Ski for Light Event Planning Manual

June 2011

8. Evening Programs Coordinator

The evening programs provide an important dimension to the Ski for Light experience. By scheduling fun, entertaining evening programs, SFL participants enjoy another forum for meeting and socializing with old and new friends. Where possible, evening programs should draw from the unique local/regional culture. Dances are popular evening programs although the Talent Show, Norway Night and Local/Regional Night all provide a diversity of entertainment.

The content of evening programs should have broad appeal and should be equally enjoyable by visually impaired and sighted audiences. For this reason, videos, films, slide presentations and the like should be strictly avoided. Only with approval of the Event Chair or the SFL President should such a presentation be included in an evening program.

Pre-Event

Prior to Planning Meeting

• Solicit ideas for evening program activities from SFL alumni living near the event site.

Planning Meeting

• Depending on travel distance, time and budget constraints, you may be asked to attend the planning meeting. If you do not attend, please ensure your responsibilities are carried out by someone who does.
• With planning committee, outline the week's evening programs. The hotel contact person can be helpful at suggesting local bands/performers.
• Programs requiring formal presentations should be no more than one hour in length.
• Review budget with Event Chair.
• Discuss with Hotel Function Coordinator the facilities needed, special arrangements and equipment needed, i.e., microphones, dance floor, PA system, etc. Keep in mind that generally there is a charge for each time a piece of audiovisual equipment is used. These charges should be factored into your overall budget.
• Inquire specifically about the availability of cordless microphones. These are essential and if not available from the hotel they must be obtained elsewhere-rented, if necessary.
• Compile a list of local bands and DJ's that includes prices and audition recordings, if possible, and begin the selection process with Event Chair. Dances are usually held on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday--a DJ for Monday and Wednesday and a live band for Saturday.
• Solicit suggestions for local entertainment or activity (e.g. hayride) as a possible program for Tuesday evening. This is traditional Local/Regional Night.
• Discuss the available talent or program for Norway night. This can be drawn from the local community, if available, or solicited from the Norwegian participants themselves. If the latter option is chosen, the Norwegian group should be contacted well in advance of the event to allow plenty of time to arrange for talent.
• In recent years, a silent auction has been held on Wednesday.

December 1

• If an evening event requires the transportation of people, be sure to coordinate with the Transportation Coordinator so that buses can be scheduled.
• The Evening Programs Coordinator is responsible for negotiating prices with bands/performers. This may require tactfully explaining that SFL is an all-volunteer organization and, therefore, all in-kind contributions or discounted prices will be much appreciated.
• Advise Event Chair of the costs for each performer/band, all audiovisual equipment requested, and any other expected costs associated with evening programs.
• Have bands/DJ's contracted. Determine if any deposits will be required and send amount and address to SFL Treasurer. SFL President must sign band contracts, unless they are contracted for through the hotel. The selection of bands/DJ's for Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights can be a volatile issue and one that must be done with the Event Chair and the SFL President. The bands should have wide appeal for a variety of musical tastes.
• Before finalizing a contract with the band or DJ, ensure that they understand that at SFL volume control is very important so that visually-impaired people can enjoy the dance as much as sighted people. Volume must be under our control during the dance, not theirs.
• Have Local/Regional Program Night outlined and people arranged.
• Send a schedule of the evening programs to the Event Chair to be used in the Program Journal.

January 1

• Choose MC's for guide/skier introductions, Talent Night, Norway Night, and the banquet are chosen by the Event Chair and the SFL President. The dinner programs for Norway Night and the banquet are planned by the SFL President.
• With Event Chair, choose the person(s) who will audition Talent Night performers. This is not necessarily the person who will be the MC for Talent Night.
• Check with Event Chair to be sure that an MC has been chosen for Talent Night.
• Obtain a list of needed equipment from performers for each night and forward a final list of room and equipment needs to the Hotel Function Coordinator.

International Week

• Attend all morning "sunrise" meetings.
• Prepare a list of performers/bands needing to be paid and the amount due to each. Give this list to the SFL Treasurer so that he/she can write checks with which you can pay each performer. Obtain a receipt for each check and give all receipts to SFL Treasurer.
• Be available to greet speakers/performers throughout the week.
• Arrange for introduction of each performer. You may prefer to do this yourself or you may ask someone else to do it.
• Help with any necessary arrangements needed by performers.
• Ensure that all evening program components have equipment and space.
• Evening programs should begin on time and be strictly held to previously announced time limits.

Sunday

• 7:30 - 9:00pm Welcome and Introductions
• Welcome by SFL President and Event Chair
• General announcements by Announcer
• Statement about wellness concept and safety
• Introduction of visually-impaired/mobility-impaired skiers and name identification of instructor/guide

• Equipment
  · Cordless microphones
  · Lectern
  
• Considerations
  · Event Chair will select MC to facilitate introduction of visually-impaired and mobility-impaired skiers.
  · Begin introductions of visually-impaired/mobility-impaired skiers as soon as most people have been served dessert.
  · If noise level rises, remind facilitators to ask guides to wait until the end of the program before going to meet their skier. A very quiet level must be maintained to allow everyone to hear names, etc.
  

Monday

• 5:30 - 6:30pm Welcome reception
• 7:15 - 7:30pm Brief overview of MIP program by MIP Coordinator
• 7:30 - 8:15pm Introduction of instructor/guides
• 9:00 - 12:00pm Dance Band/DJ

• Equipment
  · Microphone
  · Dance floor and tables for DJ
  

• Considerations
  · There should not be any seating in the area of the welcome reception so that people are free to move around and mingle.
  · /DJ should set up before dinner.
  · Recruit someone to help facilitate the flow of guides up to the lectern.
  · The Guide Applications Coordinator will help to facilitate guide introductions from the lectern.
  

Tuesday

• 4:00 - 5:00pm Talent Night auditions
• 8:00 - 9:30pm Local/Regional Flavor Program or activity (arrange a program that draws upon the cultural flavor of the area, i.e. colorful speaker (should be entertaining and lively)
• Equipment For Talent Night auditions
  · Music source that can be plugged into audio system
  · Piano/keyboard
  
• Local/regional Night
  · Whatever local program requires

Wednesday

• 4:00 - dinner Silent Auction preview
• 7:30 - 9:00pm Silent Auction
• 9:00 - 12:00pm DJ
• Equipment
  · 20 - 25 skirted tables around the perimeter of the room
  · Set-up for DJ
  
• Considerations
  · DJ should set up before dinner.
  

Thursday

• 8:00 - 9:30pm Talent Night (strictly limit to one hour and a half)
• 9:30 - 12:00am Informal get-together to listen to music and/or dance
• Equipment
  · Seating for group
  · Sound system
  · Music source that can be connected to sound system
  · Two/three microphones
  · Piano/keyboard
  · Stage and dance floor
  · Room for informal gathering after local program
  · Boombox and music
  
• Considerations
  · Master of Ceremonies for Talent Night must be able to tactfully and tastefully move people on and off the stage and should not be talent him or herself.
  · Acts for Talent Night should be limited to three to four minutes with only one song per performer.
  · Screening of performers must be completed by Wednesday afternoon.
  

Friday

• 7:30 - 8:30pm Norway Night (ceremonial speeches, presentations)
• 8:30 - 9:30pm Norwegian entertainment (i.e. participant involvement through singing and dancing).
• Equipment
  · Microphone
  · Lectern
  · Dance floor and staging platform
  
• Considerations
  · Given the dignitaries/ceremonial speeches, Event Chair and SFL President will arrange ceremonial portion of program.
  · The Master of Ceremonies must be able to really move things along in an upbeat fashion.
  · Detailed time limits for each presenter must be clearly stated.
  · The evening's entertainment should help to familiarize participants with Norwegian traditions and culture.
  

Saturday

• 5:00 - 6:30pm Reception
• 6:30 - 7:30pm SFL Banquet dinner
• 7:30 - 9:00pm Awards and Remarks
• 9:00 - 1:00am Dance With Live Band or DJ
• Equipment
  
  · Microphone
  · Lectern
  · Eight-foot table for awards and trophies
  · Dance floor
  
  • Considerations
    · The Master of Ceremonies should be able to keep the program moving at a quick pace. The MC will coordinate with the SFL President and Event Chair about special presentations or people who should be given time to speak.
    · Band or DJ should set up before dinner in a location that will not hinder the awards presentation and other proceedings.
    

  Post-Event

  • Send thank-you notes to any performers and others who have volunteered their time/services or have in some way contributed to SFL.

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