Overview: this timeline reflects a non-Division Director’s approach to putting on an officer training that included breakfast, one keynote, and two workshop sessions that had Toastmasters and non-Toastmaster related topics. This approach was meant to also include the general public, promote Toastmasters, and raise the bar regarding officer trainings.
| Date | Task |
| 7 months out | Meet with those interested team members (doers, not committee people) |
| 6 months out | Secured a venue |
| First team meeting to discuss name, audience, sponsorship, keynote, program, registration, call for presenters, etc. | |
| Email a “call for presenters” out to division clubs, area director, and division director | |
| Email hosting club members interested in volunteering to mark their calendars | |
| Email hosting club officers a request to facilitate an officer training workshop | |
| 5 months out | Ask planning team to bring five title and tag line ideas to planning meeting along with sponsor ideas |
| Decide on event title and tag line (e.g. Big Bad Ballyhoo, elevate your speaking and leadership skills) | |
| Brainstorm sponsorship ideas and levels of participation. E.g. $50 or less: mentioned in emails and program, $50-99: poster, program, email, social media; $100-499: poster, email, program, email, social media, recognized at event. | |
| Begin social media campaign: personal tweets, club and district tweets, club and district FB, personal LinkedIn and TM group LinkIn posts, hosting club / event website post | |
| Ask Division Director to invite other divisions to attend | |
| Follow up with keynote leads / ideas. Attempt to nail down a keynote speaker. | |
| Ask Division Director to email another request for workshop proposals | |
| 4 months out | Deadline for workshop applications and descriptions |
| Create and send out first round of division emails with attached flyer promotion via Division Director | |
| Extend workshop and keynote commitment finalization to three months out (if struggling to obtain commitments). Begin thinking about 3rd keynote alternate if first two have not committed. | |
| Post promotion graphic on District Facebook page | |
| Meet with team to decide on keynote | |
| Send out sponsoring invite to hosting club members | |
| 3 months out | Meet with team to discuss catering, advertising, program, etc. |
| Contact caterers for prices and menu ideas for 50-75 people | |
| Set facilitator training dates | |
| Contact alternate workshop facilitators if necessary. | |
| Contact local radio station about set up a radio interview | |
| Recruit someone to be the MC | |
| Create draft online registration | |
| Resend sponsorship invitation to hosting club members | |
| Follow up with hosting club officers about leading workshops and being trained | |
| Ask someone to put together a logo slideshow and setting up projectors for the event | |
| 2 months out | Submit announcement to local publications (to invite public) |
| Send another promotional email out through the Division Director | |
| Create poster and email to division club presidents | |
| Get prices on poster printing | |
| Ask hosting club members to sponsor (reminder email) and send money to finalize budget | |
| Submit event to local online event calendars | |
| Email presidents and area directors about some of the workshops being offered to generate interest | |
| Update event /club website post with more details regarding keynote and workshops | |
| Follow up with hosting club officers about facilitating workshops | |
| Create draft program | |
| 1 month out | Contact alternate facilitator to secure commitment if necessary |
| Secure local radio interviews to promote the event and write an article for the local paper | |
| Create a volunteer sign up form | |
| Go live with online preregistration form | |
| Ask local coffee shop to sponsor and get a commitment | |
| Create draft poster with sponsor logos and send out to sponsors for review | |
| 3 weeks out | Meet with team to firm up details regarding program, posters, catering, budget, etc. |
| Contacted caterer options | |
| Update poster and program with any changes | |
| Receive any last minute sponsor money | |
| Send pre-registration link to Division Director and District Director | |
| Recruit any replacement facilitators to lead an officer training | |
| Send final for 25 posters to be printed with overnightprints.com | |
| Finalize programs and send to printer | |
| Email pre-registration link to Division Club Presidents and Area Directors | |
| 2 weeks out | Assign volunteers to be greeters and set up / tear down |
| Remind and invite workshop facilitators to training a training the week before | |
| Email to Division Director to forward to division (and send it to club presidents and area directors too) regarding the workshop line up, free breakfast, and link to pre-register | |
| 2 weeks out | Hang posters around town |
| Email .pdf of event poster to local hosting club members to invite people | |
| Remind event team, volunteers, and facilitators to be at event at 8:00am for a pre-event briefing | |
| Meet with team to firm up catering and send check. | |
| Contact local coffee shop to remind them of their beverage sponorship | |
| Create facilitator template / training and email out and go over at training to insure every workshop has the same interactive experience | |
| 1 week out | Facilitator training, walk through venue with team and venue contact, and talk through final details |
| Purchase card and gift card for keynote, hang more posters | |
| Send another email to District Director, Area Directors, and Club Presidents | |
| Day before | Email team reminder and tally of pre-registration |
| Email Area Directors and Club Presidents to invite membership | |
| Post event invitation on LinkedIn one last time (for public invitation) | |
| Day of event | Arrive early and brief team on what needs to be done to set up (signage, sound, food tables, breakout locations and set up of rooms, etc.). |
| After event | Meet with team to debrief, go over event comment sheets, |