, and a room that has been warmed up by a genuine story from someone your charity has helped. Post-event, the 48-hour thank-you and a clear impact statement turn a one-night donor into a regular supporter.
How much does it cost to host a charity gala?
It depends entirely on scale and venue. A community-scale gala in a village hall or church hall can run from a few hundred to a couple of thousand pounds in expenses. A black-tie evening at a city-centre hotel or major regional venue can run £15,000 to £50,000 or more. Build the budget from the venue outward, factor in VAT on venue and catering (typically 20% on standard-rated supplies), and keep platform and payment fees at £0 with Zeffy so they do not compound on top of every revenue line.
How long does it take to plan a charity gala from scratch?
Allow 12 months for a first gala. Experienced teams who have run the event before can sometimes compress to 8 to 9 months if key suppliers are already contracted. Rush a gala under 6 months and you risk a thin sponsor pipeline (companies need lead time to approve budgets), limited auction procurement, and a ticket campaign too short to build momentum. The 12-month timeline above is the minimum recommended runway for a first event.
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