Summer Retreat - Workshop Coordinator
Brief Job Description:
The Workshop Coordinator recruits and coordinates workshop presenters; compiles workshop descriptions with biographical information for the retreat brochure; and serves as workshop point person before and during the retreat.
Desired Skills or Experience:
Strong communication skills, including familiarity with email and word processing. Ability to take initiative, work independently and follow-up on issues. Good people skills and ability to coordinate with presenters and other committee members.
Specific Tasks:
.
Timeline
Submitted by: Amy Byrne
Update workshop application to reflect current year and new contact info
Have applications ready to be distributed at Ronora (summer retreat) to begin recruitment. Gather contact info from possible presenters at Ronora.
Review past workshop evaluations as soon as possible—Office Manager has those
Recruit possible presenters for workshops from committee, network with other UU’s for ideas. I did not have past contact info on workshops, so it was difficult to contact presenters that had done well in the past. (Note: Office Manger can email past presenters via our "Workshop Presenters" e-mail list.)
Prepare report for committee of basic info for possible presenters—name of presenter, name of workshop, brief description and brief bio. This needs to be done about a month prior to the publishing deadline for the brochure. The committee will make the decision on which workshops will work.
Once the workshops are decided on, prepare the workshop info in a format for the brochure—follow past year’s examples—be sure to indicate if it is maiden friendly, what the maximum capacity is, any additional fees, book recommendations, clothing requirements. Send this out to the committee to proofread. I would recommend using a different “numbering” of workshops for the brochure. 2007 used numbers to identify workshops, ie 101, 201. The problem is that these numbers printed first on the nametags and participants thought they were the room numbers of where the workshops were. This caused a great deal of frustration and time lost getting to workshops. Letters or something very different from the room numbers at the site or leaving the workshop “number” off the nametag.
Contact the presenters that are chosen to confirm that they will be presenting. E-mail is the most efficient. Initially contact everyone individually and then for later contacts put everyone in a group e-mail. Be clear on what the honorariums and discounts were. For 2007--$30 discount if registered by the early deadline----this is for one presenter only, if there are two presenters, then only one will get the discount. There was not a way to prevent two presenters for the same workshop getting the early registration discount so it needs to be kept track. The honorariums were $30 per workshop—only one presenter gets the payment. If there are 2 presenters then they have to share or decide which one will get paid. Presenters will need to be reminded of this through e-mails as it often seems to get confusing or they have their own ideas of how they should be paid. Put it in writing to them so as to be able to refer back to it. Save all e-mails—what is sent out and what is received.
Visit conference site and gather info on what space is to be used and what the room setups are. Look for which rooms are conducive for movement workshops, yoga (needs padding), workshops that need tables and chairs and where sound from other workshops could be a problem. Look at what rooms can accommodate certain workshop needs—such as microphone, whiteboard, internet access, sound system, etc.
Create a table that shows which workshops will fit best in each room and whether AM or PM is the best fit (see example from last year). Not all presenters will get their first choice of time slot. The rooms need to be coordinated to try and fit workshops that have the same room setup for AM and PM.
Confirm with presenters what their room setup needs are. This may require some clarification and follow up. Some presenters expected that supplies would be provided—Be clear that they needed to bring their own supplies, including paper, pens, markers, white board markers and erasers, etc.
Send out reminder e-mails to presenters about early registration. Send e-mails as the deadline gets closer to those who had not registered. Keep in contact with the registrar who has that info. Once the deadline is past, contact those who did not register early to see if there is a problem. If they still plan to register, remind them that the early registration discount has passed. Some presenters will come and present for the day only—they still need to register—they will not pay for the conference but will need to pay for lunch.
Contact the conference site to give room setup information and requests needed for workshops—2-3 weeks prior to conference. (Also coordinate with W&R site liaison, especially if the setup will be charged for.)
Make signs for outside of each workshop room that list the workshop number, title, time and room number for each workshop.
Make a couple of posters that list all of the workshops and their room assignments to hang so everyone has easy access to the information.
The week before the conference send out an e-mail with any last details and how presenters can contact you at the conference—it is helpful to give them a cell phone number, especially if any emergencies or last minute cancellations come up.
Friday of the conference, confirm that all rooms are setup as needed and all equipment requests are available. Place signs on outside of each workshop. It is important to be at registration to meet and greet presenters and answer any questions. It is also important on Saturday to be available—the registration desk is probably the best spot-so that presenters can easily access any support they need.
Evaluations can be given to the presenters or placed in their workshop rooms. Presenters may collect them or have participants return them to the registration desk. It would be ideal to have someone on the committee to be in the workshop to distribute the evaluations and collect them before participants leave.
Ask treasurer to have honorarium checks available for presenters as soon as the workshops are over. Let presenters know where they may pick up their honorarium. It is a good time to see how things went and collect any feedback.
Contact presenters after the conference for any feedback or suggestions they have. Send them their evaluations once they are compiled.
Sample message to solicit for workshops:
Greeting!
We are seeking potential workshops for the Winter (YEAR) WomanSpirit Retreat at (LOCATION) on (DATE).
Our theme is “(THEME).” Our keynote speaker is (KEYNOTE) who is (BIO). Find out more about her at (WEBSITE).
We would like workshops to honor (DESCRIBE THEME), and to be participatory rather than passive. We would hope participants will take what is shared at WomanSpirit and share it with others through the seeding and growth of local groups.
Please visit the web-site www.womenandreligion.org to learn more about the Retreat. Workshop applications are also available on the web-site. The application deadline is October 1, (YEAR).
Send to:
(NAME), Workshop Chair, (ADDRESS)
e-mail: workshops@womenandreligion.org
Sample message to confirm workshops:
Date: (DATE)
From: (NAME) (E-MAIL)
To:
Subject: WomanSpirit (SEASON and YEAR) Workshop presenters
The brochure is done and registration has begun. Online registration is not quite complete but will be available very soon. This year you may also pay with a credit card.
If you haven't received a brochure or e-mail, please visit www.womenandreligion.org to view the brochure and register online or print a registration form. All presenters need to register to ensure we have your current information in our database. You may register as a workshop presenter (no charge) or as retreat attendees (retreat fee) if you wish to participate fully in the retreat.
Honorariums are $30 per workshop and will be paid on the day of the conference.
Attached is a draft list of what rooms workshops will be located in and the list of equipment requests. Please get back to me as soon as possible if anything needs correction or additions. Also attached are the floor plans at (LOCATION) where workshops will be located. Please contact me with any questions/concerns about rooms and set up.
I look forward to working with all of you. You are welcome to contact me any time, (E_MAIL or PHONE) is the most effective method for me.
Blessed Be,
(NAME)
Sample message to decline workshop proposals:
Dear _______________ ,
Please reply to confirm that you received this email.
Thank you for offering to share your talents for [EVENT]! We had an overwhelming response and are very excited about the workshops this year. The primary consideration for inclusion was workshops that fit our theme closely. Unfortunately, yours was not one of the workshops chosen this time. Please feel free to propose this for a future WomanSpirit event!
Peace,
[NAME]
Workshop Chair
[Winter orSummer] WomanSpirit [YEAR]
[ADDRESS]
[PHONE]
[EMAIL]
www.womenandreligion.org
ADDENDUM 11-17-09: FINDING WORKSHOP PRESENTERS We have solicited workshops in many ways:
The Workshop Coordinator recruits and coordinates workshop presenters; compiles workshop descriptions with biographical information for the retreat brochure; and serves as workshop point person before and during the retreat.
Desired Skills or Experience:
Strong communication skills, including familiarity with email and word processing. Ability to take initiative, work independently and follow-up on issues. Good people skills and ability to coordinate with presenters and other committee members.
Specific Tasks:
- Update the workshop application for the current retreat and coordinate its distribution with the W&R Office Manager.
- Serve as contact person for workshop presenters; confirming receipt of applications and their acceptance/rejection.
- Prompt all presenters to register online either as a presenter (no charge) or as a retreat attendee (retreat fee).
- Compile workshop descriptions and biographical information for the brochure. Be sure to indicate which workshops are considered Teen Maiden friendly. (Arrange for a few reserve workshops to be available if any presenters cancel.)
- Allocate room assignments for workshops as appropriate, i.e. open space for dance or yoga, noisy workshops away from quiet ones, etc.
- Prepare a map or list of room assignments to be included in the retreat packets, as well as appropriate signage for room doors.
- Coordinate any special setup or equipment requests with the site liaison or directly with the site.
- Prior to the retreat, confirm presenter participation and send them relevant information, i.e. directions, lunch info, number of workshop participants etc.
- Coordinate honorarium checks for presenters with W&R Treasurer.
- Confirm room setup and signage prior to start of the retreat.
- Be available to meet and greet presenters as they arrive for the retreat.
- Coordinate with Registrar &/or Office Manager to ensure workshop evaluation forms are completed and collected during the retreat.
- Prepare a Workshop Final Report.
.
Timeline
Submitted by: Amy Byrne
Update workshop application to reflect current year and new contact info
Have applications ready to be distributed at Ronora (summer retreat) to begin recruitment. Gather contact info from possible presenters at Ronora.
Review past workshop evaluations as soon as possible—Office Manager has those
Recruit possible presenters for workshops from committee, network with other UU’s for ideas. I did not have past contact info on workshops, so it was difficult to contact presenters that had done well in the past. (Note: Office Manger can email past presenters via our "Workshop Presenters" e-mail list.)
Prepare report for committee of basic info for possible presenters—name of presenter, name of workshop, brief description and brief bio. This needs to be done about a month prior to the publishing deadline for the brochure. The committee will make the decision on which workshops will work.
Once the workshops are decided on, prepare the workshop info in a format for the brochure—follow past year’s examples—be sure to indicate if it is maiden friendly, what the maximum capacity is, any additional fees, book recommendations, clothing requirements. Send this out to the committee to proofread. I would recommend using a different “numbering” of workshops for the brochure. 2007 used numbers to identify workshops, ie 101, 201. The problem is that these numbers printed first on the nametags and participants thought they were the room numbers of where the workshops were. This caused a great deal of frustration and time lost getting to workshops. Letters or something very different from the room numbers at the site or leaving the workshop “number” off the nametag.
Contact the presenters that are chosen to confirm that they will be presenting. E-mail is the most efficient. Initially contact everyone individually and then for later contacts put everyone in a group e-mail. Be clear on what the honorariums and discounts were. For 2007--$30 discount if registered by the early deadline----this is for one presenter only, if there are two presenters, then only one will get the discount. There was not a way to prevent two presenters for the same workshop getting the early registration discount so it needs to be kept track. The honorariums were $30 per workshop—only one presenter gets the payment. If there are 2 presenters then they have to share or decide which one will get paid. Presenters will need to be reminded of this through e-mails as it often seems to get confusing or they have their own ideas of how they should be paid. Put it in writing to them so as to be able to refer back to it. Save all e-mails—what is sent out and what is received.
Visit conference site and gather info on what space is to be used and what the room setups are. Look for which rooms are conducive for movement workshops, yoga (needs padding), workshops that need tables and chairs and where sound from other workshops could be a problem. Look at what rooms can accommodate certain workshop needs—such as microphone, whiteboard, internet access, sound system, etc.
Create a table that shows which workshops will fit best in each room and whether AM or PM is the best fit (see example from last year). Not all presenters will get their first choice of time slot. The rooms need to be coordinated to try and fit workshops that have the same room setup for AM and PM.
Confirm with presenters what their room setup needs are. This may require some clarification and follow up. Some presenters expected that supplies would be provided—Be clear that they needed to bring their own supplies, including paper, pens, markers, white board markers and erasers, etc.
Send out reminder e-mails to presenters about early registration. Send e-mails as the deadline gets closer to those who had not registered. Keep in contact with the registrar who has that info. Once the deadline is past, contact those who did not register early to see if there is a problem. If they still plan to register, remind them that the early registration discount has passed. Some presenters will come and present for the day only—they still need to register—they will not pay for the conference but will need to pay for lunch.
Contact the conference site to give room setup information and requests needed for workshops—2-3 weeks prior to conference. (Also coordinate with W&R site liaison, especially if the setup will be charged for.)
Make signs for outside of each workshop room that list the workshop number, title, time and room number for each workshop.
Make a couple of posters that list all of the workshops and their room assignments to hang so everyone has easy access to the information.
The week before the conference send out an e-mail with any last details and how presenters can contact you at the conference—it is helpful to give them a cell phone number, especially if any emergencies or last minute cancellations come up.
Friday of the conference, confirm that all rooms are setup as needed and all equipment requests are available. Place signs on outside of each workshop. It is important to be at registration to meet and greet presenters and answer any questions. It is also important on Saturday to be available—the registration desk is probably the best spot-so that presenters can easily access any support they need.
Evaluations can be given to the presenters or placed in their workshop rooms. Presenters may collect them or have participants return them to the registration desk. It would be ideal to have someone on the committee to be in the workshop to distribute the evaluations and collect them before participants leave.
Ask treasurer to have honorarium checks available for presenters as soon as the workshops are over. Let presenters know where they may pick up their honorarium. It is a good time to see how things went and collect any feedback.
Contact presenters after the conference for any feedback or suggestions they have. Send them their evaluations once they are compiled.
Sample message to solicit for workshops:
Greeting!
We are seeking potential workshops for the Winter (YEAR) WomanSpirit Retreat at (LOCATION) on (DATE).
Our theme is “(THEME).” Our keynote speaker is (KEYNOTE) who is (BIO). Find out more about her at (WEBSITE).
We would like workshops to honor (DESCRIBE THEME), and to be participatory rather than passive. We would hope participants will take what is shared at WomanSpirit and share it with others through the seeding and growth of local groups.
Please visit the web-site www.womenandreligion.org to learn more about the Retreat. Workshop applications are also available on the web-site. The application deadline is October 1, (YEAR).
Send to:
(NAME), Workshop Chair, (ADDRESS)
e-mail: workshops@womenandreligion.org
Sample message to confirm workshops:
Date: (DATE)
From: (NAME) (E-MAIL)
To:
Subject: WomanSpirit (SEASON and YEAR) Workshop presenters
The brochure is done and registration has begun. Online registration is not quite complete but will be available very soon. This year you may also pay with a credit card.
If you haven't received a brochure or e-mail, please visit www.womenandreligion.org to view the brochure and register online or print a registration form. All presenters need to register to ensure we have your current information in our database. You may register as a workshop presenter (no charge) or as retreat attendees (retreat fee) if you wish to participate fully in the retreat.
Honorariums are $30 per workshop and will be paid on the day of the conference.
Attached is a draft list of what rooms workshops will be located in and the list of equipment requests. Please get back to me as soon as possible if anything needs correction or additions. Also attached are the floor plans at (LOCATION) where workshops will be located. Please contact me with any questions/concerns about rooms and set up.
I look forward to working with all of you. You are welcome to contact me any time, (E_MAIL or PHONE) is the most effective method for me.
Blessed Be,
(NAME)
Sample message to decline workshop proposals:
Dear _______________ ,
Please reply to confirm that you received this email.
Thank you for offering to share your talents for [EVENT]! We had an overwhelming response and are very excited about the workshops this year. The primary consideration for inclusion was workshops that fit our theme closely. Unfortunately, yours was not one of the workshops chosen this time. Please feel free to propose this for a future WomanSpirit event!
Peace,
[NAME]
Workshop Chair
[Winter orSummer] WomanSpirit [YEAR]
[ADDRESS]
[PHONE]
[EMAIL]
www.womenandreligion.org
ADDENDUM 11-17-09: FINDING WORKSHOP PRESENTERS We have solicited workshops in many ways:
- blast e-mail to all past attendees (not just workshop presenters, as you never know just who will have something that’s just right)
- article on our website (and Facebook!) Deadline dates are already on the calendar, check the site main page.
- workshop application printed on the back of the flyers we put in the Winter WomanSpirit packet
- personal contact with people we know and with women at Winter WS.
