GuildEvent

by

TOP FIVE MUST DO’S

for a Successful

Education is the heart of every guild. From the novice to advanced sewers, the guild community is filled with people who want to learn new sewing skills while surrounded by friends. Special events are just that – special! At Sulky, we have “stitched” together a guide to enhance your events and create an environment for learning and fun.

“The true sign of intelligence

is not knowledge but imagination.”

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- Albert Einstein

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Things to Think About Before Starting:

1. Define your objective – what is the decision or decisions you are trying to find

out? Focus your survey on them.

2. Once you set your objectives, determine the data you need to gather. Start with

the answers you are trying to get and work from there.

3. Choose the right platform. There are many free ones out there or you can go old

school and put it on paper.

4. The survey should be short to evoke the answers you need to know to throw a

successful event. If a survey is short and sweet, there is a greater chance that

more people will complete it.

5. Be clear, specific and direct – explain the intent of the question.

6. Focus on what is really important. What data do you need to make your

decisions? Extraneous, “good to know” questions bog down surveys and deaden

their focus. Remember that your survey respondents don’t really care about

what is interesting to you; they care about how quickly they can finish the survey.

7. There are several types of survey questions: multiple choice, rating scale, Likert

scale, ranking, semantic scale, and open and closed end. For examples of each

of these, we found a great blog that will help you along: https://blog.hubspot.

com/service/survey-questions

8. Tell them ahead of time how long it should take them to fill out the survey.

9. Check your bias at the door! Be sure not to ask leading questions, stay balanced.

10. Good survey design leads to good data – collect results and analyze. Most of the

platforms mentioned have the ability to analyze data for you automatically.

Survey your guild members. Knowing exactly what they want, how they want it and

when they want it is more than half of the battle. Your survey can be conducted

in a variety of ways. You can send it via email, go old school with a physical piece

of paper, or, if you are feeling technical, there are free survey tools (see below).

These online tools are fairly easy to set up, will compile data for fast analysis, and

offer resources for the best way to ask the question to get the answers you want.

L E T ’ S G E T S TA RT E D :

And The Survey Says!

We thought you might like some examples of questions to get your juices flowing and the answers you need:

1. “In what type of setting do you learn best?” A lecture or hands-on workshop

2. “If we have a workshop, are you willing to bring your sewing machine?”

“Yes or No”, if No, “why is that an issue?” (Hint: You can provide answers to the

no question or just have a comment box. Some potential answers – “I don’t

have a machine”, “my machine is in the shop”, or “other” with a comment box.)

3. “Which day of the week would you prefer?” “Please rank the following options

from 1-7 – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.” (Hint: when you force them to

rank, you learn their number one choice.)

4. “What type of projects would you like to see come to our group?”

List “Please select your top 5 choices” (Hint: if you have 20 choices, most

people will check the majority of them. If you make them choose, you will get

a better understanding of what they want.)

5. “What type of techniques most interest you?” List “Please select your top

5 choices” (Hint: same as above)

6. “If the need arose, what would you be willing to pay for an exceptional

outside educator to work with our guild?” (Hint: you could let them select

more than one option to get a feel for the maximum they are willing to pay.

Make the options a range – for example – “$15 - $25, $25 - $50, $50 - $75,

100+ select all that apply”.)

7. “Have you ever attended guild educational events?” “Yes or No” and if

“No”, “why not”? (Hint:: give them a few predefined options and the option for

“other” with a comment box. For example – “Conflicted with another activity”,

“The topic didn’t interest me”, “I didn’t know we had any educational events”,

“Other” with a comment box)

8. “On a scale of 1-10 how likely are you to come to an educational event if

offered?” (Hint: use a scale.) For example – “1 Not Likely”, “3 Somewhat Likely”,

”5 Maybe”, “7 Extremely Likely” and “10 Very Likely, I never miss them”!

9. “What time of day do you prefer for an event?” Use a slide scale listing times

of day.

10. “Comments? We love to hear from you!” This gives guild members the chance

to make suggestions.

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Below is a list of free survey tools: These online tools are fairly easy to set up,

will compile data for fast analysis, and offer resources on the best way to ask the

question to get the answers you want.

- Survey Monkey https://www.surveymonkey.com/

- Typeform https://www.typeform.com/

- Google Forms https://www.google.com/forms/about/

- Zoho Survey https://www.zoho.com/survey/

- Survey Gizmo https://www.surveygizmo.com/

- Survey Planet https://surveyplanet.com/

- If you have a WordPress site, you should look into the available plugins.

Many of them are free!

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DO SOMETHING

CREATIVE EVERYDAY

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Part of being creative is the environment in which we learn. When learning

together, the creativity and excitement that transpires is palpable. It encourages

members to get to know each other and form bonds! This makes for an open

learning atmosphere where members will learn from each other as well as from

the educator – icing on the cake!

Make sure you have the following items for an inspirational event:

1. Enough seating for all – comfort is the key!

2. Good acoustics - if we can’t hear, we can’t learn!

3. Extra supplies – members can’t remember everything, every time!

4. The appropriate room temperature. This battle is hard to win for sure - half of

the people are cold natured and the other half are hot natured. The struggle is

real, my friend, but try your best!

5. Electrical outlets and extension cords to accommodate all attendees.

6. Provide the supply list for the event to attendees in advance.

7. Food and creativity go hand in hand – bring some snacks to munch on during

breaks!

8. Distribute clear and concise details for the event concerning the location, time,

and parking. These should be communicated on all applicable outlets. For

example: website, newsletter (physical and digital), handouts, etc.

9. Secure any additional equipment needed and make arrangements early.

10. Give yourself ample time before the event to tend to all of the last minute

details. When your members arrive, you want to be calm, cool and collected so

you can enjoy the event too!

Unleash The Creativity! 2

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Coordinating an extraordinary event calls for out of the box thinking. Ensuring

great attendance for your event is not for the faint of heart! In fact, it is one of the

hardest tasks every event planner faces. To help you get the party started, here are

some ideas to contemplate:

1. Bring in a professional educator - especially if your guild has limited educational

resources and you want to boost attendance. A couple of questions to ask when

considering an outside professional educator:

- Are they backed by a reputable group to ensure they can supply a substitute if

the need should arise?

- Are there geographical restrictions for the educator or are they available to

teach anywhere in the U.S.?

- Is a deposit required? Should the need for cancellation arise, what are the

requirements? What are the additional fees for the event?

- What is the payment schedule – is all of the fee due when booking the event?

- Do they have access to the latest trends and materials for optimal teaching?

- Do they offer door prizes to generate excitement? Fundraiser kits to offset costs?

- Do they charge travel expenses to and from the city of your event?

- Do they offer an Affiliate Program for an opportunity to raise funds for your

guild? (An Affiliate Program is a marketing partnership that allows participating

websites to earn a commission on sales referred by using specially tracked links.)

- Do they offer discounts on products at the event and afterwards?

2. Partner with other guilds in your area. Additional guests will enhance the event,

provide assistance, cut costs and you will be able to promote the event to their

network for new member opportunities!

3. Have door prizes and/or raffle items for the event. This will create excitement

as all attendees will have a chance to win! (As mentioned, some professional

educators will provide these free of charge!)

4. If you are open to guests attending the event, (new member opportunity!) check

with your local newspaper, neighborhood paper, school newsletters, etc. Many

will let you post for free in their calendar of events section.

Think Outside the Box!3

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5. Encourage members to bring guests and offer a discount for doing so. If

you offer the discount to both, your guild member will be thrilled and may

encourage the guest to become a member.

6. See if your local retailers will post a sign and/or let you drop off flyers to

advertise the event.

7. Selling product at your event provides an added bonus for members. Some

professional educators can offer discounts on products while at the event! If

possible, ask for a percentage of the net sales sold at the event - this is a great

way to earn cash for your guild!

8. Form a posse to help you before, during and after the event. You will be able to

enjoy the event and keep from pulling your hair out!

9. Say Cheese! Take plenty of pictures to commemorate the event. These can be

used to promote future events and to make those that missed the event eager

to come to the next one.

10. Give yourself enough lead time to promote the event. The earlier you can start

planning, the better! Our recommendation is to begin 3-4 months before the

date for optimal planning time.

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There will be tasks that need to be attended to during and after the event. A few suggestions include:

1. If you have a social media presence, share pictures from the event! If you are

especially savvy in the tech department, try a Facebook Live segment!

2. Take a stroll around the room. Look for anyone that might need extra supplies

or assistance.

3. If possible, assign a member to provide assistance to the educator. They have

often travelled to the event solo and would appreciate an extra set of hands!

4. Hand out a survey card to the members at the end of the event. You can use

this information when planning future events. They can also be used as the way

to draw for the door prizes – a great motivator!

And Now the End is Near! 4

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Jot down a list - the information will be vital as you prepare for your next event. Who doesn’t love a cute template to make lists more fun to make?

Sulky has created one especially for you!

Let’s do this!

Create a List And Check It Twice! 5

Let 's do this!

TIP: Make sure you do at least one thing a day for you specifically. . .

Putting on an event is rewarding for you and your members. By following these steps, you allow time to seek the answers, establish the right environment and learn from the experience. With these tools, your next event will be “sew easy”!

C o n c l u s i o n :

Sulky® of America, the premier maker of home sewing and quilting products for over 30 years.

Ready to book an event or have questions? Contact:

Lee Ann JonesSulky of Americaleeann.jones@sulky.com980 Cobb Place Blvd. NW #130Kennesaw, GA 30144800-874-4115 ext. 176

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter links Affiliate program, guild series image, online education, free projects, ask the experts, tools

www.sulky.com #sewbetterwithsulky

Sources: Sources: Survey Monkey and HubSpot