🤝 10 Ways to Host an Event Respectfully on Martha’s Vineyard
Thoughtful ways to hire local, give back, and leave a positive impact
Martha’s Vineyard is an incredible place to host an event, pop up, brand activation, retreat, wedding, or gathering. I love seeing new people bring creative ideas to the Island.
I also think there are thoughtful ways to make sure your event includes and supports the community you are arriving to. There are people here working year round to make this Island special. If you are planning something on Martha’s Vineyard, here are 10 ways I would encourage you to approach it:
🤝 Hire Island vendors whenever you can
There is an incredible network of people on Martha’s Vineyard who already know how to make things happen here. Before bringing every vendor over from off Island, see if a local photographer, planner, caterer, florist, musician, rental company, transportation provider, or other Island business can fill the role.
Lis’s Tips: when working with island vendors, give them at least 2 months notice! This will ensure you can get fit into their schedule.
🎨 Pay Island creatives for their work
If you want Martha’s Vineyard represented in your branding, invitations, signage, merchandise, or social content, consider commissioning someone who actually creates here. Hire a local artist, license an Island photographer’s image, or work with a designer who knows the place rather than treating Vineyard imagery as something free to borrow.
Lis’s Tips: on channels like Visit Martha’s Vineyard, note which photographers images you like and then look to see who is tagged. Reach out and describe the type of image you’d like to license, it’ll be a great nod to local talent and make your flyer beautiful! For video reach out to creators and see their rate for producing a reel with island B-roll for you.
📣 Include Island creators and community voices
If you are inviting media, influencers, creators, or tastemakers to your event, save some space for people who are already part of the Vineyard community. There are local writers, photographers, creators, business owners, and organizations who spend all year sharing and supporting what happens here.
Remember that Martha’s Vineyard is also a diverse, multilingual community, including a large Brazilian and Portuguese-speaking population. Consider translating invitations, flyers, social posts, or other outreach into Portuguese so more of the Island community can actually hear about and participate in what you’re creating.
🛍️ Source locally before bringing everything over
Welcome bags, gifts, flowers, food, favors, merchandise, and other event details are all opportunities to put some of your event spending back into the Island economy. You can introduce your guests to Martha’s Vineyard businesses at the same time.
Lis’s Tips: Tote Bags from Toteally Yours, chocolate from Salt Rock, zucchini bread from Morning Glory, flowers from Donaroma’s are some of my favorites to receive over and over again.
🍽️ Make a plan for leftover food
Before the event, think about what will happen to food that is still safe and usable when everything wraps up. Depending on what you have, there may be an opportunity to share it with staff, volunteers, a community fridge, food pantry, or another Island organization rather than throwing it away.
Lis’s Tips: the Island Food Pantry can accept closed food, Red House Peer Recovery Center can receive food donations I believe, there is a Free Fridge at the Hospital, or just ask in Free Stuff Martha’s Vineyard Facebook Groups.
💐 Give event leftovers a second life
Flowers, décor, furniture, clothing, merchandise, and other event materials do not necessarily need to leave on the ferry or end up in the trash. Consider whether flowers could brighten a local senior living community or whether usable items could be donated to a thrift shop, the family center, or another Island organization.
Lis’s Tips: Second Bloom MV does repurposed flowers! Or reach out to the Council on Aging in your town.
❤️ Support an Island nonprofit or community organization
If Martha’s Vineyard is helping make your event special, I love the idea of directing a little of that benefit back into the community. That might mean making a donation, including a nonprofit partner, sponsoring something, or simply introducing your guests to an Island cause worth knowing about. If you’re not sure which organization is the best fit, the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce is a great connector.
Lis’s Tips: I love to donate to the Red Stocking Fund, Island Grown Initiative and MV Clothes to Go!
🗓️ Know what is already happening on the Island
Martha’s Vineyard has a very full community calendar, especially in the summer. Before choosing your date, take a look at what local organizations, businesses, festivals, and nonprofits already have planned so you understand what you are arriving into.
📍 Help your guests understand the Island they’re visiting
Your event may take place at one venue, but your guests will be navigating the entire Island. Help them understand ferries, transportation, parking, beaches, towns, restaurants, local etiquette, and the basics of getting around before they arrive.
MVacay’s customizable Host Guide is designed for exactly this. Hosts can purchase a guide, personalize it for their event or group, and give guests a local resource to help them feel oriented while also directing them toward Island businesses and experiences.
🌊 Leave the Island better than you found it
Martha’s Vineyard is a year round community that people work very hard to sustain. You do not have to be from the Vineyard to create something meaningful here. I just hope that when you do, some of your attention, spending, exposure, and resources stay with the Island and the people who make it the place you wanted to come to in the first place ❤️
Have a question about hosting something on Martha’s Vineyard or need help finding the right local resource? Email me at info@mvacay.com and I’m happy to help point you in the right direction.