Readers Day Toolkit
10. Countdown to a successful event
At least 6 months before
- Discuss aims and target audience
- Venue
- Outline shape and ideal panel
- Confirm resources- is a grant bid necessary? If yes discuss with funding officer
- Identify and contact key partners
- Is outreach work necessary to assess likely interest?
6-5 months
- Identify venue and related costs. Make tentative booking.
- Approach writers and partners about participating
- Prepare grant bid
5-3 months
- Funding secured.
- Confirm panel and activities.
- Confirm venue
3 months before
- Confirm author details and design publicity
- Arrange refreshments and venue requirements
2 months before
- Get publicity printed and distributed
- Contact writers/partners again to clarify role, confirm arrangements etc
- Contact publishers/bookshops for goody bag contents
1 month before
- Ongoing publicity, word of mouth, press, outreach.
- Confirm staffing and helpers
- Gather in materials for packs/goody bags.
- Prepare quiz, evaluation sheets
2 weeks before
- closing date for applications, confirm any remaining bookings
- Contact writers/partners again to inform them of numbers, remind about arrangements
1 week before
- Confirm numbers for refreshments, special diets
- Prepare welcome packs/goody bags
Day before
- Brief staff and helpers, visit venue and confirm final details
Enjoy the day as much as possible
Afterwards
- Thank the authors and organisers
- Thank the helpers on the day
- Press release
- Summarise evaluation sheets
- Evaluation meeting
- Write report for management
Time To Read currently has a full time paid co-ordinator, supported by Arts Coucil of England and Museums, Libraries and Archives, North West.