New events
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So, you want to start a class / workshop / event? Great!
BTW: You don't need to be a member, you just need a member to sponsor you and your event. Which shouldn't be too hard.
Initial Steps
- First, gauge interest in your class, you probably want to make sure at least three to four people intend to show up.
- Decide what you want and don't want to teach. Set a scope that makes sense to you.
- Come up with a good name.
Establish a Date
- Pick a day and time that works for you and has space available on the PS1 calendar. PS:One Google Calendar
- Send an email to the PR director at press@pumpingstationone.org with a formal request to add your event to the calendar.
- Warning! Don't ask for a date that "works for everyone." Down that path lies madness and obnoxiously long threads with no definitive answers. This is your project, make a command decision.
- Two or more weeks is a good lead time.
Write up a class description:
- Write something brief, and make sure to include the following things at the bottom of your post (seriously, use this exact format or you're going to get a lot of dumb questions from people who can't read anything not in bullet points):
- Who: who the class is intended for (the public, members only, beginners, intermediate, etc)
- Cost (if it's free, say that it's free, or people will ask)
- Where it is: include PS1's address, which room, etc
- (If you are going to use the Electronics Lab for events, please also subscribe to the electronics lab calendar (http://www.google.com/calendar/render?cid=hkgq1nkid9up5e4oe9uacqdlic@group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/Chicago). Duplicate your event from the PS1 calendar by clicking the duplicate button in the more action drop down to create a reservation of the Electronics lab, and set your duplicated event to the Electronics lab calendar.)
- When it is: Date and time. Start time and end time might be nice, too.
- What you'll be teaching, what the event is about, etc
- Find an appropriate picture to go along with your description (because all blog posts must have pictures!)
Draw attention to your class:
- In everyone's fantasy world, you just put something on the calendar and hundreds of people flood into PS1 to sit at rapt attention while you expound intelligently on [insert class subject here]. That can happen, but you need to do some marketing first.
- Post your class description to at the very, very least the following places (this is minimum effort):
- PS1-Discorse Announcement category
- Help the PR person promote your thing. They have the access, but you have the details.
- The calendar:
- Other places you may want to consider:
- The Blog (which means a post on the web site)
- Facebook, make it an event.
- Other local hackerspaces' mailing lists (W88 and SSH for starters)
- Enthusiast mailing lists that talk about stuff you're interested in
- If your event is general interest enough, consider local event blogs like chicagoist, or local specialty blogs
- Make blog / similar blogs
- Eventbrite or Meetup or similar: Meetup.com https://wiki.pumpingstationone.org/Meetup
Create A Roster of Attendees
- You'll want to know how many people are coming.
- You may want to send out waivers / any special instructions ahead of time.
- Please give your attendees a way of contacting you directly.
On the Day of Your Event
- Show up early to make sure everything is in order for your event. Only you know how long that will take.
- Have guests sign the waiver. https://pumpingstationone.org/ click Join, Begin Application. or https://tinyurl.com/iwillnotdiehere or https://ps1.link/waver
- Make it easy for people to find you. Put up signs.
- Host your event! Share your enthusiasm for the subject!
- You or someone should give guests a tour. Tell them they can put on events too.
After the Event
- Make sure your event doesn't leave a mess. Clean up. Take down signs, and make sure the door is firmly closed and locked if you had it unlocked.
- Get feedback from your attendees: what did they get out of the event? What do they think should be done differently?