Tips on Organizing a Successful INGO Event

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    esrice

    Certified Regular Guy
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    Jan 16, 2008
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    Tips on Organizing a Successful INGO Event


    INGO is a wonderful community-- due in part to the successful events that have been planned, organized, and hosted by various INGO members over the past few years.

    We encourage every member to attend as many INGO events as possible. We also encourage members to take the lead and play bigger roles as planners, organizers, and hosts. These tips are designed to help those folks in that venture, in ensuring that future INGO events are also successful.

    INGO events tend to fall into one or two of these categories: eat ‘n greet, open shoot, training class, or educational seminar. Below are some examples of each.

    Eat ‘n Greet - https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/ingo_e..._1-2-10_a.html

    Open Shoot - https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/ingo_e...all_-_aar.html

    Training Class - https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/tactic...ymen_aars.html

    Educational Seminar - https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/ingo_e...n_reports.html

    Some events, however, encompass several of these aspects.

    Eat ‘n Greet / Open Shoot - https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/ingo_e...7_09_aars.html

    Educational Seminar / Open Shoot / Eat ‘n Greet - https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/3rd_an...at_9_18_a.html

    Which brings me to my first tip:

    1. Define your event
    Different events require different plans. If you define what type of event you want to have first, then the rest will follow. If food is involved, like with an eat ‘n greet, it will require very different planning from an event that is strictly a training class.

    2. Find a venue
    After you’ve defined what type of event you want to organize, you’ll need to find a place to hold it. Eat ‘n greets are often held at restaurants, while training classes are most likely to be held at a shooting range. Whatever the case, make sure your venue is suitable to the tasks that you’ve already defined.

    3. Set a date and time
    Sometimes you can take a poll and see what dates work best for potential attendees. Sometimes its more helpful if the organizer simply picks a suitable date and sticks with it. Do be aware of conflicting events like gun shows, hunting seasons, other INGO events, etc.

    4. Ask for help
    As the event organizer, don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you need to, appoint people to bring food dishes, appoint range safety officers, or ask someone to help you bear the organizational burden. Most successful events require a team of organizers.

    5. Clearly set boundaries and rules
    Don’t be afraid to set some boundaries and ground rules. Some of these may also come from the host, depending on what they’re providing. Safety/range rules and a medical action plan for shooting events are a MUST. You may also set specific rules during the planning stage, such as number of attendees, caliber restrictions, training prerequisites, etc. Just be sure that these are made clear to all potential attendees prior to the event.

    6. Communicate the details
    INGO is where we all come to communicate. Feeler threads, planning threads, and AAR threads are all ways to more effectively communicate with other INGOers in regards to your event. Be organized. If necessary, provide equipment lists, directions, maps, contact information, and food assignments. Nametags are highly recommended, as they help bridge the gap between a screen name and a participant's real name.

    7. Take charge
    On the day of the event, stand up and take the reins, as folks will be taking their lead from you. If it’s an eat ‘n greet, arrive early and find out where everyone will be seated. If it’s a training class, make sure everyone knows where to register and pay. If it’s an open shoot, make sure the range officer or land owner is kept in the loop.

    8. Document, document, document
    As it is with any INGO event, half the fun is sharing it with the other INGOers who were unable to attend. As an online community, we love seeing our fellow INGOers having a good time. Be sure that someone will be there to take plenty of picture and/or video. After action reports (AAR) are a great way for readers to get an overall sense of the day’s events. Commentary from the participants is encouraged, and often a nice ‘mental vacation’ for those of us stuck behind a desk that day.

    I would encourage anyone even considering organizing an INGO event to give it a shot! There is no greater reward than seeing the smiling faces of other INGOers as they enjoy an event that you had a hand in organizing.

    Good luck!
     
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