Running the Event

This section covers recommended event structures and schedules, how to facilitate programming, and best practices for accomplishing work tasks at events.

Table of Contents

Possible Event Schedules

Announcements & Programming

Completing Work Tasks

Possible Event Schedules

This section includes some examples of schedules that can be used for different flavors of social events based on the maturity of campaign as well as immediate goals.

Social-Focused Schedule

This schedule prioritizes creating connections and helping canvassers feel less isolated. Announcements and a breakout session are done early on to break the ice.

• 5:30-6:00 Event starts, people arrive & socialize.

• 6:00-6:20 Announcements & frame breakout sessions.

• 6:20-6:30 Take a break to serve dinner.

• 6:30-7:15 Breakout sessions.

• 7:15-7:30 Whole group debrief: breakout groups can share stories with the whole group.

• 7:30-8:30 Casual socializing.

Work Party-Focused Schedule

For a social event centered around getting work done, the work itself can be a great icebreaker.

• 5:30-6:45 Kick off work tasks. As people arrive, they are sent directly to a workstation if they're interested in helping. Structure the station and tasks so that socializing is easy.

• 6:45-7:00 Take a break to serve dinner.

• 7:00-7:15 Announcements.

• 7:15-8:30 Open socializing & continue work. Many people will be eager to continue working and that should be encouraged.

Training-Focused Schedule

As the campaign and community matures, you are encouraged to introduce a training element into the social events. To protect the core goal of building community, trainings and teach-ins should not last more than 20-30 minutes.

• 5:30-6:15 Event starts, people arrive & socialize.

• 6:15-6:30 Icebreaker activity in groups (optional).

• 6:30-7:00 Break to serve dinner.

• 7:00-7:10 Announcements.

• 7:10-7:30 Training/teach-in.

• 7:30-8:30 Casual socializing.

Announcements & Programming

Announcements

The goal of this portion of the event is to inspire enthusiasm for the campaign by sharing exciting progress, showing recognition through shoutouts, and getting people fired up to contribute to the campaign’s goals. Announcements should include:

• Provide updates on key campaign statistics

  • Number of signatures reached

  • Percent to signature goal and pacing

  • Other core goals and progress toward OKRs

• Invite shoutouts to other campaign members in the group. Start with your own shoutout(s)

  • Community members who are going above and beyond

  • People excelling in their roles or at canvassing

  • People who recently made creative contributions other than canvassing

  • Celebrate the contributions of anyone leaving or moving away

• Explain each role for the social, shout out the community members filling them, and invite people to volunteer to fill them for next time. Ask people to raise their hands to indicate interest in helping

• Call to Action

  • What the campaign needs most right now, and how people can directly contribute (be as specific as possible!)

• Get people excited to sign up for shifts! Ask people to take out their phones and sign up right then and there

• Once you’re done with announcements, take your laptop around the room soliciting people to sign up to shifts

Programming & Breakout Sessions

Breakout groups can be helpful both in fostering connections between community members, and for the sharing of ideas as it relates to the campaign. Here are some recommendations for how to run these breakout sessions:

• Start breakout groups earlier in the event, as this helps to break the ice and form connections among attendees (~30 minutes to an hour after the event starts).

• Instruct people to break into small groups of 3-4, rather than larger groups that don’t allow people to talk or connect as much.

• Provide specific prompts for people to discuss.

  • ~4 prompts is good. We want to spark lively discussion and allow enough time for people to discuss each topic and share their ideas

• Prompt ideas include:

  • Inspiring stories while petitioning

  • Frustrating stories while petitioning

  • Things you are struggling with or need advice on

  • Things you learned (what worked, what didn’t)

• Spend about 20-45 minutes in breakout group discussions before bringing things back to the larger group. Play the timing by ear: if most groups are still enthusiastically sharing, you can extend it.

• See if each small group is willing to share one idea, learning, or piece of advice that could benefit the larger group.

• It may be helpful to create a shared document that people can add tips to. This can be pinned in Slack and promoted so that people use it as they continue campaigning.

  • Capture any key learnings from this discussion and add them to the document

Completing Work Tasks

Leveraging social events to accomplish time-consuming, repetitive tasks can help prevent these tasks from occupying too much of organizers’ time, allowing them to fulfill other crucial functions of the campaign. When we break large-scale tasks up among many people, it can save a lot of time!

• As mentioned in the Event Roles section, the role of Workstation Director can be delegated.

  • This should be assigned to someone who is well-versed in the tasks you are asking them to direct in order to ensure quality control

• If the role is delegated, coordinate with the assigned Workstation Director to select a work task for the event based on the campaign’s current priorities.

• There are some ideas for work event tasks later in this section

• If delegated, coordinate with the Workstation Director to let them know what materials you’ll be bringing based on the agreed upon work focus

  • Here is a checklist of the items needed for various work tasks

Tips for Balancing Socializing & Working

It is important to ensure you are striking a balance between socializing and working so that people don’t feel put off by what is being asked of them.

• Set up workstations and let people offer to help!

  • Allow work tasks to be completed on a voluntary basis. You would be surprised by how many people are looking to help, or looking to keep busy during the freeform section of the event

• Keep the tasks relatively basic and repetitive. This will allow for people to chat and socialize while completing the work

• Try to rotate out people where possible so the same group isn’t working for most of the event

Ideas for Work Event Tasks

• Creating petitioner kits

  • Stapling petition packets

  • Numbering petitions

  • Laminating petitioning sheets (for backs of clipboards)

  • Putting new petitioner clipboards together

• Deep canvassing & promotional tasks

  • Text banking

  • Making buttons & stickers

  • Folding leaflets

  • Cutting out spray paint stencils