--- name: community_events description: Plan, run, and follow up online community events end to end: pick the right format, manage RSVPs against no-show math, build a minute-by-minute run of show with named owners, facilitate live so quiet people participate, and run the post-event loop that turns attendees into regulars. Triggers when someone needs to plan a meetup, webinar, AMA, workshop, launch event, or any community gathering online. metadata: { "includeInPrompt": true } --- # Community Events ## Purpose Take a community event from idea to follow-up without dropping the parts that decide whether people show up and come back: a format that matches the goal, RSVPs handled with real no-show math, a run of show where every line has a named owner, live facilitation that pulls quiet people in, and a post-event loop that converts one-time attendees into regulars. This skill covers events. The ongoing care of the community between events belongs to community_management. ## Workflow ### 1. Choose the format Match the format to the goal, not to habit. A networking goal needs breakouts, not a webinar; a launch wants a tight broadcast with Q&A. Use `references/event-formats.md` for the catalog of online formats, sensible group sizes, and what each format is actually good at. Then write the goal in one sentence and pick one metric, for example: "introduce 30 first-time contributors to each other; metric: 15+ people exchange contact info in the lobby thread." ### 2. Plan and promote - Lock the date with time zones handled: publish in the audience's primary zone plus UTC, or use a timezone-safe link. For community meetups, Tue-Thu after work is the default slot (CNCF community groups best practices). - Make the event page the single source of truth: a clear title (format + topic + who it is for), a description with the agenda and the join link in it, what to expect, the code of conduct, and who to contact with questions. - Announce ~2 weeks out, remind ~3 days out, post a same-day nudge. Give speakers and partners a ready-made promo kit: one line of copy per channel plus a graphic with their face and session title, not a vague "please share." - Rehearse twice: once for flow (does the agenda hold up?) and once for failure modes (late speaker, dead mic, screen-share fail). Write the fixes into the checklist. ### 3. Run RSVPs (plan for the people who will not come) - Free events no-show at ~28% median; paid events at ~17% (PheedLoop Event Data Lab, 1,070+ events). Plan headcount against your own past numbers first; if this is a first event and space is limited, overbook free events by roughly 30% (CNCF community groups best practices). - Cut no-shows with commitment mechanics: a small refundable deposit (Basecamp's $100-hold experiment reached a 90% show rate), a two-click reconfirm email 48 hours out ("still coming? yes/no"), or a waitlist that auto-promotes when someone releases a spot. - Make canceling easy and visible: every reminder carries a "release my spot" link. A canceled RSVP you can re-fill beats a no-show you cannot. ### 4. Build the run of show Fill in `assets/run-of-show-template.md` for this event. Every line needs: time block, activity, a named owner, the tech or asset involved, and the cue line. Rules: one owner per line with no exceptions, one owner of the whole day with their phone on, buffers between segments, filler content ready for overruns, a huddle the night before, placeholder times flagged as placeholders. Open doors 15-30 minutes early with the waiting room or icebreaker live; open the program with a brief code-of-conduct reminder; close with the next event's date. ### 5. Facilitate live - Keep segments short. Only about 42% of virtual attendees watch an entire session (Vimeo Virtual Events Benchmark), so break long blocks with interaction every 10-15 minutes: a poll, a chat prompt, a breakout. - Use structures that bring quiet people in instead of rewarding the loudest: 1-2-4-All (think solo, then pairs, then groups of four, then each group shares one standout idea), Troika Consulting for peer advice rounds, W3 (What / So What / Now What) for debriefs. Cards with timeboxes are in `references/facilitation-cards.md`. - Staff three roles: host/MC (energy and pacing), chat moderator (surfaces questions, handles logistics so the host never context-switches), tech producer (breakouts, screen shares, recording). For anything over 30 minutes, never combine host and tech in one person. - Breakouts: 4-6 people, 10 minutes, one specific prompt, cameras encouraged but never mandated. Bring the room back with a share-back, not a report-out: "one thing that surprised your group." ### 6. Follow up (the part that keeps people) Within 24-48 hours: send the recording, the slides and resource hub, and a 5-minute feedback survey (overall rating, most and least valuable part, likelihood to recommend, one improvement, topic requests, attend-again yes/maybe/no). Publish a recap within a week: photos or screenshots with consent, thank-yous to speakers and hosts by name. Put the next event's date in the same message so attendance compounds. Then visibly feed the survey results back into the next event's plan: collect, act, announce what changed. ## Output Contract When this skill runs, it produces one or more of: - `event-plan.md`: goal sentence, metric, format choice, date/time with time zones, agenda, owners. - `run-of-show.md`: the filled template from `assets/run-of-show-template.md`, every line with a named owner. - `promo-pack.md`: announcement, 3-day reminder, same-day nudge, and speaker share-kit copy. - `follow-up-pack.md`: thank-you plus recording email, 5-minute survey, recap post. - `debrief.md`: RSVPs vs actual attendance with the assumed no-show rate and its source, what worked, what to change next time. ## Operating Rules 1. Every factual claim in this skill's outputs follows the accuracy rule: verified via web search or a primary source, never invented. Unverifiable gets cut or framed as opinion. 2. Every run-of-show line has a named owner. A line without an owner is a line that will fail live. 3. Never run a format the tools cannot support. If the platform cannot do breakouts or polls, redesign the agenda; do not hope it works. 4. No-show planning is math, not hope. Always show the headcount forecast with the assumed no-show rate and its source. 5. Follow-up is not optional. An event without a 48-hour follow-up pack is unfinished work.