Event Day

The day you’ve so diligently planned for is finally here!

Get to your venue as early as possible. Setup often takes longer than you think, and you’ll be doing some legwork with putting out chairs, standing up tables, setting out food, and organizing badges.

Ask your caterers, AV support team, and venue organizers to be there early too, since they’ll need to set up tons of cables and wires. In case of an emergency, like not having enough power outlets or mistakenly bringing the wrong wire, they’ll be able to grab an extension cord with plenty of time to spare.

You’ll want to designate 1–2 people from your group to place small placards or signage around the venue if the room isn’t entirely obvious. Have them direct guests from the parking lot into the lobby, and from the lobby to the conference room. Make sure these two have each others’ phone numbers too, to coordinate efforts.

It’s helpful to have a check-in table, preferably near the entrance to the conference room. You can put out badges here (in alphabetical order, trust us!) and ask a volunteer or team member to use their iPhone to scan tickets. Another table close to this one is where you’ll want to spread all those delightful freebies guests love, like t-shirts, pins, stickers and anything else your sponsors have brought along with them. Don’t forget the Web Afternoon stickers, too!

Designate your most bubbly team member or leader to play host, asking the crowd if they can hear audio just fine, and shaking hands to welcome guests. This makes a professional impression, like you’ve got everything under wraps. (Which you do.)

Give your audience details on things like WiFi networks/passwords, where charging stations are in the room, and where they can find refreshments or restrooms.

Managing Speakers

Your speakers are likely vetted pros, who have some experience speaking in front of large groups. Regardless of their experience, you should share these few tips:

• Give them a tour of the stage
• Show them the machine they’ll use for their presentation
• Explain to them where to stand if cameras are a factor
• Remind them to enunciate and project
• Show them how to use the projector’s clicker, and how to skip through slides manually
• Ask them to rehearse as much as possible, but remember that we’re not overly rigid
• Remind them to be energetic! It's a performance, after all.

During the Event

Enjoy it! Once you’ve got everything set up and working, you can relax and take in the day. Be on hand to fix any problems with slide decks, and answer any questions from your audience.

Get your audience pumped by asking fun trivia or tossing them goodies from the stage.

Help promote the next wave of Web Afternoon events by proposing that an audience member from out of town take on the next one. Direct them to the Website for all the details!

Wrapping Up

All good things must come to an end, and Web Afternoon is no exception. Once your guests have slowly filtered out, gather your team for a congratulatory handshake and start thinking about how you want to split up breakdown efforts. You’ll typically want to take down any curtains supplied by the AV company, toss garbage and empty containers, break down boxes, fold up chairs, and vacuum. Breakdown varies by the hands-on-ness of your AV and catering companies, and the preferences of your venue, so pay special attention to their desires.

Again, check that all your invoices are paid for in full, and you’ve got no outstanding debts. Thank your sponsors with a personal phone call after the event, to say that their help was critical in making Web Afternoon happen. They’ll remember it — and perhaps pitch in again next time, too.

After 1–2 days, follow up with guests by way of a simple feedback form. SurveyMonkey on Eventbrite is a helpful tool, but you can use anything you’re used to. Ask questions like, “What stood out to you as the most enjoyable part of the day?”, “What could we change for next time?”, “Will you be attending the next Web Afternoon event?” You may not get responses from everyone, but your most vocal attendees will provide invaluable food for thought, however critical.