Organizing a Public Meeting

If you've tabled enough to build up a mailing list of 100 or more people, you may want to hold a public meeting. There are several good reasons to hold a meeting—to form a local group, show a film on animal rights, or have a speaker urge people to take action on a particular issue. Be sure that you're clear about the purpose of your meeting, as this will affect how you plan it.

Setting the Date

If you are inviting a speaker, start by finding out when he or she is available. If you intend to show a video or DVD, find out when you can get it and what equipment you'll need to show it. These factors will determine the date of your meeting.

Before you finalize the date, call the Parks and Recreation Department to make sure that your meeting doesn't conflict with any major sporting events or community gatherings. Give yourself at least six weeks to prepare.

Finding the Right Spot

Most cities have rooms or auditoriums in libraries, community centers, or government office buildings that local groups can use free of charge. Try calling the facilities management office of your city or county government, or the mayor's office. Many universities have excellent facilities, including auditoriums, that students and faculty members can use free of charge.

Send in any required permit applications as early as possible. It could take several weeks to get an application approved, especially if it has to be submitted at a monthly town council meeting. If you are denied a permit, politely ask exactly why, and then try to enlist a lawyer to help you appeal the denial. If you can't find lawyers who will volunteer their services, call the nearest American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) office, which may be able to help.

If you can't find a room in a library or government building, try renting a room from a church, YMCA, YWCA, or school. In any case, go and see the room before deciding on a space. Take the following checklist with you:

Is the room dark or shabby?
Is the room large enough?
Are there enough seats?
Are there enough electrical outlets?
Is the room accessible to the handicapped?
Is there adequate parking?
Is the building in a safe and centrally located area of town?
How is the sound?

It's better to have a room that's a little too small than one that is too large. A crowded room will make the meeting seem more successful than a large, half-empty room.

Publicizing the Event

Once you've chosen the date, place, topic, and speaker, you're ready to publicize your meeting. You can use some or all of the following methods:

Distribute and post fliers.
Send an e-mail message or flier to each person on your sign-up sheets.
Make a public service announcement on local radio or TV stations.
Get a listing in the "event" or "calendar" section of your local newspaper.

Most radio stations feature a community bulletin board to air free announcements about local events (called public service announcements or PSAs). You'll have to call each station to find out about its policy and time limit (usually 20 seconds) for these announcements. Some stations require typewritten notice up to a month in advance. It's also worth checking local TV stations and community Web sites to see if they host free announcements.

Many newspapers publicize community-groups' events for free. Try both established publications and small local papers. Once again, you may need to send written notice a few weeks ahead of time.

Call all the people you mailed fliers to. If they seem interested, get them involved: Perhaps they'll post fliers, make some telephone calls, or help you set up the meeting.

If your speaker is willing, try to schedule talk shows or newspaper interviews while he or she is in town. See the "Working With the Media" section for advice.

Conducting the Meeting

Most of us are nervous when we are doing something special or new. You probably can't keep yourself from being anxious, but you can eliminate some of the worry (and maybe avert some misery) by being well prepared.

A few days before the meeting, call your speaker to confirm the date and time he or she is expected. Find out how the speaker would like to be introduced, and take a few minutes to write and practice the introduction. Confirm your room rental. Make sure that your VCR or slide projector is reserved and that you have enough extension cords to hook up the equipment.

On the day of your meeting, arrive at least an hour early. Set up the equipment that you'll be using, and make sure that it works. Arrange literature on a table in the back of the room, and position chairs near the front of the room.

As people arrive, greet them at the door. Circulate a sign-up sheet, but remove it when the meeting is ready to start. Introduce the speaker to start the meeting and thank him or her at the end of the meeting.

Before people leave, ask them if they've added their names to the sign-up sheet, thank them for coming, and urge them to get involved. Make sure that you've given them something specific to do, such as write a letter, make a telephone call, or hand out leaflets. Always end on a very upbeat note.

A few days later, write a short thank-you note to your speaker; you may want to invite him or her again. Send a follow-up letter or e-mail message suggesting specific actions to people who attended the meeting, and be sure to add any new names to your mailing list.