Events
Want to create an Event? Sounds awesome. Here's how you can get started.
Initial Steps
- First, gauge interest in your class (mailing list, Slack, Posting a survey to the UAS website, or just shouting ideas are all good methods), Three to four interested members is generally enough to get 8+ through the door on the first meeting.
- Decide what you want and don't want to teach. Set a scope that makes sense to you.
- Come up with a good name.
- This can't be stressed enough. A good name can make the difference between one attendee and a room of attendees.
Establish a Date
- Pick a day and time that works for you and has space available on the calendar.
- Ask keys@unallocatedspace.org to add your event to the calendar.
- Warning! Don't try to ask the mailing list for a date that "works for everyone" down that path lies madness and obnoxiously long threads with no definitive answers.
- Pick a day at least two (or more) weeks in the future so you can generate interest and people can plan to attend.
- If your event conflicts with another event on the calendar, TALK THAT EVENT HOST TO MAKE SURE ITS FINE.
Write up a class description:
- Write something concise but honest, and make sure to include the following things at the bottom of your post (seriously, use this exact format or you're going to get a lot of dumb questions from people who can't read anything not in bullet points):
- Who: who the class is intended for (the public, members only, beginners, intermediate, etc)
- Where it is (if not posting to the blog, or if the event is taking place outside of UAS)
- When it is
- What you'll be teaching, what the event is about, etc
- What equipment is necessary
- Find an appropriate picture to go along with your description (because all blog posts must have pictures!)
Draw attention to your class:
- In everyone's fantasy world, you just put something on the calendar and hundreds of people flood into your event to sit at rapt attention while you expound intelligently on [insert class subject here]. That can happen, but you need to do some marketing first.
- Post your class description to at the very, very least the following places (this is minimum effort):
- The UAS Website
- Meetup
- The calendar
- Other places you may want to consider:
- Facebook, make an event.
- Other local hackerspaces' mailing lists
- Enthusiast mailing lists that talk about stuff you're interested in
- Eventbrite or similar
- Make blog / similar blogs
Create A Roster of Attendees
- You'll need to know how many people are coming
- You may want to send out any special instructions ahead of time
- Give your attendees a way of contacting you directly
On the Day of Your Event
- Show up early to make sure everything is in order for your event. Only you know how long that will take.
- Make it easy for people to find you.
- Host your event! Share your enthusiasm for the subject!
After the Event
- Make sure your event doesn't leave a mess. Clean up. Take down signs, and make sure the door is firmly closed and locked if you had it unlocked/open.
- Get feedback from your attendees: what did they get out of the event? What do they think should be done differently? Talk to flay about making an exit survey if you're interested.
- Post a minutes or event post-mortem to let people know what to do next
For Members Attending
Be respectful of your friends. Let them teach their class and limit heckling, especially in new events.
Seating
If you don't mind where you sit during an event night, its good to leave some room in the front of the space open for new attendees. If you do mind, sit where you like. You work hard here.
Here is a guideline seating arrangement if don't mind where you sit.
Whiteboard / Projector Screen
Presenter
Key | Noob | Noob | Noob
Key | Noob | Noob | Noob
Key | Open | Open | Open
Open | Open | Open | Open
Key/Open | Key/Open | Key/Open | Key/Open
I-AM-THE-FRONT-DOOR