Organizing a Community Storytelling Event with Brandon Michael Davis
Using storytelling at your event can help people better engage with its content, make it more entertaining, and personalize the message.
Brandon Michael Davis has provided an exhaustive road map for anyone who would like to host a community storytelling event, with tips for success along the way. Here are a few things you should remember as you plan your event:
Identify Your Audience
Success for any community storytelling event lies in knowing your audience well, understanding their needs and desires, and crafting engaging narratives explicitly tailored for them. Conduct research using surveys, website analytics tools, or social media tools to gather this data; segment if necessary to ensure the narrative speaks directly to all parties involved.
For instance, if your nonprofit organization serves diverse populations, segment your audience according to demographics to better understand what matters to each demographic during a community storytelling event. By tailoring its message for these attendees and tailoring the desired experience, your nonprofit can ensure an impactful and memorable experience for them all.
Brandon Michael Davis highlights that as part of your event planning, it is also crucial to identify community collaborators. These should be people who share an affinity for your topic or issue and are willing to share their narratives with attendees. Conduct interviews or surveys among potential collaborators before inviting them to write down and submit their stories - then host an in-person event or virtual town hall to showcase these voices!
If you are new to community storytelling in your local area, start small by hosting events in low-pressure settings such as a library conference room or church meeting space. This will enable you to establish yourself while gathering intelligence about potential audiences before expanding with more significant events.
Find a Venue
An influential community storytelling event requires selecting an ideal venue. The size should be large enough to host your target audience while not overwhelming attendees with noise and crowding, plus be within reasonable driving distance from most attendees' homes or hotels if traveling is involved.
Brandon Michael Davis clarifies that before choosing your venue, carefully evaluate its acoustics. Consider adding acoustic clouds or canopies to enhance sound quality if they are unfavorable. It is also wise to tour each space before committing; take note of each room's acoustic properties and walk through them to determine where best to situate the audience and speakers.
Your event venue must provide enough room for a stage, seating arrangements, acoustic equipment, and sufficient parking facilities for attendees.
Once you've selected a venue, create an illustrated floor plan to assist your attendees in finding their way around. An online platform like Whova with an event floor map feature can be beneficial here; upload this to your event app to help guests navigate all the sessions and activities scheduled for that day or evening more smoothly. Also, take note of pre-function, lobby, and restroom areas, which could influence the guest experience.
Organize the Event
Preparing your event well in advance is essential, not only in terms of determining when people can submit stories but also in terms of its layout. A clear vision of where and how your stage will be set up, as well as your audience sitting, can ensure both storytellers and audience members enjoy themselves at your event.
If this is your inaugural storytelling event, start small by selecting an easily identifiable venue - such as a library conference room, church meeting space, coffeehouse, or even your living room as possible options.
Brandon Michael Davis points out that a straightforward format like this makes event organization more uncomplicated. Once enough participants attend, move the gathering to a more prominent location.
Your best way of gauging how many guests will attend is to ask those already on your guest list to purchase tickets and bring at least one guest. In addition, create and distribute a public service announcement through local media channels.
As part of your strategy to keep the energy high throughout your event, mixing storytellers with other forms of live performance is a sure way to keep guests' interest up and running.
Promote the Event
Brandon Michael Davis recommends that your event needs to offer something of interest to attendees; an engaging narrative can serve as a powerful hook while adequately managing its duration, and the fundraising plan can ensure all involved feel appreciated for participating.
For instance, when asking community members to share their stories, you must offer fair compensation, quality equipment, and an environment in which they feel safe. Also, make sure your communications make clear whether you see yourself as part of their community rather than as an untrustworthy source.
Add value to your events by mixing readings with different forms of live performance, such as Mortified did by teaming up with an improv troupe that performed sketches inspired by each reading to keep the energy going and provide attendees with fresh perspectives on embarrassing revelations they heard.
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