1. Event Toolkit Practical guidance for running an event.
April 2016
Anne Wilsdon

2. What you will find in this guidance?
Contents
Introduction
Running a regional event
How can EFS support you?
Suggested content
Some exercise ideas
Event Marketing
Following your regional event
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3. introduction
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4. Running a regional event
What do I need to think about?
Your invite - EFS can support you in setting up an Eventbrite page to register attendees
A venue to host your event – free if possible. Consider tapping into other networks with similar purpose and values.
A projector and screen
An opening speaker – someone engaging who has a good story to share!
An invite list in mind, and access to local networks of people to advertise your event
Think about your session – will you need flipcharts, pens, any other props etc
The commitment to help organise your event and feedback the outcomes to the wider practitioner group
Facilitators to help you with some of the activities, including welcome / reception
Energy and enthusiasm!
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5. Support is on hand….
EFS can share learning from previous events and be on hand to support you when planning
Provide space and support on the Engage for Success website for you to add your event to our calendar
Use our extensive marketing and communication channels to advertise your event
Provide relevant video clips & resources e.g. intro of the 4 enablers
Provide advice and guidance from others in the movement
Provide consistent PowerPoint slides, information and resources
The freedom to shape your local networks and follow up activities as you choose
Peer support and case studies on engagement
Share our passion and energy to get you buzzing before your event!
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6. Event Costs
Where possible EFS try to organise free events. That entails finding a free venue, and free refreshments. These logistical issues can be difficult but here are some ideas which may help:
First of all ask members of our community, if they have a free venue they could offer
We can also ask our subscriber list if any of them can help with a venue in a particular location on our weekly newsletter
We can approach out Taskforce members to see if they can help with a venue
We could work in collaboration with another organisation for example in the past few months we have worked with CIPD, and Change Management Institute to organise events.
You may want to consider sponsorship for an event, though be careful that this is not to endorse a particular product or service, but rather to provide something which we need. Often Universities or colleges provide cost effective meeting rooms, and we can offer to showcase or highlight research they have carried out on engagement in return.
If all else fails we would consider a small charge for tickets to the event, but just to recover our costs e.g. venue hire, rather than to create a revenue stream.

7. Suggested Running Order
We want you to own your event and bring your own creativity and ideas to make the event a success, but here are some ideas or pointers…..
Welcome everyone - domestics
Introduction to Engage for Success
An Overview of the four enablers of Engagement
An Interactive Session to get people thinking about engagement and committing to take action
Time for reflection and what has been learnt.
A call to action – how can you get involved in Engage for Success
Networking time
If you would prefer more information please contact
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8. Exercise Idea
This activity increases knowledge and awareness of the Four Enablers of Engagement identified in the original Engaging For Success report. It should be high energy and somewhat chaotic! It’s a great opportunity for people to share success stories and pick up tips from other organisations.
Write one of each of the four enablers at the top of a flipchart in a corner of the room
Have a briefed facilitator on each flipchart to manage the conversation and make notes
Show the Four Enablers video, and brief people about the exercise – they are going to visit all the flip charts and discuss the Enablers
Attendees talk about best practice in their organisations, barriers to that enabler happening, tools for overcoming difficulties, share ideas and suggestions, practical applications of the enablers, different interpretations
Ensure someone is circulating, reminding attendees they can move around the 4 flipcharts
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9. Exercise Ideas Continued
Your One Key Engagement Challenge
The objective of this exercise is to give people a chance both to give and gain support from their peers to tackle engagement challenges
Split into groups as established in the exercise above (max 8)
Allocate a facilitator to each table
One person in the groups goes first, and takes 1 minute to state their primary engagement challenge
Each person on the table offers advice, help and a suggestion for improvement, or sympathy
The person whose challenge it is, cannot respond to the feedback, just listen
When the whistle blows, it is the next person’s turn to say their key engagement challenge, then listen to ideas, suggestions and feedback
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10. Event Marketing
EFS can help you to create an online registration page for your event on Eventbrite – this link can then be used in all social media channels
Your event can also be entered to the Events calendar of our EFS website
Consider creating an hashtag# for your event and encourage attendees to tweet during the event
If possible take photos of your event which can be used for marketing post event
Encourage attendees to join our mailing list by clicking on the link on the top right hand corner of our homepage
Ensure the community manager is aware of your event so that it can be marketed on our weekly newsletter and social media channels
Consider tapping into other networks who have the same purpose and values
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11. Following your event
Write up the feedback and key themes and share some photos from your event to send to This is a great way to raise the profile of your engagement community to others in your area
Encourage people to connect to Engage For Success via social media
Agree follow up actions for your region, arrange to meet colleagues, make a date
Keep in touch with your new connections via LinkedIn, the website, and phone calls
Let you know how it went and how we can best support you in future events.
We are here to help!
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