Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation Presents: Night of Spectacles Fashion Show

The Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation hired The Highsmith Group (THG) to make their 6^th Annual Night of Spectacles event even more successful than the ones preceding. The foundation increases awareness and raises money to provide vision services to uninsured Georgians. This includes provision of eyeglasses, eye surgeries, full eye exams and vision screenings. The Night of Spectacles event is a fashion show held annually to entertain guests while supporting the cause. Emerging fashion design students from all over Georgia made dresses from recyclable eyewear for the show. The event, chaired by Emory Eye Center’s Chair of Ophthalmology Timothy W. Olsen, M.D., and his wife Virginia, took place at Buckhead Theatre where over 550 attendees were accommodated.

THG was presented with the challenge to promote the event and to increase awareness, interest and involvement. Community outreach was the main focus for the event, in which THG focused on social media strategies and media relations. The event was promoted through various forms of social media, which included a THG “twitterview” with one of the show’s fashion designers. WSB-TV’s People to People and Neighborhood provided pre-coverage for the event, and THG ensured post coverage as well. Implementing a step and repeat and photographers to the event made the Night of Spectacles an on site networking success! THG contacted WNBA Atlanta Dream star Yelena Leuchanka who served as a guest judge for the fashion show.

WSB-TV’s People to People and Neighborhood Newspaper provided pre-coverage for the event grossing over $6,000 in publicity dollars and 30,000 impressions.  The fashion show raised more than $214,000. The methods and techniques THG used to attract and inform the public created a buzz that contributed to the ongoing goal the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation has to provide vision services to those who are unable to provide for themselves.