Guide for Hosts

Our three, week-long annual festivals invite students, scholars, advocates and community groups to come together around separate but inter-related themes of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights, and Environmental Sustainability. Our aim with the festivals is to elevate these issues and strengthen networks by making groups working in these fields more visible to each other and inviting new voices into the conversation. Therefore, in addition to inviting attendance at the festival events we organise, we also welcome students, scholars, advocates and community groups to organise their own events. The following guide has been developed for anyone wanting to host their own festival event.  
 
TIMELINE

• Now: Give some thought to an online or in-person event on a date any time within the week of the festival. See the event listing on the relevant festival website to try and avoid clashes (but overlapping times are ok if that's what suits your team locally). Reach out to us to let us know what you're thinking or if you would like help to develop your ideas. You can email us at [email protected].  
• As soon as energy permits: Create an event registration page online, so that people can find out more information and sign up to attend.
• List your event: Email us your event title, date, and link to your registration page, along with any other relevant information, and we will add it to the event listing on the festival website. You can email us at [email protected].
• Spread the word: Promote your event through all relevant channels and invite and involve folks in your community.
• Festival week: Host your event!
• Post event: Report back to attendees and to festival organisers how the event went. If you have a recording, even better – we can help get this out to more people.

 
PROMOTION

• If you don’t have your own website, organisations like Humantix offer a way to manage event registrations and an event landing page
• Be sure to highlight that your event is a part of the festival. Please include the link to the festival website and email us if you would like copies of any festival or other logos to use in your event promotion.
• Start with why your group is doing this and why it matters.
• Include details for the event (When, Where, What, For Who, Cost) and ideally a contact person to call if people have questions. Include a way for people to sign up and what you plan to do with their information once you have it (example: you may be contacted by the event organisers for the purpose of running this event).
• Consider promoting the event on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and other social media.
• The day before the event send a reminder email or SMS.

 
ON THE DAY

• Keep an eye out for new people on the day, and help them meet others and connect.
• Take lots of pictures, including a group pic!
• Post pics and anecdotes on social media - don't forget to include the event hashtag(s).
• Celebrate afterwards!

 
AFTER THE EVENT

• Send through any photos or recordings to the festival organisers if you would like the content included in shared festival communications.
• Follow up with your attendees, including any summary of what your event discussed, ways people can get involved and take action and how they can get more information on the topic.

RESOURCES

• Coming soon - please check back later.