What’s the difference between goals and objectives?

A simple way to think about it is a goal is the place you want to go and an objective is the way(s) you are going to get there. Goals further the mission and vision of the community and objectives provide a tangible and/or measurable course of action.

Choosing a Theme

Choosing a theme will be a lot easier after the goals and objectives of the conference have been discussed. Often a theme will naturally emerge from the discussion. A theme is the major idea or concept that helps to create a cohesive conference or event. A theme can be summed up in a title but is generally more comprehensive. A theme provides direction for workshops, theme speakers, worships and other programming.

In-person Meetings

Without a doubt, meeting face to face is the most effective way to organize. If your staff is local, have as many in person meetings as possible. If your staff is regionally dispersed, try to have at least one meeting, ideally on-site. This pre-site visit will hopefully be your most effective meeting, so plan it carefully. This is the place for your staff to get to know each other and begin building trust. The more trust built ahead of time, the smoother the conference will function, especially under stress. At the meeting take time for staff to get to know each other personally, play ice-breakers, eat meals together, worship, have fun and of course, do some kick ass conference planning.

Conference calls:

Conference calls are an affordable and (relatively) effective way to get to know each other and plan the conference. Conference calls need to be very well organized; the stronger the facilitation the better the call and the more positive an experience for everyone involved.

Before the call:

• Determine the date(s) well ahead of time. Picking a reoccurring day can be helpful (for example, the last Sunday of every month at 7:00PM Eastern). That way everyone knows well ahead of time and can plan for the conference call.

• Send out at least two email reminders, one a week ahead, the other the day before.

• Make phone calls the day of, reminding people of the call, the time and the phone in numbers.

• Create an agenda ahead of time, send it out with the reminders.

• Ensure that one of the call participants will be taking notes and emailing them out after the call.

During the call:

• Welcome people as they arrive, let them know who is on the call and who you are waiting for.

• Start as on time as possible, but give people a few minutes to arrive.

• Review the agenda.

• Determine a time period for the call, 60 minutes is fine, 2 hours is too long.

• Introductions and/or check in: As facilitator it is easiest if you call out the names of staff as they are ask to speak.

Email

For a geographically diverse staff group the majority of communication and planning will probably happen over email. It is important to create guidelines for email communication that ensure staff are not inundated with unnecessary email communication. Try to create a system so that staff know which emails they need to respond to and which ones they just need to read. Encourage staff members to keep one on one conversations off the group list so that not everyone has to read them. If you set up an email list through mailman or yahoo, make sure that the list archives the emails but also make sure that these archives are secure and private. Inevitably staff will often discuss issues of a sensitive nature over email and it is important that these emails are not available to anyone searching on the web.

Registration

Use a registration form to make your life is easier in long run. Asking for more registrant information than you need is better then not having enough information to effectively plan. Include the registration form in the brochure and make sure to have it available online as well.

Conference registration forms are a great way to begin and/or continue building you community database. Use registration forms to update old information and add new members. In an ideal world the online registration form would be linked directly to the database so that as registrants submitted new information it would automatically update.

Communicating with Participants

As soon as participants register it is important to communicate with them. Create a standardized response form that can be mailed and/or emailed out. As participants register create a mailing list and emailing list that can be used in the future.

Registration response

• Thank you for registering, we are excited you will be joining us, etc..

• If you have not already paid, here are your options. Include the deadline.

• More information about travel, transportation, housing and scholarships.

• Onsite volunteer opportunities

• Date for when participants will be receiving more information and/or a preregistration packet.

Outreach and Publicity

Effective conference outreach is critical for creating a successful event. Even if you do not need to outreach for participants, creating an outreach program is still an effective public relations tool to inform the wider community that “something is happening”. Creating this buzz will be beneficial in the future for funding, recognition and  participation.

Timeline

·        Create materials

·        Mail out to staff

·        Direct mail to previous participants, community members, etc

·        Mail or Email to community members

·        Advertise in community publications

·        Personal outreach, presentations

·        Follow up

Types of outreach

What to include

• Date

• Location

• Title of conference(s)

• Theme and conference information

• Registration form

• Fees

• Scholarship information

• Transportation information

• Contact information

• Website address

• Photos

B&W One-page Ad

A simple and clear one-page black and white ad that includes all the necessary

information is effective, easy and affordable.

Full Color Brochure

A professional, full color brochure with photos will give the appearance of an organized and professional conference. Spending a little extra can be balanced out by additional attendance. If possible try to have one of the outside panels of the brochure reserved for a direct mailing. This way the brochure can be mailed to potential participants without an outside envelope, saving time, money and trees. Talk to the UUA or your local congregation to find out more about bulk mail regulations. They are very specific and must be confirmed before the brochure goes to print.

Color Poster

If possible have the full color brochure unfold into a poster that can be tacked up on a wall.

Invitation letter

A direct mailing to former conference registrants and community members that includes an invitation letter as well and a copy of either the one-page B&W advertisement or the full-color brochure is a great way to put a personal spin on outreach.

Email

This should be a very simple and very short text message with links to a website that has more information and an online registration.

Personal Outreach

Do not underestimate the power of persuasion. One person talking to a small group can do infinitely more than a brochure or email could ever dream of accomplishing. Conferences grow authentically when participants tell their friends and community about their personal experiences. Utilize previous participants and staff members to do field organizing and grassroots outreach for the event.

Website

Include as much information as possible and lots of photos. Try to have the website, brochure, invitation and one-page ad all convey the same information in the same style.

Creating a conference schedule

The conference schedule will be the backbone of the event, holding everything together. As you begin to create the schedule you’ll be able to see your event taking shape and although it’s sometimes hard to know where to start, once you do it’s easy to keep going. The schedule will help determine your programming and likewise, your programming will help determine your schedule. Don’t worry about which one comes first, just keep them both in mind as you plan. Sample schedules included in appendix.

Brainstorm

• What will definitely happen (i.e. arriving, eating, sleeping, waking up, departing)

• What do you really want to happen (i.e. orientation, workshops, free time,

           worship)

• What may or may not happen (i.e. games, morning circle)

Food

Cooking together can be and often is the most soul nourishing part of the whole week. For those who may not find a niche or are new, the kitchen is a great place to be around other people and have a purpose. Having a happy and healthy kitchen feeds the rest of the camp physically, emotionally and spiritually. Even though cooking can quite stressful at times, it can also be rewarding, inspiring and fun.