You’ve proposed a SAYHU community event that you’d like to take the lead on—Now what?
Here are some useful tips for making it a big success (online or in person):

Social Media & Outreach Strategies (for getting more people to attend )

• Send your event details and an image to the SAYHU Facebook account so we can create an event for you on Facebook and start inviting community members there.

• Consider the most effective public locations for event information to be posted (high traffic areas and spaces that South Asian Houstonians will be sure to see it, online and off)  

• Make some personal contact (repeatedly), by phone and text, to folks you particularly want to attend

• What SAYHU community members do you already know who would want to be there? Reach out to them and see if they can help you spread the word.

• Ask folks you know will attend to bring a friend with them to participate!

—> Before the Event

1. Outline your event: by describing what will happen during the scheduled time.

   • Identify what roles (if any) people involved will have (Will you bring in specific people to share their work or be involved?

   • Will you need support from certain collective members?)

2. Find and confirm a space for the event (if it is an online event, who has an account that can host it?)

   • Ask community members about new location options or use one of SAYHU’s regular spots (estimate how many people you expect will attend)

   • If you want to serve snacks and drinks at the event, check with your venue if that is allowed.

   • Don’t forget to arrange for snacks and drinks, as well as plates, napkins, utensils as needed (ask SAYHU about providing this things as well as other co-sponsoring orgs).

3. If you want to supply materials at the event, like handouts or surveys, prepare a draft and share it with the SAYHU collective before the event to get feedback and possibly support in printing.

—> At the Event

1. Arrive 30 minutes early to set up (Ask volunteers and SAYHU collective members to meet you early).

2. Welcome participants to the space and set the tone

   • Take a look at SAYHU’s summit participation guidelines for ideas

   • Let people know your goals for a successful event and what you hope they will get out of it

   • Introduce participants when they arrive, and when they arrive late, so that all SAYHU community members feel welcome

3. Bring a SAYHU sign-in sheet

   • Have attendees fill it out right when they arrive or catch them before they leave to help us keep connected with new participants

—> After the event

1. Send a thank you email or thank you card (ask a collective member for a SAYHU card) to special guests such as panelists or speakers

2. Keep connected with attendees, make sure they are following us on social media.

3. With permission of your guests, share any images from the event on social media so folks know wheo we are and what we do. Tag SAYHU or send the images to our Facebook account directly.

4. Send a SAYHU thank you card to the venue.

Things to keep in mind when SAYHU community organizing

• Be realistic about the time you need to plan a meaningful SAYHU community event.

  • Give yourself enough time to create a plan, get feedback, confirm a space, get a flyer together, and do outreach a few times in order to get people to participate.

• Start planning and outlining your ideas from two weeks to two months in advance depending on the size of the event and the support you need to bring people together

  • Start by being in conversation with SAYHU collective members who have experience planning community events and also other groups where you will get community support.

  • If you want specific people to speak or present, contact them early to see when they are available.

• Space is often an issue so reach out early to the place where you want to host the event to confirm availability.

• Starting social media and other outreach 1 month in advance to get a good turnout is what we recommend based on experience (there is nothing worse than having a dynamic SAYHU event with a low attendance and hearing from folks after “I wish I had known about it”).

  • Begin talking with people about your plans as they develop to see who would be interested in joining you and follow up (schedules get busy!).

  • Create a flyer with details about what the event is and when and where it will happen clearly indicated

*Compiled by SAYHU Collective 2018