With many in-person events returning, it’s wonderful to see things returning to somewhat normal. As a community organizer, I am actively thinking about the return of in-person tech events. I know I’m not the only one tired of video calls.
The last time I ran an in-person event was for International Women’s Day (IWD) in March of 2020. It feels surreal realizing that there were about 100+ people in attendance for a three hour event featuring a keynote and panel. On the food and beverage side, we had catering trays (sandwiches, salads, falafel) delivered which included cupcakes.
In person events have way more moving parts compared to online. They don’t require an event space being booked, catering to order and setup, or no worry of a speaker running late because of traffic (amongst other problems). That being said, in-person events are so much more fun and enjoyable. There’s the joy of seeing old acquaintances or meeting new people, checking out the office space of a company, or the ability to have a lively discussion (online has yet to perfect this).
With all that in mind, I am sharing what I’ve learned hosting in-person events as a volunteer. Here’s a few of my tips for hosting a memorable event:
Catering - if the budget allows and time willing, it’s a good idea to get a diversity of foods ordered as this covers restrictions, allergies or sensitivities. If I have the time, I try to order from more than one company to cover different cuisines.
Event location - should the event location change from the original posted location, it’s good to send an email out immediately informing attendees. At one event I ran, attendees didn’t see the change in location and went to the wrong location (Meetup keeps things up to date, but for whatever reason Eventbrite didn’t).Also, if possible, ask if the original location can post a sign advising people of the change, and where to go.
Speakers - there are speakers who have time constraints which can be challenging as events rarely go exactly to the minute. I try to find speakers that don’t have time constraints. If they do, I schedule them to speak first.
Volunteers - are great to have for events where there are many logistics to cover. I like to assign tasks beforehand so volunteers know what I need them to do as they arrive. Duties have included staffing the welcome table, setting up the catering, and putting up decorations, signs etc.
Swag - for a free event, in my experience, people are happy with stickers. Other than that a few prizes, catering and meeting new people leaves most, if not everyone, satisfied.
I’ll be sharing more of the tidbits of in-person events in the coming months!