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Locate church
where seminar can be held. Needs to be easy to find from major highways,
have adequate parking, and be accessible by public transportation.
Specific needs:
1. Room for teaching sessions, meals and coffee breaks, book and
freebie tables, and registration. A large fellowship hall with room for
all the above is ideal. If space permits, participants appreciate sitting
at tables for the workshops. (Depending on the length of the table, we can
sit 4-6 behind and on the ends of each table.) The same tables are used
for meals. Attendance ranges from 30-100 with an average attendance of 50.
2. Availability of overhead (and a back-up bulb or second projector)
and blank wall for projection. (When I drive to the seminar, I bring an
overhead with me.)
3. Sound system and wireless lapel mic and someone to show us how to
operate. Depending on size of room and number attending possible to do
without.
4. Amplified tape deck for closing performance tape or a boom box.
5. Time to set up book and freebie tables (preferably afternoon or
evening before Saturday seminar, morning before a Friday/Saturday
seminar).
6. Someone available to lock up Friday night (about 10:15) and let us
in Saturday at 7:30 am.
7. Janitorial help for set-up and tear down of tables and chairs and
cleaning and restocking paper products in bathrooms if we have a large
group. (Seminar pays an honorarium if there is no set fee.) In some
churches the youth group has handled set-up and teardown as a fundraiser.
8. Enough tables available
My use while teaching - 1 long, 1 small
Registration - 1
Freebies - 2
Books - 3-4
Lunch & coffee break serving table - 1-2
Participants - one for each 4-6 attendees if space to sit behind during
workshops or one for each 8 attendees if use only for meals)
9. Lectern or a music stand.
10. Phone number we can give to attendees for emergency phone calls
during seminar.
11. Number to reach janitor or church member during seminar should we
blow a fuse or have any other needs (like smoke detectors that have been
known to go off for no reason).
12. Cost? Even when available free of charge, the seminar always make a
donation to the church.
Other Advance
Arrangements
1. Contact motels close to church to secure rates and phone numbers for
brochure. We do not guarantee rooms will be filled, sign any contracts,
pay any fees, or book any reservations. We only secure info and print in
brochure.
2. Make arrangements for coffee breaks & meals. Need:
Regular and decaf coffee (adequate # of coffee pots available?)
Regular and decaf tea
Creamer, sugar & diet sugar
Stirrers
Something cold - water and/or juice (adequate # of pitchers?)
Baked goods for morning coffee break
Fruit, veggies/dip and crackers/cheese for afternoon coffee break
Lunch - typically lunch meat/cheese, rolls, salad, chips, dessert
For a two-day seminar we usually order pizza for Friday night.
Attendees appreciate a tossed salad with it. Ice cream or cookies are
great for a short break before the Friday evening critique session.
3. Kitchen help for coffee breaks and meals. Possibilities:
- Seminar participants on full or partial working scholarship.
- Church youth group or women’s group as a fundraiser. Suggest
that the seminar pay a $75 honorarium for each meal and $25 for each
coffee break. In addition the seminar needs to cover the cost of food at
$5 a meal (the group may be able to make some profit here) plus the cost
of beverage and snacks at the coffee breaks.
4. Arrange for help with set-up. Volunteers appreciated but this is
also a job those with financial need can do on working scholarship. It’s
also a good youth group fundraiser. Depending on number of helpers takes
about 2 hours to:
Set up freebie tables
Set up book tables
Hang signs (provided)
Set up lunch/coffee break area
Set up registration area
Set up tables and chairs for participants
5. Arrange for help with clean-up after seminar.
6. Find someone willing to receive and store boxes of freebie
literature until seminar. Ideally these should go to the church. I am
ordering fewer freebies than in the past. Anticipate about 25 boxes about
2-3 times bigger than the size of a box of 500 #4 envelopes.
7. Find someone willing to receive and store boxes of books. Should be
sent to a separate location so I can check to make certain everything that
has been ordered is received in time. When coming by car, I usually bring
all the books with me.
8. Do brochure mailing (labels provided by Write His Answer office).
Brochure should be mailed 6-8 weeks prior to seminar.
9. Duplicate and collate packet of handouts (masters to be provided).
This can be done during set-up the day before.
Publicity
Explore possibilities of media interviews.
I’ll provide press kits.
Send news release to local papers (I can provide) and make follow-up
calls.
Distribute brochures to local churches and Christian bookstores.
Contact other writers’ groups in area (if any) to see if they will
assist with seminar.
Registrar (or registrations can be sent
directly to me)
Acknowledge registrations. I can provide letter.
Receive phone calls and answer questions. (Should have at least one
local number in brochure)
Secure one person to help at registration table if possible & numbers
warrant.
Prepare roster of conferees for distribution at conference (unless
registrations sent to me)
Prepare name tags. (I can provide blank name tags with my logo or
yours.)
At Seminar
Someone to open with prayer and share info about sponsoring group (if
any).
One or two people to handle book sales. I usually bring someone with me
when I drive. (I will secure a temporary sales tax license if I do not
already have a license for the state where the seminar is held.)
Other
Provide a map and/or written directions to the church for the brochure.
Make plans for fellowship/prayer times before and after seminar and
Saturday night dinner (if several people or a group become involved in
preparations). We often order something for Saturday night and meet in a
home so that we can pray over the commitments people make in close of
seminar.
Most Important Responsibility
- covering the seminar with prayer
Seminar Check-off List
Marlene's
Responsibilities
Preparation of brochure (unless group prefers to do themselves)
Mailing list (on labels) of writers in area
Preparation of news release, press kit, and registration acknowledgment
letter (feel free to adapt)
Sending announcement of seminar to TCC, WIN, & C&Q
Requesting freebie literature
Packet to hand out at seminar. (I can provide masters for group to
duplicate or bring packets with me. The cost of duplicating is paid from
registration fees.)
Ordering books from Writer’s Digest and other sources
Support and encouragement to sponsoring group/coordinator
Suggested Budget
Registration fees cover all seminar expenses including:
Publicity expenses (primarily brochure printing and mailing)
Marlene’s travel expenses
Phone, postage, and printing
Cost of food for coffee breaks, $5 a person for each meal, honorarium
for person/group serving
Honorarium of $50 to $100 each for church, janitor or youth group,
coordinator, sponsoring group, and a helper (when I’m able to bring one
with me). The sponsoring group also receives 15% of the total book sales
when they man the table. TCC subscriptions, WEC books and other books
purchased at full cost, and books consigned by participants not included
in percentage sponsoring group receives.
Honorarium to Marlene for teaching. I’d like to be able to earn $400
for a day long seminar; $650 for a Friday afternoon & evening and all day
Saturday seminar. This is not a set fee nor do I require a minimum number
of participants. God provides!
Suggest that any profits after the above is paid be split between the
sponsoring group (or coordinator) and Write His Answer Ministries for
needed office help.
Suggest that partial and working scholarships be offered those with
financial need.
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