Running Small Events: Introduction to Autocratting by THL Asa Gormsdottir

June 2006

DECIDING TO HOLD AN EVENT:

Ingredients:

▪          Theme

▪          Activities – martial, merchants, A&S, childcare, Feast, lunch counter, bar, season of year?

▪          Personalizing an event - cutesy stuff, canton-specific mythology

Planning/bids:

▪          crowded calendar

▪          Deciding to conflict with another event – distance or theme

▪          # of parties involved

▪          Complexity

Diplomacy:

▪          holding events out of canton

▪          sponsorship

SITE CONSIDERATIONS:

Choosing a site:

▪          Venue size based on expected range of attendance

▪          Schools, legion halls, parks, community centres, hotels

▪          Outdoor events – shelter/weather issues, bar restrictions, safety issues

Space issues:

▪          Parking

▪          Lists

▪          Food/feasts

▪          Space for people to sit and visit, work on A&S etc.

▪          Change rooms/washrooms/Royalty Room

▪          Merchanting. The merchant question and small events

▪          A&S

▪          Child care area – placement – not near the lists!!

Narrowing it down:

▪          Deposits/deadlines to pay

▪          Fire regulations

▪          Stage, tables, chairs, fixtures

▪          Electrical outlets

▪          Stairs/accessibility

▪          lot plowed after snowstorm?

▪          Check fine print in contracts

Things to avoid when choosing a site:

▪          paid security guards

▪          site catering

▪          parking fees

▪          site bar (can be costly/limited selection/no flexibility)

▪          Be aware of need for Smart Serve permits (Ontario) for bar

YOUR STAFF:

Typical division of responsibilities:

▪          autocrat and deputies

▪          feastocrat

▪          reservations/troll

▪          bar steward

▪          marshal(s)

▪          merchant coordinator

▪          A&S coordinator

▪          Child care coordinator

▪          Royalty liaison

▪          Herald

▪          Chirurgeon

▪          Grunts – set up/take down/clean-up/security

▪          The issue of volunteers and professionalism

Other Resources:

▪          Seneschals

▪          recent event autocrats/other experienced people

Choosing a feastocrat:

▪          timeliness

▪          good food

▪          ability to stay on budget

▪          need for reservation counts

Choosing a troll:

▪          Trust, accountability, ability to follow instructions and count money

▪          Don't use your exchequer as this takes away a key audit control

▪          Keeping track of floats

▪          Keep money under lock and key – assume the worst will happen until it doesn't

BALANCE SHEET:

Budgeting:

▪          site rental fee

▪          insurance

▪          permits

▪          food – feast (big!), lunch counter

▪          bar

▪          prizes

▪          site tokens

Event revenues:

▪          Site fees

▪          check range of fees from previous events using Tidings/Calendar

▪          Not so long ago >$5 was considered excessive – not any more

▪          The question of “comps” – controlling free admissions

▪          Lunch table

▪          Feast

▪          Auctions, contests, raffles

Pre-Event Funding:

▪          Canton

▪          Baronial or kingdom involvement?

▪          Who will fund a deficit?

In-Kind Donations to seek out:

▪          tokens

▪          prizes

▪          TIME

▪          Tools, tents, flags, signs, tablecloths, regalia

▪          Local or Baronial Quartermasters

Protecting Funds/Reporting:

▪          Troll – great responsibility

▪          no payment without receipts

▪          NMS

▪          importance of timeliness when reporting

 

 

LOGISTICS AND COMMUNICATION

Communication:

▪          Tidings requirements – SCA sanctioned event / SCA insurance

▪          Emails to local group, barony, kingdom, seneschals

▪          Invitations to royalty

Event chronology:

▪          Site opens/closes ….

▪          access previous evening for set-up?

▪          Setup requirements

▪          Signage

▪          Troll/bar/lunch opens….

▪          Courts at TRM’s discretion

▪          Tournaments – martial, A&S, inspections, etc.

▪          Raffles, classes, etc.

Thinking ahead:

▪          All the waivers you can lay your hands on, including minor waivers and NMS list

▪          Marshals in charge to bring extra forms for their activities

▪          Make up disposable signs in advance e.g. washroom, change room, royalty room, A&S room, etc.

▪          Phone lists – cell phones particularly

▪          Distribute event layout maps in advance so staff don't fight during set-up

▪          Hold site tours in advance if possible

Odd Things you might want to bring:

▪          You are the den mother for a gigantic family for one day

▪          Paper towels, rubber gloves, Fantastik, garbage bags

▪          Toilet paper, Kleenex, baby wipes

▪          First aid kit or get a chirurgeon aboard your team

▪          Bottled water, juice boxes, high-energy snacks for crashing team members

▪          White cardboard or paper, markers and masking tape, pens, highlighters etc.

▪          Duct tape, tool kit, flashlight, extension cord

▪          Door wedges

WAYS TO ANNOY AN AUTOCRAT (or, how not to be accountable):

(with contributions from Magistra Nicolaa de Bracton and Bantiarna Medb ingen Dungaile)

Before the event:

▪          When invited to participate, smugly tell the autocrat you are philosophically opposed to the event’s concept

▪          Take on a role, then forget all about it

▪          Avoid event planning meetings “because you’re too busy”

▪          When deputized to send in the event information for the Tidings, forget to do it, or assume that the deadline for the July issue is a couple of weeks before July

▪          When deputized to run the bar, forget to get the permits in time.  Then complain to the autocrat that the site has to be dry

▪          When a site token is chosen, complain that "item X would be better", when item X would cost $300.

▪          Ignore event announcements/website. Call the autocrat late at night and ask stupid questions.

During the event:

▪          Forget to bring what you promised, arrive late, then deny you were ever asked

▪          On arrival, criticize the site’s attributes and say you know a far better venue. Even though you were silent during site discussions.

▪          Insist the directions to the site are “wrong” even though no one else had a problem.

▪          Demand free admittance “because I’m helping/I’m a single parent/I don’t have any money on me”, even though the autocrat paid full site fee.

▪          Ignore event information that advises there is no room for individual presences, and demand the autocrat find you space for all your stuff.

▪          If weather forces everyone inside, forcing them to share space, complain that the autocrat is biased against fighters/fencers/dancers/merchants/children/A&S because you had to share.

▪          Block registers and heaters with your bags, then complain that the site is too cold.

▪          Interrupt the autocrat and ask if they are having “fun”

▪          Complain that the event is in downtown Toronto, and that the group should really try to have their events somewhere less stressful.

▪          Complain that the event is not in downtown Toronto, and getting there by transit involves a couple of transfers.

▪          Complain to the autocrat about all the children who have come to the event (especially when said children are being relatively well-behaved.)

▪          Offer the autocrat “helpful suggestions” to improve their next event. Tell them you can do it better.

▪          Question the autocrat’s motives for running the event – to their face

▪          If you’re working troll, leave your table unattended. Ignore the autocrat’s instructions. Forget about the NMS. Make up your own fees. Mishandle change. Steal.

▪          Complain that Court is after feast, when it is Their Majesties' discretion to set the time.

▪          "Forget" to gather up your possessions by a certain time even after repeated requests to do so.

▪          Complain about the food and its cost. If the food is on time, say it’s too fast/too much. If the food is a bit delayed, make faces at your fellow guests and tell off your server. Never help serve. Leave your food scraps on the table.

After the event:

▪          Forget your promise to help with take-down/clean-up, as you rush out to the post-rev. Or, stand around chatting and watch the autocrat cleaning on their hands and knees.

▪          If you lost in a competition, blame the autocrat

▪          Be difficult about turning in receipts or filing your own reports. If given a deadline, ignore the autocrat’s instructions, dump the material on a handy bystander and then claim innocence when the report goes in late.