Laura Ward Of Houston Children's Charity On How To Run A Gala Like A Successful Business

What is the key to hosting a successful annual gala? Run it like a business.

No one is better suited to discuss this important, yet underdiscussed topic than Houston Children's Charity President & CEO Laura Ward and her enormously successful Houston Children's Charity Gala.

This year, Houston's most anticipated and successful fundraising gala turns 30 this year. Laura has been able to grow the gala to extraordinary heights by adopting business principles that have allowed her gala to grow and scale. The 2025 Houston Children's Charity Gala raised an incredible $9.4 million, and know in 2026, it will likely become a gala unicorn that will raise eight figures in a single night.

Laura provides her expert insights on a range of topics on running your gala as a business, including how bold, trusted leadership sets the pace for your gala, the importance of engaging your customer in "old school" ways, the thing you must do 100% with all gala stakeholders, and so much more. This episode is a must-listen for anyone trying to grow and scale their gala in a way that connects with donors and stakeholders so they give more of their resources to your event.