[Events] Strategies for getting information from venue hosts

[Carl Karsten]

One of the problems I have:

Monday morning I send an email asking:

"You said you have a PA system.  Does it have an output I can use to
record?  I have the adapters and cables, but sometimes the equipment
is locked in a closet so I can't get to it."

Tuesday morning, I don't have a reply.  I consider bugging them, but
don't really know what to say, so instead of figuring that  I decide
to wait a day in hopes they get back to me.  repeat this every day for
a week or two.

This happens for all sorts of questions, so I doubt the problem is my
question but my reluctance to bug them.



On Thu, Nov 21, 2013 at 12:17 PM, Shauna Gordon-McKeon
<shaunagm at gmail.com> wrote:
> Briefly (I'm on a bus and typing on my phone) I'd recommend:
>
> - making sure you have more than one host-organizer, so that if one gets
> flaky you can contact another
> - identifying what space requirements are vital and securing a space with
> those characteristics before committing or doing any other planning (this
> rule was developed after having to cancel/postpone multiple events last
> spring)
> - being super responsive and approachable to your hosts, which develops a
> culture/expectation of quick, clear communication
> - if you can, assessing initial communications for social/emotional cues
> indicating enthusiasm and conscientiousness
>
> I'd rank those 2 > 1 > 3 > 4 in terms of importance.  Hope this helps!
>
> - shauna
>
> On Nov 21, 2013 1:03 PM, "sheila miguez" <shekay at pobox.com> wrote:
>>
>> Hi everyone, I've cc-d Carl.
>>
>> Carl has been talking to me offlist wondering what practices people have
>> followed to make it more likely to get helpful information from venues.
>>
>> After someone has agreed to be a host for our group, they aren't always
>> responsive when we have questions similar to the ones in checklist for
>> events like OSCTC.
>>
>> https://openhatch.org/wiki/OSCTC_space_checklist
>>
>> Carl started this page, and I've added to it recently to try and help get
>> things running more smoothly.
>>
>> http://www.chipy.org/pages/venue/requirements/
>>
>> We've thought of proposing to our user group that we turn that in to a
>> form for prospective hosts to fill out before we agree to hold a meeting
>> there, but that may or may not be something that passes consensus.
>>
>> Do any of you have suggestions? The UIC event I went to seemed to have
>> friendly hosts. I told Carl perhaps that it would just require a lot of
>> assertive emails and phone calls -- and he was wondering if he has to resort
>> to a daily email or call or if there is some better way to encourage
>> communication.
>>
>> The lack of communication has led to some snags in the past -- like not
>> enough seating for people, no projector or screens for presentors, etc.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> sheila
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Events mailing list
>> Events at lists.openhatch.org
>> http://lists.openhatch.org/mailman/listinfo/events
>>
>
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