How to Plan a Spin in Public Event
Here are some tips from Spin in Public on how to get your own public spinning event started. There is information on small events and large ones. We expect that most of the events will be small ones - allowing the public a glimpse into something they have never seen before. However, if you are up to organizing the next BIG spinning festival - we will do whatever you need to excitedly support you in that!
1. Dates and Preparation
A spinning in public event can be done spontaneously as a group of people who just want to go out and spin, or it can be hosted as an event to try to draw out a crowd. The easier of these two is the spontaneous one. In this case, spinners work out a date/time and as long as there is a good public space and parking, everything will work out wonderfully. However, for a more planned event geared at drawing a crowd you may want to consider some of the items below. This will depend entirely on the kind of event that you want to host, where it is, how formal it is and the size of the group. We suggest allowing yourself 1-3 months depending on the kind of event you wish to have. This is ample planning time.
2. Venue and Local Fauna
- Ensure that the venue allows this kind of activity. You can choose local parks, local buildings, downtown areas, museums, galleries, churches, public gardens, etc. The main consideration is that this is public property or if private property, that permission is obtained. It is best to check with your local city/town office to ensure that there are no regulations in using public space. This usually only applies to vending licensing or other sales based festivities.
- Ensure that there is parking for all of your participants that are driving to the event.
- Ensure that there are washroom facilities, food and beverage facilities, and anything else that your participants could require.
- Try to keep your event family friendly; this will ensure a better turn-out!
3. Participants and Communication
- Depending on who will be taking part in your event, organize an email list or mailing list so that you can send out information to your participants on items such as date, location, time, parking, lunch or dinner plans, etc.
- If you are organizing your event as part of a guild or spinning group, you will be able to organize meetings to discuss all items relating to your event. This is a good time to assign tasks to helpers.
4. Advertising and Promotion
- Create a poster in a digital copy for distribution on the internet
- Create a printed poster that can be distributed at local businesses, mailed to participants and interest groups, or postered around your locale. * Ensure to review your local city bylaws relating to postering poles and public areas.
- Good places to distribute posters are libraries, museums, art galleries, schools, churches or other religious buildings, at the workplace, and among your guilds, participant groups and of course local yarn shops.
5. Volunteers and Helpers
- Depending on the size of your event, you may need some helpers to do items such as organizing food, postering, calling local knitting and crochet guilds, organizing a venue, vendors, permits, etc.
- Good people to lean on for support in this role are friends and family, guilds, volunteer organizations, 4H clubs, schools, kids' groups, charity groups, spinning groups, online communities, etc.
6. Optional Additions - Vendors, Music, Food, etc.
- Based on the size of your event you may want to consider other features such as live performance, music, food vendors, retail vendors.
- These options will likely involve more planning so you should give yourself at least 6 months to plan.
- You will need to ensure that all vendors are licensed, if this is a requirement of the venue.
- You may need to obtain permits relating to food and retail vending.
- These options signify this event as a large event/festival and you wil often require a lot of help to do this.