This past weekend I was fortunate enough to keynote the Community Leadership Summit (CLS) in Austin, Texas
It was an absolute pressure cooker of amazing community leaders, all discussing a range of topics across many fields.
This post serves as a braindump of some of those conversations.
Consider the form factor of your physical award trophies. Can recipients get them through airport security? #CLS17 @sherrierohde
— Katie McLaughlin ✨ (@glasnt) May 6, 2017
Think about why you run events.
Is it for generating revenue for your product/community, to then spend in other places? Is it to create an environment of like-minded people to meet and network and create?
ROI on stickers. TLDR stickers good. #CLS17 @mbbroberg pic.twitter.com/XLDXkHKsJh
— Katie McLaughlin ✨ (@glasnt) May 6, 2017
More on stickers:
- If you’re creating hex stickers, stick to the standard
- Choose automotive grade vinyl
T-shirts
- Not everyone will want a t-shirt, anyway.
- Sizing charts being accessible on your conference website, including measuring guides, are a thing
- Heavy cotton is more expensive, but is less likely to be completely seethrough
- Direct to garment (digital) printing is less durable than screenprinting. May only last a few washes, but is cheaper for smaller batches
- Screen printed shirst last longer, but are more expensive. Involves making physical screens for each colour on the shirt, more colours -> more screens -> more money.
- Don’t use white shirts. They are epic see-through, and don’t get the white-drop background colour first (normally)
- Many manufacturers don’t have all colours in all sizes and all cuts
- Consider having straight, semi-fitted, and fitted shirts
- Cotton Bureau Blank might be interesting, watch this space
Running world class events
- Run regular organisational team meetings in scrum style, increasing in frequency as the conference approaches
- Documentation should be shared across organisational teams across years
- Selling out tickets is OKAY
- Check the interfaith calendar before booking dates
- Have efficiency in your on-site registration process
- Ensure your breakout areas don’t echo
- Have an event the day before your conf. ENSURE IT’S ADVERTISED (people flying in will miss it, otherwise)
- Have dry (alcohol freee) options for your social events
- Consider having a video and translator sponsor
My entire tweet stream from #cls17 is available on twitter