Ski for Light Event Planning Manual

April 20, 2013

3. Announcer

The Announcer is the "Voice" of SFL throughout the week. This is a very important position, for several reasons. Most importantly, the information communicated by the Announcer to attendees is crucial to conducting a well organized event where everyone knows what is going on and is cooperating. Secondarily but also very important is that the quality of the job done by the Announcer sets the tone for how attendees feel about the week. If the Announcer is clear, concise, unambiguous and confidant, attendees will feel that everything is under control even in the face of adverse situations. If, on the other hand, the Announcer comes across as frazzled, unclear and confusing attendees are more likely to wonder if the event is really under control, even if it is.

The person serving as Announcer should be able to communicate in a manner that is precise, concise, thorough, unambiguous and confidant. The Announcer should not be long-winded and must be able to remember details.

Even though announcements are planned in advance, the Announcer will be approached by many people with a variety of special announcement requests. The Announcer is responsible for screening all such announcement requests, in consultation as necessary with the Event Chair and/or President, with the following general guidelines:

• Only those announcements that pertain to the entire group or a large portion of it or that are time-sensitive should be made.
• If the requested announcement pertains to the entire group and is an item that was overlooked during the Sunrise meeting it should generally be made.
• If the announcement pertains to the entire group but represents a significant departure from your previous experiences with SFL and, to your knowledge, has not been discussed at morning meetings, the item should be discussed with the Event Chair or SFL President before the announcement is made.
• Announcements should not be made about personal matters (one individual is looking for another individual), or if the matter can be better handled by the Information room (such as a lost or found item).

Language: Be very clear to whom you are speaking. If an announcement pertains to the entire group, don't address it just to guides or skiers.

Avoid phrases like "Guides, get your skiers and..." "Guides, take your skiers to...", and "Skiers, have someone...". People with disabilities are very used to managing situations where they need to find something or have something read. Adults do not need these kinds of reminders.

All information for the group should be verbalized. Avoid posting information that has not been announced. Posting should only be done as a follow-up reminder.

International Week

Throughout the Week

• Attend all morning "sunrise" meetings.
• Attend all meals, and:
  • Make morning announcements 15 minutes after breakfast has started.
  • Make evening announcements about 30 minutes after dinner has started.
• (announcements are not usually made at lunch unless absolutely necessary).
• Introduce other speakers at each meal, as appropriate.

• At breakfast, make the following announcements, as appropriate:
  · An enthusiastic greeting
  · Introduction of special guests
  · Any changes from previous announcements
  · Daily weather and forecast
  · Daily schedule
  · Times and locations of participant or guide meetings
  · Transportation times and locations
  · Time and place to meet Guide Training Coordinator(s) if not matched
  · Special-interest Sessions
  · Reminders of sign-ups
  

• At dinner, make the following announcements, as appropriate:
  · Introduction of special guests
  · Evening program schedule
  · Nature and description of evening program
  · Next day's activities if additional preparation time would be desirable
  

Saturday

• Announcements necessary at Saturday's dinner typically include:
  · Time and location of after-dinner first- and second-year instructor/guide meeting.
  · Reminder that all room or roommate changes should go through Registration and Housing Coordinator.
  · A reminder of breakfast time.
  · If skiing on Sunday will be off premises, instructions about lunch arrangements.
  

Sunday

• The announcements typically required at Sunday breakfast include::
  · Departure time of buses and for whom buses are intended
  · Location and procedure for lunch
  · Times of registration
  · A request for volunteer luggage haulers
  · Time for dinner
  
• Get a list of participants having birthdays during SFL week from coordinators.
• Meet with chairs, as needed, to accumulate the information required for Sunday evening announcements.
• Meet with Event Chair and SFL President before dinner to discuss items to be presented at Sunday night welcoming dinner.
• The Sunday evening program and announcements typically include:
  • Before beginning the program, introduce yourself, then step away from the microphone and speak loudly to indicate where the lectern is located in the room.
  • Welcome everyone, describe how the evening will flow, then describe the layout of the room, including a description of the flags that are on the walls.
  • Announce the following:
    · Meals: location, times and format
    · Location and hours of information and sales rooms
    · All lost and found items will be in the Information Room
    · Ski fitting location and hours
    · Ski storage location
    · Explain no smoking policy (there is no smoking at any official SFL event or activity)
    · Explain how to get a room number from the front desk
    · Location of guide dog relief areas
    · Special features and locations (pool, sauna, whirlpool etc.)
    · Telephone system (room-to-room dialing, long-distance dialing, voicemail, etc.)
    · Room/roommate changes should go through Registration and Housing Coordinator
    
• Make time available for the following:
  · Greeting from SFL President
  · Greeting and any special information from Event Chair
  · Medical concerns (explained by First Aid Coordinator)
  · Possible greeting from the hotel management
  · A description of the layout of the hotel
  
• Introduce MC for skier introductions. If no separate MC has been appointed, serve as the facillitator of skier introductions and guide assignment announcements by introducing the people who are at the lecturn/podium and who are roaming with a cordlesss microphone in the audience, and describe what is desired of introductions from skiers. Serve as MC throughout the process to keep it lively and moving.

Monday

• Call up any skiers who were not present for Sunday night introductions.
• Include in announcements a general request for trail etiquette and safety, including passing on the left only.
• Include in announcements Time and location of welcome reception
• After morning announcements, introduce the Trails Coordinator who will explain the trail system and options for skiing during the week.
• After evening announcements, introduce the MIP program coordinator who will make a short (5 minute) presentation about the MIP program.
• Introduce the MC for guide introductions, and help to facillitate if necessary.

Tuesday

• Call up any guides or worker-bees who were not present for Monday night introductions.
• After morning announcements, introduce SFL President, who will introduce the members of the SFL Board of Directors. (If there is a mid-week Board meeting at which new officers will be elected, this announcement will be postponed until the morning after the mid-week meeting.)
• After evening announcements, introduce the SFL President who will present guide service awards, and announce the members of the Ridderrenn team.

Wednesday

• If a Silent Auction preview is being held Wednesday afternoon, announce time and location.
• After morning announcements, introduce Event Chair, who will introduce the members of the Event Planning Committee.
• At dinner, make announcement about banquet seating plan.

Thursday

• Begin announcing reminder to check departure times in Information Room.
• If a raffle is being conducted, introduce the Raffle Coordinator to explain plans for the raffle.
• Introduce Race/Rally Coordinator who will explain the philosophy of the race and rally, and plans for registering for an event, and for picking up race bibs.
• After evening announcements introduce the Endowment Chair who will explain the SFL Endowment Fund, and how attendees may become a Life Member of Friends of SFL on Friday and/or Saturday.
• Introduce SFL President or Corporate Sponsor chair who wil describe the guide gift and how guides can pick up their gift.

Friday

• Remind everyone to check their Sunday bus departure schedule in the Information Room.

Saturday

• Include in morning announcements bus boarding times for the race/rally (usually earlier than on other days).
• Include in morning announcements the starting time of Race/Rally ceremonies.
• Include in morning announcements a reminder to return rental equipment after the race/rally, and to remember to bring street shoes for changing into.
• At dinner, remind everyone to clear their incidental charges at the front desk, and to pick up a bus boarding pass.
• At dinner, give final reminder to check the bus boarding schedule outside the Information Room