Hosting Events

[#1]

Events are powerful opportunities for learning, building relationships, developing ideas, and finding inspiration. While in-person events can be especially impactful, online events can be equally effective by following similar patterns. Successful event hosting involves preparation, execution, and follow-up.

Pre-Event Preparation:

• The planning team needs to connect and plan the event details: set a date, find a venue (or online platform), arrange logistics, and plan the content. Refer to the event strategy and pre-event planning checklist section. 

Event Set-Up:

• Allocate sufficient time to set up the space. For physical events, this includes AV setup, signage, furniture arrangement, and catering. For virtual events, ensure media and presenters are queued up and ready.

Arrival and Welcome:

• A warm welcome is crucial, especially for newcomers. This sets the tone for the event. Help attendees feel comfortable by orienting them to the space and introducing them to others.

The Event:

• Every event agenda has a beginning, middle, and end:
  • Beginning: Bring attendees together, set intentions and goals, and convey the agenda.
  • Middle: Facilitate the core activities and interactions that fulfill the event's purpose.
  • End: Conclude the event, summarize key points, and set intentions for future actions.

Post-Event Clean-Up and Capture:

• Collect presentations, photos, and notes from the event. For physical events, ensure the venue is cleaned up. This is also an excellent time to debrief with the planning team and engage with any remaining attendees.

Follow-Up Communications:

• Send a summary email or post-event update with pictures, presentation files, videos, and notes. Highlight the next steps and future meetings. Follow up individually with presenters and key connections. You might want to consider recording the meeting and then using AI to transcribe and highlight the key points to ensure you don't miss anything. 

Recurring Events and Meetings:

• Recurring meetings should follow a similar structure and help establish a rhythm for the community. Post-event follow-up can inform pre-event preparation for future meetings.

Large Events:

• For large, multi-day events, maintain a consistent structure with each day fitting into the overall event arc

Pre-event planning checklist

Beforehand:

Effective pre-event planning requires the planning team to:

• Set a Date & Topic: Determine when and what the event will focus on.
• Craft an Agenda: Create a flow for the event and practice or prototype parts if necessary.
• Find a Venue or Online Platform: Ensure the chosen space can be configured to meet your needs. Consider venues like offices, bars/restaurants, and schools/classrooms.
• Arrange Logistics: Plan for food, ticketing, supplies, budget, sponsors, and promotional items like stickers and schwag.
• Invite and Market: Send out invitations and promote the event via email and social media. Share the agenda beforehand to pique interest and set expectations. Consider creating a hashtag for the event.
• Plan Activities: Based on event goals, arrange for speakers, organize panels, draft conversation prompts, and plan exercises. Ensure everything is ready on time.
• Clarify Roles and Responsibilities: Assign tasks for day-of logistics such as setup, greeting attendees, and cleanup.

For recurring meetings held at regular intervals in the same space, logistical planning becomes more streamlined.

For large events like hackathons, trainings, or conferences, this type of planning can take months and involve multiple teams.

Day-of / On-Site

Physical Events:

• Set up signage, furniture, AV equipment, food, a welcome/registration area, and nametags.

Virtual Events:

• Ensure media is queued up, presenters are prepared and present, and both AV and event tech are working as expected.

Setting up the space thoughtfully and collaboratively can help you become a more grounded host, reducing stress when attendees arrive.

Create an Event Hosting Toolkit

Consider building a portable kit to help you host events, including:

• Signage
• Swag (e.g., stickers)
• Nametags and pens
• Flipcharts and markers
• Video cameras/webcams
• Microphones
• Speakers

Event Facilitation

Here are tips to facilitate a smooth and impactful event that meets your goals and provides a positive experience for attendees.

Arrival & Welcome:

• If there’s time to mingle before the program starts, introduce people to initiate conversations and relationships in pairs or small groups. Providing food and drinks can support this.
• Designate greeters or members to welcome newcomers. A welcome table is ideal for this and can also display flyers or promotional items like stickers.

The Beginning:

• The beginning is when you gather attendees, set intentions and goals, and outline the agenda.

It may include:

• A welcome statement from a host, including your group’s mission.
• Acknowledgment of norms, agreements, or logistics for the event.
• Introducing guests and newcomers.
• Thanking sponsors.
• Community announcements.
• An ice-breaker activity, potentially involving mingling.

The Middle:

• The middle is where the core activities take place. Once attendees are oriented, facilitate the main objectives of the event.

It may include:

• Presentations.
• Storytelling.
• Topic discussions.
• Break-out groups.
• Question-and-answer sessions.
• Generative work sessions.

Consider how you will document the event. Will it be recorded? Is someone taking notes? Will there be a debrief at the end?

Regularly check in with attendees to ensure they are getting what they want and adjust as needed. For heterogeneous groups, consider break-out discussions to allow participants to engage in the most relevant conversations. (Learn more about unconferences).

The End:

The end is when you bring everyone together to conclude the event and set intentions for the future.

It might include:

• Sharing learnings and insights, and conducting debriefs.
• Celebrating accomplishments achieved during the event.
• Discussing next steps and setting future intentions.
• Final announcements and thank-yous.
• Final mingling.

For virtual events, consider hosting breakout rooms at the end to continue conversations or allow small group discussions (2-4 people).

Post-Event Clean-Up and Capture:

• Ensure you have final copies of any presentations and content shared during the event.
• Document and store other materials from the event (photos, meeting minutes, brainstorm notes, whiteboards, chat logs).
• If group leaders remain after the event, this is a great time to plan the basics for the next event.
• Notice members who stay behind; they might be interested in helping with clean-up or hosting future events.
• Consider uploading presentations to the Autodesk Group Network content and speaker database.

Follow-Up Communications:

• Follow-up communication is valuable for both attendees and those who couldn’t attend.
• Follow up quickly. If you recorded videos, try to polish and upload them within 24 hours.
• Celebrating the success of your recent event can be excellent marketing for your next one. If the next event is already planned, inform people about it.
• Send individual follow-ups based on conversations and connections made.
• Thank presenters and potentially ask if they’d like to present again in the future.
• Consider sending a post-event survey.
• Follow up specifically with new attendees to inquire about their experience.