Internal:Event guide/General

This document serves as a guide for conducting Wikimedia District of Columbia events, either with the organization as a sole host or in conjunction with partner organizations.

Initial planning
An event idea may come within the community, or it may be pursued at the behest of a partnering organization. Events should be held or co-sponsored so that they may achieve our goals as an organization as set out in the Annual Plan.

Depending on the event, as well as depending on whether the event is organized principally by Wikimedia DC or another organization, the President, Board of Directors, or the Event Coordinator should appoint a specific person or persons to plan the event or serve as Wikimedia DC organizers for the event. The responsibility of the organizer(s) is to assist with organizing the event beforehand, manage the logistics of the event or attend on behalf of the organization in the event of a co-hosted event, and to report on the event to the Board of Directors upon the completion of the event. The organizer is responsible for ensuring that Wikimedia DC is well-represented at the event, to ensure that Wikimedia DC can carry out its objectives at the event, and that the program is consistent with Wikimedia goals and values. This is not necessarily a formal job position; this responsibility can be conferred onto any person or persons who can be trusted to complete the necessary tasks.

Before the event, the President or a organizer should evaluate the logistical requirements, determine the level of support Wikimedia DC will need to provide (particularly with respect to a co-hosted event), and plan the event such that we get as much benefit out of it as possible. Here are some questions you may need to answer:
 * Who is hosting the event: are we, or is someone else? If other persons or groups are involved, who is responsible for providing what?
 * What organizations may be interested in partnering with us for the event?
 * What resources (financial and otherwise) are needed from Wikimedia DC in order to make the event a success? What else is necessary for the event?
 * How much lead time is needed to prepare the event? This varies depending on the complexity of the event.
 * What would the outcome be of a successful event?
 * How can we make the event most engaging for attendees? How does it help build our reputation in our chapter's region? How do the Wikimedia projects benefit from it? How does it help build our organization?

As part of this, you will need to prepare an event budget, which must be approved by the President and the Treasurer. The amount of money Wikimedia DC can contribute is limited; for a better event, consider inviting other organizations to participate and provide matching funds. Note that the Board of Directors must approve any planned payments to individuals for their services (e.g., to an instructor). Wikimedia DC also has certain equipment available, including scanners, hard drives, a projector, a router, and wireless modems.

When your event is ready to be announced, be sure to give the necessary details to the Secretary for inclusion on the Wikimedia DC event calendar, on the DC meetup page on Wikipedia, as well as for publicizing on our Meetup, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. This should be at least two weeks before the event.

Event logistics
Organizers are responsible for the planning and execution of events on behalf of Wikimedia DC, as well as representing Wikimedia DC to the attendees and for reporting on the event.

Here is a basic checklist of things that should be at each event:
 * Light refreshments
 * Wi-Fi, if appropriate
 * Literature about Wikimedia DC and contributing to Wikimedia projects
 * A guest book for attendees to sign in
 * Name tags
 * Member registration forms
 * Small giveaways, including lapel pins and t-shirts as prizes.

At the event the organizer should keep track of:
 * The number of attendees
 * The number of new members
 * The outcomes of the event
 * Lessons learned
 * Any feedback

Post-event analysis
Organizers, upon the conclusion of the event, should prepare a report for the Board of Directors before the next meeting, including the above items. If events are conducted with partners, they should seek feedback from the partner institution and gauge their opinion of the event, as well as determine what opportunities exist for future partnerships.