Since now it has become fashionable to be the organizer of various kinds of seminars, conferences and master classes, but for many this is a new occupation and they are organizing for the first time in order to reduce the number of crowded cones, I asked the organizer of the Alternatives photo festival Alexey Popov to share experience and write for Habralyude a small technical guide on the organization and conduct of master classes ( anyone interested can read and habratopik about the festival ).

Hello, dear Habrausers!

This article will not write how to find a team, come up with topics for master classes and agree with the leaders, where and for how much to rent the premises and equipment, and where to get money for the organizational part - imagine that you have all this.

This article is rather a generalized algorithm for conducting workshops, seminars, open lectures and other similar events, designed for an audience of 30 to 300 people.

It is possible that everyone may have their own additions and clarifications to what is written, but the main points should generalize the process of preparing and conducting events directly.

The main stages of the organization:

1. Engaging and alerting audiences
2. Exploring the place
3. Making a list of necessary
4. Preliminary preparation of the venue
5. Event holding
6. Gather feedback and analysis
7. Afterword and Summary

1. Attraction and notification of the audience

Any organizer has a double responsibility - firstly, to the audience for the quality of the event, and, secondly, to an invited lecturer or master of the workshop for the number of audience. Since the first part requires writing a separate article, we will only touch on the second part. In order to gather an audience, the most effective communication channels are needed. They should be fully consistent with the interests of the audience and easy to convey information. It can be posters, announcements in target media, publications on the Internet and so on. But the choice of channels and their use must be approached very responsibly, in particular when using Internet resources, it is necessary to respect their rules and not make announcements where they will be superfluous, although this can also be applied to almost everything including posters or razdatka.

Do not forget that at the same time you must control how well your information is distributed - pre-registration can give this data. I note that if your event is free, then such data cannot accurately reflect the number of people who will come to the event, but only give an understanding of how effectively you act.

Equally important is the correct communication of the time, place and program of the event. Do not be too lazy to draw an entrance map (as an alternative, you can use online map services) and describe in detail the words how to get to the venue, as if the description would be addressed to your grandmother living in another city.

Send letters to all registrants and you can remind them on the day of the event with a short letter or a call that you are waiting for their arrival.

2. Exploring the place

Most of the organizers not only go to the venue of their event for a long time before the event, but also try to get as much useful information as possible - the area of ​​the room, the presence of lighting (windows and lamps), the passage scheme inside the building, the location of the toilets where you can and can be placed pointers where there are outlet groups and their voltage. Will additional equipment be needed and is it in place or should it be ordered separately.

You should carefully collect (it is advisable that you already have something like a small questionnaire with you) and analyze all the information about the place. A big plus will be if you can attend another event that will take place in front of yours in order to look around in an environment close to “combat”. After that, in accordance with the format of the event, you should consider how the space will be formatted - where the speaker will stand, how the participants will be located, where to place the equipment, banners and the registration desk, if any. Then proceed to the formation of a list of necessary funds.

3. Making a list of necessary

Here is an almost standard set of equipment that is usually required for a master class:

• laptop (check for CD / DVD, USB ports and projector);
• projector;
• projector screen;
• microphones (by the number of speakers simultaneously and, if possible, at least one spare). A big plus will be if the microphones are not only wireless, but also head-mounted;
• speakers and necessary amplifiers;
• power cords and extension cords (with a margin);

If it’s difficult to get to the venue, make the required number of pointers (ideally, a person approaching one sign should see the next). Do not forget to take tape, buttons, scissors or stationery knives.

If you want to have data on exactly how many people came to the event, prepare lists of registered and empty sheets for registration. Prepare an event schedule to place it in a conspicuous place. It is advisable to prepare press releases, in case you are interested in your event.

Provide the opportunity to reserve several seats for the press, presenters, important guests, organizers (as well as friends, acquaintances, relatives or those people who will definitely come and you would not like them to stand), for this, make signs with the words "Reserved" on the seats.

Do not forget that the organizers should be visible and stand out from all who came - this can be achieved with T-shirts with inscriptions (or simply bright in one color) or badges.

You should also consider the availability of water and cups for speakers (a new bottle of water should be prepared for each of them).

Well, if you want to leave a memory for yourself or those who come, take a camera or video camera (with a tripod, two sets of batteries and enough memory or tapes), but rather, invite people who are in this pro.

Prepare light music for those who come in advance. For example, I like Coldplay.

4. Preliminary preparation of the venue

In advance (depending on the format of the event, this word can accommodate different time periods, but it means one thing - the main thing is that you have time) before the event, you should come to the place and look around - is everything now in the same condition as you described earlier and is there nothing freelance or a new one did not form?

If everything is “standard”, then according to a clear algorithm and a previously distributed range of tasks, hang up posters and signs, prepare the room (provide fresh air, turn on / off the light), connect the equipment. It is important that you have enough time to repair or replace any part, in case the sockets do not work or one of the devices fails.

All presentations should also be checked in advance. On this equipment. Often there are times when the presenter simply didn’t have a presentation or video file, because the program or codec that was not needed was not found.

If you need the Internet for the event, check its operation in this room and have at least two connection options.

Always keep track of time.

5. Event holding

This moment can be considered the final exam - because it will clearly show how well you have done all the previous points of the algorithm.

At the same time, your main task is to conduct those who have come to their places and before the start of the main part of the event to provide them comfort and light background music. And when the time comes, announce the beginning of the main part, introduce yourself, thank everyone for their interest in the event, say a small introductory word, which contains brief information about the event (for those who came to you just by chance, but there are certainly if the event is closed to the elite), announce the presenter and his theme and enjoy the action.

In addition, you must maintain order among the visitors and perform the function of an information and reference service. Be careful and courteous - every member of your team is her face.

After the main part, your task is to help participants get out by learning some of their opinions. And also it is necessary to ensure the former order in the room and assemble the equipment. And do not forget to remove posters and signs - if you leave, others will not need them. The better you react to the premises, the more likely they are that they will not refuse to hold a new event in it.

6. Gathering feedback and analysis

Try to get audience feedback that will indicate your mistakes - this will help you make events better. For reviews, you can provide a book of reviews, detachable parts on invitations (in this case, it is desirable to provide participants with the means for writing), oral reviews after the event (this item can be entered into the program as an “open dialogue with the organizers” or asked about it directly during the event) . Alternatively, you can ask participants to simply write emails.

Remember, reviews can be either positive or negative, while the latter are much more valuable and take criticism with gratitude, because a person spends time pointing out a mistake that you will definitely correct in the future.

Analyze all the reviews and highlight the main mistakes. You should also pay special attention to the advice, ideas and recommendations from the participants - many of them will become finds for you and your activity.

7. Afterword and debriefing

Often the event does not end with its holding.
It should be remembered that from a week to a month after its holding, notes, publications and reviews about it will appear in the information field. Therefore, you will have to monitor the media and the Internet, and also respond to every statement - either thankfully or trying to smooth out negative reviews (and there will be such).

In addition, if you have the opportunity, be sure to post the results of the event, materials and presentations of the presenters, photos or videos about the event.

PS

I hope that the writing will be useful to novice organizers, and more experienced ones will be able to supplement everything that I could miss in the comments.

Good luck and new projects! :)