Thread: Open Letter to Workshop Organizers

What can you add to this letter? What do you disagree with? How can workshop promoters get YOU to come to their events?


Dear Workshop Organizer,

Hello, I am a dance student. You know me, or you'd like to know me, because I am one of the people you'd like to come to your workshop with Respected Teacher. But here's the thing: these days there are a LOT of workshops for me to choose from. And given the economy, I have a budget for how many I can go to, especially when adding in the cost of gas, hotel, and meals. So I have to be really choosy. You can convince me to attend your event if you put your mind to it, though! Here are some things to think about:

a. host my favorite teacher... well, you don't know who she is, so that's hard, but outside of her identity, host her when she hasn't been/ won't be in the area for more than six months around your event. How to define "in the area"? Four hours drive is a pretty good guess.

b. communicate early: Announce the date and teacher as soon as you can, because I'll put you on my calendar.

c. communicate often: Consider a Facebook event page, because if people Like it, they are doing word of mouth advertising for you, and if something changes ("Hey, we are adding a mini class by Teacher B!") they will get the news. If I email you with a question, getting back to me within a week might be nice. And if you have new content on your event web page often, then I know visiting it often will be rewarding.

d. communicate well: Have a decent web page that doesn't bury the details off in a download document. If you don't know what to put on it, remember What, Where, When, and How... What details do you have about the class? Where will it be held? When does it start and end? How do I register and get there? (Think this is obvious? Clearly not, if you read enough event pages.) If I need a prop, please say so, because there's nothing like finding out you need a cane after the class has already started.

e. Give me a good experience, because if I have a bad one, I might not be back. Cap your workshop so we're not squashed in like sardines. If you can give us a decent dance surface, we'll love you. (If it's not decent, tell us what it is so we are prepared!) Can you put the teacher on a platform of a decent height so we can all see? How about a clip-on mic for a big room? If you give the teacher a sound-running assistant, that's always a plus. And for the love of sequins, water!

f. Extra credit: a half sheet of paper listing nearby restaurants is a great feature, and including the nearest drugstore, coffee shop, and convenience store will win you big points. Doing a catered lunch if there's just nothing close by is way cool, but otherwise give us more than an hour to change, get into cars, find provisions, and return.

Okay Bhuzzers... your turn!

My biggest rant on any event is make it easy to find the details. I want to know, as stated above where, when and how much. Yes, it is important to me to know that this is a 2 hour saidi workshop, but if I have to dig up the info about where it is, how much it is and when it is, all I am going to do is be frustrated. Also contact information should be clear and easy to find.

(At the moment I am trying to sign up for a JtE2 and have been completely frustrated because not only has there been no info on the website, there wasn't even an email address for the organizer so I could touch base with them! This has now changed, but so have many things in my life so I am probably going to take a pass at this point!)

Beautiful graphics are great! But if the info is NOT available, if I have to go searching and digging for the info, chances are, I will not be coming.

{{{HUGS}}}

MUSIC!!!!

If the instructor is teaching a choreography, having the music available well before the show is SOOOOOOO helpful! I know Hadia typically lets her sponsor know the music, so the students can buy it ahead of time and get familiar with it. Also make sure one of the vendors HAS the music.

And please don't let the workshop instructor sell some random compilation CD of tracks she doesn't remember where she got originally and were probably ripped off from a Sahra Saeeda, Wash Ya Wash, or Oriental Fantasy CD to begin with.


Details -- yes, I want to know what is being taught. Frankly I'm not really interested in another workshop on fan veils, or the current prop du jour, so if the description of the workshop is vague, I'm not going to make it a priority. Also let us know the expected "level" of student targeted, or the expected familiarity with the prop.

Part e, continued...

Please run your event like a grown up with a business. Stuff happens, people get carried away, you can't plan for every eventuality, but at least TRY to keep to a schedule. Start when you're supposed to. Don't let the 15-minute breaks go on for a half hour or more. Wrap up when you say you're going to wrap up. If the instructor has a habit of hanging around for 45 minutes after the workshop ends, answering questions and telling funny stories about her last trip to Egypt, plan for it and promote it. The only thing worse than having to leave a workshop early is staying the full length of time and still feeling like you had to leave early because there's a second unadvertised, informal Q&A session starting. Students have other things to do, travel plans, and different places to be, but we might have been able to rearrange our schedules if we'd known to. Don't make those of us who aren't in your local group feel like we were invited to the wedding, but not the reception. Or, if you (as the organizer) want to give your students extra quality time with the instructor, respect the rest of us enough to do it out of our earshot. On the other hand, bonus points to the home clan if you go out of your way to be friendly to the dancers from out of town.

Aziyade, I totally agree about the music. A pox on any workshop teacher who does not know what music she's using or how students can obtain it.

As an inexperienced workshop organiser, this thread is already very useful - thanks guys! I wish it had been posted sooner though, as we hosted an international teacher for the first time recently (having previously only ever hosted local virtually unknown teachers for short workshops) and there was so much I didn't know, and I felt like a complete twit afterwards. I really should have thought of bringing water and refreshments, but a lot of other stuff just didn't occur to me

Yes, starting on time is very important! I usually have to drive 2 or more hours to workshops and I can still manage to make it on time for registration! It's very off-putting when an event is held up because the local participants and instructors hold up the whole schedule.

-Choose a location that is accessible via public transit if possible. This is more for large cities, but it's hard/impossible for me to go to anything that isn't on a bus or train route.

-Host a workshop that has topics different from what has been hosted recently. I know there is value in covering the same topic with multiple instructors, but a unique topic with quality instructor will definitely motivate me to sign up.

-In terms of the experience, remind people of what good manners are and enforce any "rules" or common courtesies.

-Rotate the lines in workshops if possible. It's nice for those in the back to have a chance at being closer to the front.

Is there a showcase, hafla or show of visiting and local teachers/dance community, i can attend afterward or night before.

And stay on top of the time limit of workshop- make an announcement in the beginning , some studios have another workshop or booked the space after you. Also after workshop I may have plans, catch the train back home, sometimes a dancer has to get ready to work that night etc. Teacher may have plans as well. I have been to workshops than went over their time. If I have a question I usually email the teacher later on and ask and most are gracious to answer them.

Everything said here is perfect. I have a couple more things to add:

- Be sure to remind attendees of any LOCATION or TIME changes for the following workshops. I know that we've had a couple that have fallen on Daylight Savings weekends and it gets confusing. I've also shown up at the wrong location and had to drive like a crazy person...Also, I find it weird when the times aren't consistent and that throws me off. Like for instance if the workshop starts at 10 on Sat, then let's just make it at 10 on Sunday too...Because I will eff that up. I try to be organized, I really do, but for some reason I always make little mistakes when it comes to workshop time issues. Reminders are helpful.

- And while you're up there, please go ahead and announce the policy about pictures and video before the workshop starts. I have been in MANY a workshop where it was really uncomfortable when the master teacher had to regulate her own camera/video rules. The organizer should make sure that doesn't happen.

A couple of small things-
Let me know what parking is like-is it free?
In a busy downtown area where I need to find a meter and walk a few blocks? Old style parking lots where I need to have singles to put in a box? This helps me be on time/early/not stressed, especially if I am in a new area.

What is the sign up cap?
I want to know if I am competing with 20 or 100 other people for space/ability to see instructor, etc. For me, smaller workshops are more appealing, which could be an advertising advantage for less well known (but still fabulous) teachers who can't yet fill a room of 75, but can offer a more intimate learning experience.

Should I bring a coin covered hip scarf?
If there are going to be 75 people in the room, it would be nice if everyone had a clear understanding that the jinglies might not be the best idea that day.

So many great things mentioned here!

I would add this - in your online marketing, be sure to include the year, as well as the actual dates, of the workshop. I hate looking at what appears to be a potentially great workshop, only to find that it was LAST year.

Originally Posted by PepperLotus

So many great things mentioned here!

I would add this - in your online marketing, be sure to include the year, as well as the actual dates, of the workshop. I hate looking at what appears to be a potentially great workshop, only to find that it was LAST year.

D'oh! Oh, that WOULD be bad.

I prefer when the show is before the workshop. e.g. The show is Friday night, and the workshop is Saturday and Sunday.

I don't want to be at a workshop all day and then dance in or watch a show the same night. If my troupe is invited to dance in a workshop show, then I generally will not attend the workshop that same day. I know many do it, but I feel like I just don't have the stamina for that. It's too long a day for me. (Note that I don't expect to be in the show if I don't attend the workshop, but the way it works around here is that local troupes are sometimes invited to perform. Presumably the idea is that we will also attend the workshop, but, as I said, it's too much for me, and I don't enjoy either the workshop or the show, so then I need to choose.)

I know the Saturday night show configuration is more common, so maybe I'm an exception in my feelings about this, but when we have had the Friday night show scenario (e.g. when Mira Betz was here), I've enjoyed the whole event far more. Also, I feel much more motivated at the workshop after seeing the headliner dance in person.

Include PRICE up front in the details. I have often seen adverts for workshops, intensives etc where the price is so deeply buried you'd think the thing was free.

Make sure your show is no longer than 90 minutes (and 15 of the 90 minutes are for the break between halves). If it's on a Friday night, I've probably driven 4-5 hours already to get to your town and I won't want to sit all night waiting for a show to end. If it's on the Saturday following the workshop, I'll be tired from participating in the workshop all day, and again won't have the stamina to sit through a long show. Also, since I'll be coming in from out of town, I may want to take advantage of socializing with dancers I don't get to see every day, so I might want to go out for coffee with them after the show - another reason I don't want the show to run too late!

If you charge money for the show, please make sure that the dancers you select to perform are worth paying to see!

If you have vendors, please don't allow vending to be done in the same room as the workshop while the workshop is in progress! The sound of people chatting with vendors makes it harder for those of us in the back to hear the instructor. So, either put the vendors in a different room, or cover the vending while the instruction is in progress.

Please be very specific with the workshop instructor on knowing what she will be teaching, put it in your contract, and communicate it accurately in your promotional materials. Also, confirm with the teacher that this is what you are advertising and you expect her to hold to it. It's extremely disappointing to show up for a workshop advertised as "Egyptian Pop Choreography" only to discover the music is certainly NOT Egyptian pop music, nor is the choreography even remotely Egyptian in flavor.

Vendors in the same room during a workshop? I must have my head in the sand, that just seems so weird. I would think a lot of workshop participants would feel awkward learning new things in front of people who aren't participating. And talking/selling during class just seems rude!

Originally Posted by micamica

Vendors in the same room during a workshop? I must have my head in the sand, that just seems so weird. I would think a lot of workshop participants would feel awkward learning new things in front of people who aren't participating. And talking/selling during class just seems rude!

Been to one of those. In that scenario, the vending is all lumped together, rather than surrounding the workshop area, which helps some.

I put on a low-key hafla where folks can sell their goodies in a "swap meet." Due to time constraints this only works if swap meet sellers set up during the workshop (no sales during that time, however). In their seller confirmations, the sellers are specifically instructed to keep the noise level to a minimum and, if they complete their set up quickly, to please retire to the lobby for chatting and such. I verbally remind them of this on the day of. They usually do very well performing as instructed . . . then again, the majority are experienced dancers/teachers, so they follow directions pretty well.

Deborah
who doesn't want anyone in a workshop who hasn't paid for it!

Originally Posted by micamica

Vendors in the same room during a workshop? I must have my head in the sand, that just seems so weird. I would think a lot of workshop participants would feel awkward learning new things in front of people who aren't participating. And talking/selling during class just seems rude!

I prefer having the vendors in another room, but there are some reasons (some logistical, some for the vendor's interest) that it isn't possible or practical. The workshops that have the vendors in the same room have been fine; I think it's normal in some areas more so than others. The vendors were all in one area, so they didn't take that much space. They were not allowed to sell during the workshops and people were not allowed to peruse during the workshop. People were quite respectful of it.

I love the Friday night show format SO much better than the mid-workshop show! You are not alone! We have started doing an informal hafla/drum circle/hang out night on Saturday night to appease the need to socialize, tho, and this is usually pretty relaxing. Of course, my idea of relaxing involves beating on a drum anyway

We haven't had problems with vending in the same room, but there is an area with tables next to a kitchenette at one end of the room anyway, and all the vendors are also dancers, so vending is done before and after, during lunch (and yes, the couple folks who don't have the stamina to make it through the full 2 hours wander through to look, but it hasn't yet been an issue)

Then again, we also tend to have 30 participants rather than 100, and being remote, we NEED the WS instructor to bring up stuff to vend too! Still mentally drooling over the dress Eva Cernik brought up 2 years ago, but I was too pregnant to try it on!

Originally Posted by micamica

A couple of small things-
Let me know what parking is like-is it free?
In a busy downtown area where I need to find a meter and walk a few blocks? Old style parking lots where I need to have singles to put in a box? This helps me be on time/early/not stressed, especially if I am in a new area.

Yes! Thank you Micamica! I agree about parking,in some places the lack of parking is so bad that I've passed on several workshops I would have taken otherwise. There is nothing worse then arriving with plenty of time and then end up being late because I couldn't find a place to park.

A bit off-topic, but I wanted to let you know that I posted a link to this thread to the Professional Belly Dance Promoter's Facebook Group. A few of the folks who have come to read this thread have said it was helpful.

As an organizer myself, it's always good to hear this sort of feedback. I always do my best to consider the needs of those attending my event. It's complicated and complex...and there are so many layers of things to deal with that it's easy to miss something.

One thing that I have found to be very valuable is to send out a post-event survey. I've done this every year, and I've learned so much from listening to the attendees. I highly recommend that all workshop organizers ask for feedback.

On the flip side...

Occasionally, I've received requests and/or criticisms regarding things that are simply not within my control. As an organizer, I generally believe "that the buck stops here"...but we can't always plan for everything or accommodate every request.

For example, every year I get suggestions that I should have coffee service available in the mornings. My venue is a hotel/casino/convention center, so it seems like a reasonable request. However, the hotel charges (brace yourself)...$75/gallon for coffee. Yup! They charge $25/per person/per day. Since there is a coffee shop on site, we've opted to just direct caffeine desperate dancers down the escalator to the coffee shop.

And room blocks can be another tricky thing. Sometimes I have to sign contracts with my venue 18 months or more in advance. I do my best to make an educated guess regarding the needs for hotel rooms. If I don't fill the room block, I potentially have to pay hundreds of dollars in empty rooms. If it's early enough in the year, I can sometimes add more rooms, but not always. Last year, I had many people get upset when our room block filled up 6 weeks before the event. The hotel didn't want to give us more rooms because the going rate was nearly double the rate we had guaranteed for our group. Eventually the hotel conceded, and I was able to get more space. It would be very helpful if people would book their rooms and classes earlier than later.

(maybe I need to write an "open letter to workshop attendees")

Anyway...I will be the first to admit that it's frustrating to go to a poorly organized event. Even so, it's also good to keep an open mind about all the millions of things the organizer is doing. Feedback is great, but also try to recognize some of the limitations.

Transportation arrangements! Let me know if I have to rely on taxis, public shuttles or do I absolutely have to rent a car. I hate to drive, and one of the last events I attended had limited transportation. I did not have a good time. I skipped some of the shows simply because getting there from the hotel was such a hassle.

Also agree, descriptions. A vague one sentence description is not good enough.

Edna

Yes, PLEASE tell us what the workshop is about. And then insist that the teacher actually cover that topic. I've had horrible experiences with this one!

Also, please target your e-mails about the workshop to people in your local area and/or those who've requested to receive info from you. I got an e-mail this morning promoting a stage makeup class over a thousand miles away from me. Annoying.

And yes, please give the YEAR and the STATE on all your marketing materials. I'll get all excited to see that my favorite teacher is coming to Springfield in April and then discover that was Springfield Oregon in April 2009. Phooey.

I would love it if the emails were timely and not spammy. For instance, I got 4 identical emails today for workshops that are THIS weekend. Although I was aware of the event (although not participating), this is the first email that I have gotten about it. Everything I knew about it was from googling the event name or from Facebook. Even when the event's DATE changed, not a word was mentioned.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Yes, PLEASE tell us what the workshop is about. And then insist that the teacher actually cover that topic. I've had horrible experiences with this one!

As an organizer, this issue drives me CRAZY. I have signed contracts with my instructors, and I expect that they will behave professionally, which means teaching the topic they agreed to teach. Nothing will make my blood boil faster than complaints from attendees that the topic wasn't even addressed. It's a one-way ticket to my "don't rehire" list.

While I am certain that there are organizers who don't nail down topics, etc, I also think that the responsibility to stay on topic is the professional teacher that has been hired.

I vote for the NO NOISY hipscarf rule. It is extremely distracting for these reasons:
- a surprising number of attendees are off-beat!
- I can't hear the instructor over the noise.
- I blocks the nuances of the music.
- For people with tenitus (sp?) or ear issues, it sounds like the jingles are in my head - ahhh!

It is easy to avoid this; in your promotional material, request that noisy hipscarves be left at home. At the start of the workshop, when you introduce the instructor, ask anyone who brought one to kindly turn it inside out so that the coins and bells are against your body (muted). Then, reinforce by asking individuals who "forget" to comply out of respect for those around them.