Organizer Tip 001 - 4-2-1-1 PR

[Douglas E. Welch]

This is the first in series of organizer tips I am going to offer up here, and I would love to hear your organizer tips, too. Please add your comments to these, pro, con, indifferent. While I am an organizer I don't consider myself an expert in any way, so you are not going to hurt my feelings. (SMILE) -- Douglas

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The 4-2-1-1 method for getting the word out

As an attendee for many events, one of the most frustrating experiences for me is learning about an event only days (or hours) beforehand. With so much happening in here in LA, I need advance notice to insure that my favorite events get placed in my calendar and prevent me from scheduling other, probably less interesting, events in their place.

Since I dislike the problem myself, over the years I have instituted the 4-2-1-1 method of publicizing my events. It is goal and I don't always achieve it myself, but I think it is important to attempt it.

4-2-1-1 stands for the timing of your event announcements -- 4 weeks before, 2 weeks before, 1 week before and 1 day before the event. I know, I know, some might think this is overkill and for your group it might be. You have to gauge your audience, but I find that 4-2-1-1 seems to bring in the largest group of people for each event. If your event is held on the same day each month, you could probably get away with the 2 week or 1 week notice as folks might have the repeating dates already in their calendar.

At a minimum, I consider the 4 week and the 1 week notices the most important of all. Notice 4 weeks ahead allows people to mark something out on their calendar before it starts to get cluttered with other events and reminding them 1 week before gives them a kick to get them out the door and to your event.

What do you think?

Douglas

--
New Media Interchange

Bringing New Media to Everyone

http://newmediainterchange.com

[Thomas Edwards]

I think the 4 week and 1 week notice is a good idea, but I find that
people might get upset if they get four notices for a meeting on a
mailing list.

Dorkbot chapters generally have an "announce" email list that is
limited to official meeting notices, and a "blabber" list for general
discussion (and perhaps those other repeated meeting minutes). Those
who get too much email might skip the "blabber" list and just be on
the "announce" list.

By the way, does anyone have a good list of college & university
newspaper press contacts for the LA area? In DC I found that useful
in pulling students into meetings, as they often are living in a
"separate world" on campus.

-Thomas

[Douglas E. Welch]

Yes, you have to adjust it for your audience, that is sure. 

The college and university press contacts list is a great idea. If we don't find a comprehensive one, this would certainly be something very useful for us to create. Thanks for the idea!

Douglas

[Amanda Abelove]

I think I am adding that to my organizers guide for Scrum Club.

On Sun, Jan 4, 2009 at 1:17 PM, Douglas E. Welch <dou...@welchwrite.com> wrote: