The Day of a Knit-Out & Crochet
Making Sure the Event Runs Smoothly from Start to Finish
It's finally here--the day everyone has been waiting for. Make sure any craft event runs smoothly by fully planning out the whole day.
When the day finally arrives, everyone who helped to plan a fabulous Knit-Out & Crochet event, or really any crafty occasion, wants things to run smoothly. As long as previous planning has been fairly thorough, most glitches (and every party has some) have been expected and provisions have been made for them.
But when the day does come, it helps to have specific plans that all the volunteers know about. Consider the following items when planning the “day of.”
Designate a Go-To Person
Designate one coordinator to oversee all aspects of the Knit-Out & Crochet event set-up. That someone should always be available to direct volunteers to where they are needed, and pull others to cover emergencies. Pick someone who works well under pressure and has great mapping skills.
Volunteer Desk Help
Set up a Volunteer Check-In Desk. This desk should act as a point at which volunteers sign in and receive their assignments for the different parts of the day. Definitely have a simple floor plan of the Knit-Out & Crochet event to provide to volunteers so that they can direct consumers. Extras should be printed up for the attendees themselves.
Evaluation
Hand out evaluation forms to visitors and designate areas where the forms can be dropped off. Knowing what people liked and did not like will be of great help when the group holds another one next year.
Besides that, the CYCA would like to know how the Knit-Out went. They prefer detailed information, and ask to be provided the following: name of sponsoring group(s), time and place of the event, exact directions to the location, activities, local contact name and phone number (phone numbers are essential in case CYCA staff has questions or if a member of the press wants to contact someone in charge), and names, addresses and specific reporters' names at your local newspapers. It’s a good idea to contact them at info@craftyarncouncil.com before the event is fully planned out and after it’s complete.
Photography
Designate at least one volunteer as Knit-Out & Crochet photographer. These photos will be very helpful for future promotion.
Early and Late Set-Up
Make sure some volunteers come early for set up and some stay later to help with clean up and tear down.
Identification of Volunteers
Have a way to identify volunteers, such as name tags or same-color T-shirts. Everyone, both volunteers and attendees, will have a much better time if they are not lost.
With just a little more planning, this day will go off without a hitch, or at the very least, not too many hitches.
More information: Planning a Local Knit-Out, Promoting a Knit-Out Event, and Knit-Out Activities.
