Tips for Running a Successful Educational Event:
Prepared By Sarah Lang, Talent Specialist, Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation
- Organize and plan ahead at least 90 days
- designate a logistics person for leading up to event
- designate a point person for the day of the event (can be same person)
- Be sure to include high level (mission; the big “why” we are doing this) and low level (specific action items/takeaways) in each event
- Be clear about your audience and how you are getting the word out to them
- This includes your messaging about the event (help save the planet vs help save yourself/family money)
- Throw multiple events but with some modifications. This keeps the regulars coming back and allows new people not to miss everything by not attending some past events
- FOOD. That’s it. Provide it.
- Partner with other organizations for sponsorship ($) or quality trainers
- Go to other similar events to learn what to do and what not to do (don’t reinvent the wheel)
- About Promotion:
- Start at least 90 days out
- Think about different avenues of promotion (town calendar, town newsletter, local newspaper, social media platforms)
- With Social Media: tag other partners and organizations who will be participating in the day; ask them to share it with their networks on social media (and newsletters)
- Give attendees outcomes or takeaways: report out after event (that can look like sharing presentations, sharing contact information, a summary report); identify actionable items that people can do the next day!
- Provide hands on presentations or workshop style events (presentations are good for information, but people get sick of being talked at. They want to DO!)