Aspiration Event Guide
From wiki.aspirationtech.org
Contents |
Event Goals
This should address WHY this event is even taking place and WHAT is going to happen:
- What is the goal of the event?
- What is/are the outcome(s) hoped for?
- How will these be realized?
SAMPLE:
WHAT:Our goal is to help speed the dissemination of innovative practices and technology by skill and knowledge-sharing among participants. The overarching goal is to help civil society activists capitalize on the global wireless phone infrastructure for advocacy communications and organizing.
HOW:We will explore strategies and tactics for the use of cell phones as an organizing tool, and develop useable guidance for practitioners, donors and campaigners who can not attend.
These must be defined in no unceratin terms before the rest of the event can proceed. All marketing, PR, pitching for funding/sponsors, recruitment, and logistical decisions will branch off the ultimate goals and activities for the event.
See also http://facilitation.aspirationtech.org/index.php/Planning:Event_Goals
Partnerships
See also: [1]
See also: [http://facilitation.aspirationtech.org/index.php/Planning:Event_Roles
]
Budget
The budget is of course the starting point to know what is possible for venue, food, materials, amenities, and support for travel. NEED: Sample budget, How is the budget established? How to decide how much for what?
Agenda
More information on agenda formation is available here [2]
Logistics (Venue, Travel and Lodging, Food, Registration, Materials)
VENUE Sometimes, the venue can be provided direct by a partner with space that they have at their disposal, making the cost virtually nothing. In other cases, the venue will be selected from the professionally run event venues in the area.
In either case, these are the necessary considerations for selecting an event (other than cost)
The space
- Should be located in place that anyone can get to easily, through many different modes of transportation, and in a location that is safe and comfortable
- Really should be handicap accessible
- Should include a large room that can comfortably accomodate the larger group of attendees and adjacent "break out spaces" where smaller sets of participant can have discussions and collaborate without distracting each other.
- Should be well lit, preferably with at least some areas of natural light, and the ability to control lighting as needed(i.e. switches, blinds, etc.)
- Should be well ventilated and provide ability to control temperature as needed (i.e. thermostats,fans, windows that open or close)
- Should be equipped with the neccessary tables and chairs
- Should have ample electrical outlets as needed for computers, etc.
- Should have adjacent restrooms
- Should have someone on site or nearby resposnsible for the venue who can be contacted if a problem arrises
Other considerations:
- A convenient space for welcoming/registration
- Secure on site storage of materials if the event is for more than one day
- Ability to ship materials directly to venue in advance
- Proximity to copy shops, office supply stores, resturants--makes everyone's life easier!
- The space may need to have internet access depending the type of event and the agenda. Remember that computers and internet access are not essential to successful events, and in fact may prove counterproductive. While machines provide venues for demonstration and sharing, they also create a major distraction from dialog and pure human interaction. Consider this option carefully. In either case it is essntial that facilitators and participants know beforehand what they can expect.
- The space may need to be equipped with lcd projectors and projection screens. Usually with professional event venues, there is a hefty charge for these items, so it's best to try and get participants or partners to provide them if at all possible. It is good to know however, that they are avaialble if no other option exists.
- The space may need to be equipped with easels, flip charts, and the like. Usually with professional event venues, there is a hefty charge for these items, so it's best to try and get participants or partners to provide them if at all possible. It is good to know however, that they are available if no other option exists.
- The space may have regulations on signage-- and may even force you to adhere to very specfic formats in large corporate venues, find out beforehand!
- The space may have regulations on catering and outside food--find out what they are.
- If the space has an adjacent kitchenette area where food and drinks can be refridgerated and stored, with a sink and where you can make some hot water/coffee, it's a definite plus.
See also vendors/venues list
TRAVEL & LODGING
When budget permits and it strategically makes sense, we can provided reimbursment for transportation and lodging for certain attendees. Sometimes, if it is a multi-day event, we will even go so far as to reserve a room block at a nearby hotel, so as to get a good nightly rate.
It's best to have people book their own flights and other transportation,and reimburse them. However, if someone needs help with we certainly try to do so. If it makes sense, it is also good to arrange cab sharing or ride sharing, from the airport for those who will arrive around the same time.
Attendees traveling from abroad may also need assistance with entrance visas, usually they will need letters of invitation sent to the appropriate officials. Determine this as early as possible, as the proocess can take several weeks. They will also incure fees for visas, which we will reimburse them for, if the budget permits.
FOOD
Quality food and beverage really enhances any event. Keeping people fed and hydrated keeps productivity and collaboration at its maximum. And they really appreciate being taken care of in this regard, so it's just one more positive association with your event and organization.
Beverages: It's important to provide a steady supply of a range of beverages throughout the day. At minimum you need to have coffee/tea and water available at all times. Having soft drinks/juices is recommended. The best way to go about this is to provide as much of this directly as possible--it's better to NOT rely on caterers for the entire day's worth of beverage--it gets expensive. Getting cases of water and other drinks to have on hand from a supermarket or warehouse (i.e. Costco) is the best plan. If you can make coffee/ tea in quanity on site, so much the better. Otherwise you can arrange with breakfast and lunch caterers to supply you with enough for each meal plus extra.
Food: For most events, breakfast and lunch is provided as part of each day of the event. It is important to provide a range of choices to accomodate dietary needs at each meal. (It's also imporatnat to ask on your registration form for any information regarding dietary needs. It is essential to include choices suitable for vegans and vegetarians, as well as ominvores.
The suggested ratios (which should be adjusted based on registration info: Omnivores 30% Vegetarian 45% Vegan 25%
Breakfast: Bagels/pasteries and fruit for everyone is the most widely available and viable option. If you can provide yogurt, granola or something similar, even better. Make sure to order plenty of coffee (2 cups per person for breakfast plus extra for the break) with roughly 25% decaf and teas (regular and herbal). Also be sure to request utensils, cups, napkins, plates, cream, sugar, condiments such as butter/cream cheese/jam and serving utensils--they are usally included, but it's best to be sure.
Lunch: Most caterers do box lunches which consist of a sandwich, a side salad or chips, a desert, and a drink. This is a great option, especially for one day events. They are usally economical and provide people with options of where and how to eat. When you have a multiday event, you want to mix up the lunch menu for everyone (so the vegetarians aren't stuck with 3 days of grilled vegetables on spinach wrap for example). Lunch platters (for example: build your own sandwiches, a selection of salads, etc)and fruit and dessert platters are also a good bet to provide plenty of interesting and appropriate choices for everyone.
Snacks: It's a really good idea to have a variety of snack bars, candy, fruit such as apples,etc to keep people going. This can be bought the same time the beverages mentioned above form some retail outfit for the best price. It might also be posssible to get platters of cookies, etc from caterers.
Choosing Caterers: First, if possible ask your local partners and venue staff for suggestions of local caterers that they like and can recommend. In most casse this will provide you with an ample pool of reliable choices.
Crieria:
- Must be able to deliver where and when you need it, and set up
- Must be flexible in adjusting order numbers in the days leading up to the event
- Must be able to provide a range of affordable choices to accomodate dietary needs
- Should be able to accept payment before the event via credit card or invoice after so that payment is not part of the event day logistics
Prepare! Peruse menues beforehand to get a sense of what is available and what you would like to order and how much it will cost. The vast majority of caterers have menus online or can fax one to you. Make a menu for each day to compare side by side so that you have ample choices and no repitition on multi-day events.
When you call to inquire or place an order, make a list to have in front of you consisting of :
- The location, date, and time for delivery.
- Contact information for payment/questions prior to event
- Contact information the day of the event
- What you want to order-(inlcuding subsitutions and special requests, such as hold the cheese for the vegan sandwiches)- including beverages if you want them.
- Requests for labeling vegan and vegetarian items if applicable
- Requests for serving utensils and cups plates napkins etc
- ASK When the deadline is for you to change your order
- ASK What the final cost is
- Have credit card or payment info handy
- ASK for written order confirmation-via email or fax
- ASK for contact info to change order or if there is a problem the day of the event (if it's on a weekend the info may be different than Mon-Fri)
You should plan to place your order AT LEAST ONE WEEK BEFORE the event. Two-three weeks out is best. You will also need to plan to call the day before to confirm and/or adjust your order.
You should also note if a caterer is good or bad for future reference. See also vendors/venues list for caterers
REGISTRATION
Registration for most events takes place through an online form (current vendor: Democracy in Action) that dumps registrant info into a database for download. Whatever the method it is important to collect certain key information for all events:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Phone number(s)
- Street address
- City
- State (If applicable)
- Zip/Postal Code
- Country
- URLS for oraginzation and personal
- How they heard about the event
- Dietary needs or menu choices
- Other needs
- Skills, knowlegde, or euipment (i.e. lcd projector) to share
- Payment information
- Travel info (if apllicable)
MATERIALS All of the event materials should be of consistent design.
Folder labels, signage and name tags should include the event logo, if there is one (i.e. Penguin Day, Mobile Active), the Apsiration logo and partner logos. You may want the agenda to follow that format as well.
READABLE (writ: large names) name tags are perhaps the most important, so that participants can easily get to know one another.
You also need to make sure you have office supplies and other event supplies on hand, so you aren't running out to buy these during the event, or needing to pay high prices by having them supplied by the venue (i.e. $5 per individual flip chart marker).
See event files for templates and packing list
FOLLOW UP
Once the event is finshed, there are several things that need to be done in the days following the event. It's easier to do this things sooner, rather than later, so they aren't forgotten, and so that dteails are fresh in mind, and that any necessary materials, receipts, etc. are handy.
Thank-you notes should be sent to partners, funders, facillitators, attendees, and anyone else you can think of. They do not have to be long or elaborate, jsut a simple expression of appreciation.
Evaluations need to be tabulated, so that any immediate problems can be addressed, suggestions for the future can be used, and so that potential future partners can be identified.It also helps for cumulative information regarding attendees and outcomes. (see also[3]). See event files for sample evaluations, sample reports
Notes, summaries, and other follow up info need to be uploaded to the event wiki,(see http://penguinday.blueoxen.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl for an example) photos shold be shared if possible, via flickr, (see [4]). Outcomes may also be disemeninated to Aspiration mailing lists and the wider public if it seems useful or appropriate.
Honariaria and travel reimbursements need to be issued soon after then event so that expenses can be acurately reported. Registration fees need to be assessed to see who needs a reminder to pay, and so that income can be compared to expenses for the event.
Expenses need to be tabulated for the event. Reciepts and reimbursement requests need to be collected for our files, and a simple expense report generated. See events folder for expense report template.
Reports usually need to be generated for underwriters and funders and/or partners and for Aspiration purposes. Information from the evaluations, notes and pictures from the event, as well expense reports are all included. See evenst folder for sample post event report.
Marketing and Outreach
GOALS
Goals that need to be defined:
- Who is our audience?
- Who do we want to be there?
- Why do we want them to attend?
- Who do we want to know about the event through marketing/outreach (in other words, not just the attendees but those we want to "catch the buzz" such as funders, etc.)
METHODS
In most cases, ALL of these methods will be used in combination to promote the event.
Indirect External
- Posts to mailing lists, discussion groups, etc. MAiling/Discussion List Inventory
- Posts by affiliates/friends to local lists, blogs etc.
- Ads on other websites [5]
Indirect Internal
- Posts to Aspiration's websites and event mailing lists http://wiki.aspirationtech.org/index.php/Federated_sites_web_plan#Inventory_of_Sites.2C_Mailing_Lists.2C_and_Wikis
Direct
You may want sepcific key players to attend. Getting in touch with them personally will encourage them to attend for specific reasons, and allow you to offer enticements such as financial assiatnce with travel if need be--and also let you find out why they may not be attending (i.e. not because they don't like the idea, because they have a conflict of schedules.) You will also use this method when you are hosting an invitation only event. Email is sometimes the only way to initially get to people, but follow up phone calls add a human touch.
Sponsors and Underwriting
Goals The goal is to supplement attendance fees (if there are any) with sponsorship and underwriting to cover event costs, so that they a least break even, and hopefully actually provide income to support other activities. The evenst are already designed to run with minimal costs, the idea is to not have to cut anything else out contigent to an event occurring.
Getting Sponsors
A potential sponsor is most likely to agree to support an event if there is a strategic or programmatic interest of their that your event is relevant to.
In addtion to a good email/phone pitch, sponsor materials packets help outline the basics and provide a reference and guidelines for the relationship. See also [8] and event files for sample sponsorship materials.
It's important to keep track of who will do the pitching (the list may be devided among event partners)who you will pitch to, who you have pitched to and what the outcomes were. This will make reporting back to funders and other partners much more precise and could inform future seraches for sponsors (ex someone said they weren't intrested in sponsoring this event or this kind of event but would be intrested in xyz event, or could sponsor in the next quarter of fiscal year etc etc.
Media
In order to sucessfully pitch a story to the media, you have to find the topic to pitch that will make a compelling story. It's not about you, the organization, or the event, it's about what would make a good story.
For example the stories that were written before and after the Mobile Actove Convergence, had nothing to do with the event itself, but zeroed in on the use of political ringtones [9] and the use of text messaging to register voters [10]. Aspiration and the event are mentioned and linked to, but the stories aren't about Aspiration or Mobile Active. (note: the cnn story isn't online anymore, does someone have it archived as a pdf or something?)
Sample press releases [11]
See also [12]
When you are doinga major push of a press release and tryin to drum pu media coverage, you want to make sure to keep track of who you have contacted, so a call sheet is helpful there.
See eventsb folder for call sheets.
When exploring media outlets, you want to be sure to target reporters who actually write about topics relevant to what you are trying to pitch. Look at reporters and the stories they are writing that interest you. This will give you ideas about who to pitch and how to find the story to pitch.
