Webinar Recap: Passes for Fall Events

Fall is a season full of opportunities for community engagement; from pumpkin patches and football games to shopping trails and spooky tours. To help communities take advantage of the season, we hosted our Passes for Fall Events webinar.

If you joined live, thanks for spending time with us! If you missed it, here’s a full recap of what we covered!

Why Communities Are Turning to Passport Challenges

We kicked things off by talking about why Passport Challenges are such a natural fit for fall programming:

• They drive measurable foot traffic to local businesses and attractions.
• They boost local spending, as participants make impulse purchases while checking in.
• They are easy to market with built-in seasonal themes like pumpkin spice, Halloween, or shop local.
• They engage all ages, from families with kids to young professionals.
• They are sponsor-friendly, offering easy ways to include logos, naming rights, and prize sponsorships.
• And best of all: they’re flexible and affordable — communities can set them up for a single weekend or run them all season long.

Seasonal Ideas We Shared in the Webinar

One of the most popular sections of the webinar was our rundown of fall-themed Passport ideas. We grouped them into different categories so organizers can mix and match depending on their audience:

🍁 Seasonal & Family-Friendly

• Pumpkin Passport: Check in at pumpkin patches, coffee shops with pumpkin spice specials, or bakeries.
• Fall Flavors Trail: A food-and-drink challenge featuring apple cider, pies, and seasonal beers.
• Harvest Festival Passport: Stops at farmers markets, orchards, and harvest events.
• Leaf Peepers Passport: A self-guided tour of fall foliage, hikes, and scenic drives.

🎃 Spooky & Halloween

• Trick-or-Treat Trail: Downtown businesses hand out candy as families check in.
• Haunted History Hunt: Explore ghost tours, historic sites, and storytelling spots.
• Boo & Brew Passport (21+): Breweries and bars offering seasonal cocktails.
• Monster Mash-Up: A gamified hunt for mascots or inflatables hidden at local businesses.

🏈 Sports & Spirit

• Friday Night Lights Passport: Pair high school football games with local business check-ins.
• Team Spirit Trail: Businesses offer discounts for fans in school or team colors.

🍂 Shopping & Local Business

• Fall Into Local Shopping: Boutiques, bookstores, and gift shops for holiday prep.
• Holiday Prep Passport: Partner with salons, spas, and clothing shops.
• Small Biz Saturday Warm-Up: Run through November to build momentum.

🎨 Arts, Culture & Heritage

• Harvest & Handmade Passport: Craft fairs, artisan markets, and studio tours.
• Fall Film or Theater Trail: Highlight playhouses or festivals.
• Cultural Heritage Passport: Celebrate museums or cultural centers in honor of Native American Heritage Month.

Features Demoed During the Webinar

Chelsey and Melinda walked through how Proxi makes running these events easy. Some highlights:

• Recurring check-ins: Reward participants who return multiple times.
• Awards and badges: Motivate progress with themed rewards.
• Leaderboards: Track participants and businesses for fun competition.
• Photo feeds: Let participants upload snapshots along the way.
• Messaging: Send automated email or SMS reminders at key moments (registration, check-in, awards).

These features not only make Passports fun, but also give organizers real data to report back to businesses and sponsors.

What Organizers Said

Attendees in the webinar, from chambers of commerce to community nonprofits, shared that they are excited about Passports because they:

• Replace clunky “shop hop” formats with easy QR check-ins.
• Open new sponsorship opportunities with branded maps and prizes.
• Are simple to run repeatedly (monthly, seasonally, or annually).
• Come at an affordable price point with strong support from the Proxi team.

Best Practices for Running a Successful Passport

We wrapped up with a set of best practices that came directly from both our experience and the communities already running Passports:

• Offer compelling prizes: Think gift cards, VIP passes, or baskets of local goods.
• Open registration 30+ days in advance: Build buzz early.
• Secure sponsorships: Sponsors help cover costs, provide prizes, and expand reach.
• Use QR codes for check-ins: Simple, contactless, and familiar.
• Communicate across channels: Pair email and SMS for maximum participation.
• Keep it time-bound: A weekend, week, or month creates urgency.
• Promote through businesses: Provide signage and shareable posts to spread the word.
• Highlight community impact: Remind participants they’re keeping dollars local.
• Collect and share results: Report check-ins and visits back to sponsors and stakeholders.

Key Takeaways

Fall is one of the easiest times to run a Passport Challenge, thanks to built-in seasonal themes, strong sponsor opportunities, and wide community appeal. With Proxi, you can:

• Engage participants with fun, family-friendly activities.
• Support and spotlight local businesses.
• Provide measurable ROI to sponsors.
• Create events that are repeatable year after year.

Watch the Replay

Whether you’re planning a Pumpkin Passport, a Trick-or-Treat Trail, or a Small Biz Saturday warm-up, Proxi makes it simple to bring your community together this fall.

👉 Watch the webinar replay here to see all the ideas and demos in action.

👉 Or, schedule a demo with our team and let’s make your fall events unforgettable.