Maggie is a Cornell Club of Wasbington member who has organized over 20  events for its members and hopes to get others aboard to enrich the fun by supplying the organizational tips here. She has learned a lot about what kinds of information goes into a thorough, bullet-proof event posting to send to our Programming Coordinator Steve P so that he can set up the vital registrations interface and club calendar postings. 

Don't be daunted. Some of her events have had a lot of moving parts and are more complicated than what you'll organize (like if they included outdoor elements subject to cancellation for weather reasons, included multiple venues or start times, or if they might include reservations, refunds or waiting lists.)  

Invitations to CCW events  can include this info:

1. Day of week and Date

2. Time (beginning and approximate ending)

3. Event Location / Full address   (always select a public place for your event unless you have a dependable co-host)

4. Accessible by what public transportation? Make it clear how many feet from Metro... how many minutes of a walk and maybe some directions

5. Is event refundable?  No. it's too much of a hassle for our treasurer, so plan for separate tabs but check restaurant's restrictions on such.  DO NOT pay a bill you can't be stuck with if people don't show.  (Don't assume you will be seated without a reservation if organizing a dinner out. Be ready with a Plan B in your back pocket. )

6. Venue's Web site URL for details, links to maps, menu and parking info are often there.  Spell out the URL in your message to Steve starting with https:// if that's what it is... and test the URL before you send it to him. Do not use tiny URLs; they don't post correctly.

7. Describe what will be experienced (i.e., how long and arduous a hike? small group discussion? Is a meal included? Transportation on a bus included?)

8. What's included? First drink? First drink for first 5 registered? Will you split tabs or each handle own tab (recommended if venue permits for large groups)\

9. Tips like: bring waterbottle, sunscreen, hat, hiking shoes, copy of book, discussion questions, "view this how-to video ahead of time..." $$tips for wait staff... "Watch this video ahead of time..., "  or "Parking is challenging so try to arrive early so that we squeeze this meal in on a busy work week."

10. Names /grad years of co-hosts of event.  E.g.   Maggie, Arts '86 and Caspar ILR '78

11. Do we want to set up a wait list? It doesn't hurt, but following up when you have cancellations can be problematic, and I can explain. But it doesn't hurt to tell Steve to set it up and gather the interest of people you could contact if someone cancels last second. Typically, we book at least 12 people for an event to seat 6-8. We might interface with the manager to ask for two tables together then arrive and cancel one of the tables last sec.  It's awkward. Some locations with limited seating and strong business just don't work well to adjust to our little dining group's unreliable numbers, so use your judgment to select a place flexible to your needs. Or choose a Monday or Tuesday night?
    
    Can use this wording:

Registration deadline is ___  for this popular series!   Email any last day cancellations to ____ so that we can apprise the restaurant and consult our waiting list. Thank you for your courtesy to the hosts!

12. Cost... and what it covers (if you are charging for your event.)
    
    

13. Add:  "no refunds for cancellation."
    
    

14. Add for restaurant events, "registration deadline is ___, which is 2 days before the event."   That way you will know how large a table to secure, subtracting no-shows.
    
    

15. Do you charge a different rate for non-members of CCW?   The operational costs of the Club, including free drinks for members at some events are born only by dues-paying members. Ithaca does not send us money as far as I know. Furthermore, some of our dues are directed by our by-laws into the scholarship fund, so we can't absorb expenses when we run over budget.  We have only 850-ish members, some of whom are lifetime members, so we don't get more operational funds from them each year. Anyway, with this information, I try to run events that are self-funding. I don't take risks that I'll be caught holding the bag to pay a big bill.

16. Questions? E-mail questions to ..._____    (I don't give out my phone number or last name. I don't list my phone number, but many other hosts do for ease of last second logistics).  It all goes on a public web site, after all.

Other planning tips:

17. I check over the calendar at CCW when selecting a date. With only 850 club members at this writing, I don't want to schedule a dinner out the same week as a pot-luck organized by another member, for example.  And I like to think hard about the demographic most likely to attend and if they have a work week vs. retired schedule.

18. Ask yourself what is the ideal number of people to be present. Then set up the registration for at least 33% - 50% more and roll with it.  Unfortunately, people cancel without notice, especially when there is no registration fee. This can create difficulties for the restaurant staff and you when you are waiting for the no shows.
    
    

19. Prep beforehand: the Wild Apricot platform on which our CCW web site operates will generate a spreadsheet with most phone numbers and email addresses, but our Programming Director needs to actually email it to you; you  must not distribute the contact details of our members, but it's useful if you need to text a change. I do not give out my phone number unless going someplace remote like a hiking trail and only to registrants.
    
    

Have a known friend meet you there early if it's a remote place... so that you don't arrive or leave anyone alone. Plus traffic may impact your on time arrival. Live and learn!

20. Request of Steve to "send reminders 2 days before event" but also mark your calendar to request such if it falls off his radar. He has a crazy amount to do as Programming VP. If you have the spreadsheet, you can send the reminders from your own email address.

21. (I am starting to charge $10- $15, non-refundable for non-members for free events... to encourage joining CCW and actual commitment. Furthermore, the CCW has a very lean budget and many costs that are born by the CCW members. I've had a lot of no-shows that take seats from people on the waiting list.) If you set up a waiting list, you can invite off of it, but it is a logistical hassle. Add "no refunds" if you charge a registration fee. (It's too much of a hassle to our treasurer who has a day job to issue refunds.)

22. I recommend AGAINST incurring any costs individually as host.  But, save receipts (only for reimbursement out of registration fees that you collect. Generally, we make events self-funding at CCW. Do not risk incurring costs if you have not had a conversation with Steve P or Mel Z (CCW Treasurer) for advice and info about being paid back.)
    
    

23. Using BLIND COPY so that it protects the contact information of all in your group (this is really important!), prior to event, you can send a guest list a reminder to come or to inform you of cancellations. You can begin to help them learn names of folks coming. First names, last initial only. When I send notes to groups, I protect the privacy of the attenders by sending it to myself and BLIND COPYING the rest. 
    
    

24. Nametags are dorky but EVERYONE APPRECIATES THEM. So, you can prep them ahead or make them as you greet people.

25. Scroll around the CCW Events page or click open historical events from the CCW calendar to learn by reading other event postings.
    
    

26. If you are a week out from the event and feel you don't have high enough numbers, Steve P (VP Programming) can send your invitation to All Ivy, Ivy Social and Ivy Singles groups to reach and invite people from other alumni groups in the area. Ask him more about it; he does need lead time to conduct that inviting.   You could always tell him ahead of time, "if fewer than 9 register by ___ , please send the invitation to Ivy Singles."  But do remind him.
    
    Over many events, I have not been sure how people found out about it (they can't always tell, either!) and sometimes a person shows up and I don't have them on any registration list at all, but that has never been a big problem. Usually it's a Cornellian but sometimes it's someone from another alumni group in town.  I really like it when people use the CCW registration link to officially login to their profile and the billing mechanism. Our VP of programming benefits from knowing registration details for a variety of reasons. The data is useful in case there is any reason to follow up.
    
    

27. Instagram for Proactive PR: It is optional but really a good idea to supply to Emmaa an email asking her to make a posting 10 days before your event to advertise it.  It goes faster for her if you include a graphic for her to put up, but she generates nifty ones herself if she has enough lead time.  If you choose to use a photograph in your graphic, make sure you have the permission of all photographed. Don't include photos of minors, please.

28. Once Steve has posted an event for folks to register, you will have a URL that you can include in all of your communications that urge folks to sign up.
    
    

Need to Cancel your Event?

29. After you've posted it at CCW?  Yikes, this can cause ill feeling for your registrants who have already calendared it, possibly uploaded the details onto their personal calendarsd at the time that they did the regisration,  and it's difficult on the other programmers who may have steered around the date you originally chose.   If you have a co-host, there should be no need to cancel an event in case of your own family emergency. Your co-host could greet people on time and run the event. 

But if a hurricane is coming, ya gotta tell your registrants to stay home. And if a power outage cut off AC during the heat wave on the day of the event (it happened to me!) you want a means to cancel the event or post-pone it efficiently, and you should let your registrants know these ways:  A) email or text them from the contact data on your registration list, some of which will be missing. IE, people's profiles do not always include their phone numbers and their email addresses. B) Get Steve, Programming VP, to immediately post on the CCW a "cancelled" or "post-poned" notice.C)  It is possible that he can use the system to send out a cancellation by the Wild Apricot's system, but ask him.  D) Consider putting a cancellation out on the Instagram account by contacting Emma.

My back-up communications plan:  When I run a large outdoor event that has a serious possibility of logistical challenges that unfold, or that could be cancelled due to weather, I include in my event announcement a link to where I can post the "last minute updates." A google doc would serve this purpose as long as it is shared for all to view by URL and you have put that URL into the registration details.

(I have these web pages for most of my events, I have the ability to post a weather cancellation, for example, here . Another possibility that we are beginning to explore is offering a WhatsApp thread to which a community of event-goers  (like our running group or another SERIES) could subscribe; just be aware that  not all the generations within CCW know how to use all the apps out there.  A web link to that thread can be posted in your invitation.  (This is all overkill for a one-time indoor event with only a few attending, most of whom you'll have their email and phones from the spreadsheet.)  Just covering all the bases!)