How to Run an Event
From HacDC Wiki
Note: non-public events are strongly discouraged at HacDC.
- Have an idea for an event. :)
- Plan where and how to present your content.
- The lab space (capacity: x people)
- Is there a working projector in the space?
- There are a couple of whiteboards you can use.
- The auditorium (capacity: y people)
- The sanctuary (capacity: z people)
- The lab space (capacity: x people)
- Assemble any necessary parts.
- Use the church's calendar if you want to use the church's auditorium, dining room, or sanctuary.
- Use the the HacDC event calendar (how to) to schedule a date and time. Please try not to overlap with other HacDC events. Also, please try to give potential participants at least a week's notice.
- Add the event description, including date and time and anything participants should bring, to Category:Classes.
- Publicize!
- Send an e-mail to HacDC's blabber@ (public) and members@ (members-only) mailing lists and possibly to Friends of HacDC.
- Blog it.
- Always include the what/where/when/FREE in your blog post. People think our events are for members only, and this isn't the case. We need to break this myth.
- Never "sign" your content, but feel free to talk in the first person.
- Write one or two grade levels below where you normally write. This is for people who don't read English at a native level who are reading our posts.
- Find a picture. If the only ones you have suck, use a Creative Commons picture from Flickr. (This helps drive more traffic to our page. Google DorkbotDC and laser if you don't believe me.)
- Find a video (to put at the end) that is mildly relevant to what you're doing. This also helps drive traffic.
- Please exercise some diligence! As illustrated in this example, a layperson's idea of "mildly relevant" can turn out to be be downright misleading. - Katie 15:50, 18 December 2008 (UTC)
- Send a tweet reminder. You can do this through Drupal.
- Consider notifying other groups whose members might be interested. One place to check is this list of DC-area geeky groups.
- Get it listed on DC Tech Events and, if possibly applicable to artists, send it to the DorkbotDC Blabber mailing list or let the overlord(s) know: dorkbotdc [at] dorkbot [dot] org.
- Post signs (e.g., on the red door) directing attendees who've never been to HacDC before.
- Run the event. Share your knowledge. Have fun. Take some pictures.
- How did it go? Blog it! Have suggestions for next time? Add them here!