Checklist for our pilot project events with the Local Enterprise Office (Mayo and Monaghan).

Events: 

Overview of events to date HERE.

MAYO – ATU iHub, Castlebar (5 February – Castlebar Chamber partnered – LinkedIn post HERE); IQ Ballina (March 18 – Ballina Chamber partnered – blog post HERE); Leeson Enterprise Centre, Westport (March 26 – Westport Chamber partnered – blog post HERE); 

MONAGHAN– M:TEK1, Monaghan (10 March – LinkedIn post HERE); Castleblayney Enterprise Centre (2 April – blog post HERE); C:TEK Carickmacross, (April 15)..

BEFOREHAND:

• Confirm room availability – capacity for circa 25 people – common area can work in some instances if there is reasonably good privacy) (Hub)
• Agree time – 9.30am to 11am has worked well so far (All)
• Catering (pastries) (hub to recommend; CH to contact and pay – or local hub can cater and invoice CH. To discuss.)
• Coffee pods, teabags, milk (CH – if hubs let CH know what coffee machine they use, we buy pods for that)
• Confirm parking and access details (Hub)
• Social media post (drafted by CH for sign-off by all partners; then publicly circulated by all partners directly on their own social media accounts)
• Press release (CH writes it and circulates to all partners for sign off; LEO circulates it to local media – all organisations can put on own sites etc too)
• Registration: we haven’t done it so far (the calculation was that it would be preferable to not put a barrier in front of businesses who are not accustomed to dealing with agencies; we may do it in Monaghan, just being discussed at the minute. Pros and cons to both options).
• All parties to make a special effort to promote the event with phone calls in the days immediately beforehand. Evidence so far has been that this has a very positive impact in terms of recruiting numbers.

ON THE DAY:

• Meet 30 minutes before event start time (All)
• All partners to bring backdrops and any promo material they wish to distribute (All)
• Clarify permission with attendees to do photo and video (CH)
• Get attendees to sign into database on laptop (CH)
• Take photos and videos (CH and other partners)
• Words of welcome – CH to introduce, all partners to say short words of welcome
• Facilitate discussion (CH can do this – Liam Horan; with LEO assisting if we need to facilitate smaller group discussions – this happened in Castlebar. Still early days so may vary from hub to hub as we find the optimum method. Hub managers and teams more than welcome to take part in discussions)
• Sit in to chair smaller group discussions, take notes, offer insights etc (LEO)
• Track attendance with physical sign-in sheet (CH)
• Circulate evaluation link and get people to fill in the room (CH)

AFTERWARDS:

• Social media post draft (CH to initiate; all to sign off and then publicly circulate)
• Draft email contact with all attendees (including sharing database and photos) – CH