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[[Category:Strategies for Program Chairpersons]][[Category:Hatcher, Patricia Law]][[Category:Seminars]][[Category:Workshops]]

Planning Successful Seminars and Workshops

Part One - Initial Steps and Publicity

by Patricia Law Hatcher, CG

Initial Planning

A genealogical seminar or workshop fulfills two
primary goals of the local society: education
and fund-raising. It may be the largest “project”
a society undertakes, and the coordinator can
become overwhelmed. This section of part one
contains tips and suggestions to help with the
initial planning.

The seminar or workshop coordinator must
make five key, often interrelated, decisions at
least six months to one year in advance of the
event: format, speaker(s), topic(s), place, and
date.

Several formats are possible: single
lecture, beginners’ workshop, symposium,
or a genealogy fair. This last format differs
significantly from the others and is not covered
in this series. It was discussed in “Society
Project: A Family Heritage Fair” by Betty
Robertson Kaufman in the FGS FORUM 3:1
(Spring 1991).

The single lecture format is used most often.
All participants attend the same session, which
is usually given by a single speaker.

A beginners’ workshop can be the most
rewarding for a local society. It introduces
people not only to genealogy, but also to the
society. Often an experienced lecturer can
be engaged to present an all-day workshop.
Consider, however, having four to six of your
society members each present a segment. They
may be willing to donate their time to the society
or to accept a lower fee than a well-known
speaker. This reduces expense, serves as a non-
threatening environment for training future
speakers, and allows beginners to identify more
easily with the speaker. When this format is used,
the coordinator must outline the material to be
covered very thoroughly, but should allow each
speaker to create his or her own presentation.
One-day beginners’ workshops often try to
cover too many topics in too much depth,
leaving the listener overwhelmed and confused.
A good rule of thumb is to cover only material
that almost everyone in attendance would
use in the first year of research (county deed
books, but not less-accessible land patents or
tax records).

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The symposium format also takes advantage
of local expertise. Similar to national
conferences, three to five talks are offered
simultaneously in, for example, two morning
and two afternoon sessions. One benefit is that
topics that may be too narrow in interest for a
program or workshop can be presented (such
as Swedish research or Catholic records),
in addition to broader topics (courthouse
research). Remember to include at least one
beginner or basic class (resources at the local
genealogical library) during each time period.

Speakers may be found locally, within the
state, or nationally. A national speaker’s list
is available from the National Genealogical
Society, 4527 17th Street North, Arlington,
VA 22207-2399 postpaid for $10.00 for
non-members and $8.00 for members. The
Genealogical Speakers Guild, 3421 M Street
N.W., Suite 329, Washington, D.C. 20007
has published a directory of its members.
One copy is available at no cost to a society,
library or archives requesting it. Individuals
may purchase a copy for $10.00. Some state
societies also maintain speaker’s lists.

Nationally-known speakers attract interest to
the workshop, but are in great demand. Their
fees and expenses are higher than for local
speakers. Popular speakers often must be
booked six months to one year in advance.

Ideas for topics can be obtained from
member surveys, the chosen speaker(s), or
from conference programs presented by the
Federation of Genealogical Societies or the
National Genealogical Society. In general,
topics fall into three categories: locality,
sources, or methodology. The first is easier
for a speaker to present, the last has broader
appeal. Avoid topics recently presented in
your region.

Facilities, like speakers, often must be booked
six months to one year in advance. Libraries,
community centers, churches, schools,
fraternal lodges, and hotels have been used
successfully for workshops.

Factors to consider in choosing a facility
include: format chosen (affects number, size,
and furnishings of rooms), number of attendees
anticipated, type of seating arrangement (theater
style or with tables), handicap access, rest
rooms, facilities for meals and refreshments,
space for registration and vendors, parking,
and audiovisual equipment.

The date selected for a workshop often depends
upon the availability of the facility and speaker.
Avoid months when unexpected ice and snow
could hinder attendees or the speaker from
travelling. Because genealogists are frequently
active in a number of organizations, it is
virtually impossible to select a conflict-free
date, but it is wise to check with those society
members who would be helping with key tasks
to minimize conflicts with their schedules.

As indicated earlier, the important decisions
that must first be made about format, speaker,
topic, place and date are highly interrelated. The
sooner initial planning can begin, the greater
the options. As soon as the speaker(s) and
facility have been determined, the coordinator
should write a letter to each, confirming the
date and terms. Once these tasks are completed,
the coordinator can tackle other aspects of the
event and begin delegating duties, such as
publicity, vendor options, accommodations for
speakers and attendees. These factors will be
discussed in subsequent papers.

Publicity

To fulfill the dual seminar or workshop goals of
education and fund-raising, you must get people
to attend. To secure as many people as possible
to attend, you must have publicity—lots and
lots of publicity. Good publicity generates
enthusiasm. It is not enough merely to inform
genealogists of the event. You must make them
want to come. Publicity, more than any other
factor, will make your event a success or a
failure. It will determine if you meet both—or

Planning Successful Seminars and Workshops

Page 2

FGS Society Strategies, Set VI Number 5

�
either—of your goals of education and fund-
raising.

Direct marketing principles assure us that it
takes three “impressions” to make a sale. It
helps if the impressions are within weeks of
each other and if they are not just copies of
the same flyer. Common forms of publicity
for seminars and workshops are flyers, direct
mailing, newsletters, meetings, and publicity
notices. Before any major publicity can begin,
a number of details must be finalized: the place,
the exact time schedule, the exact titles for the
talks, details about lunch, vendors, and the
cost of registration. Unquestionably, the title
used by one professional lecturer, “Grandma,
Where Are You?” has more audience appeal
than “Finding Females in the Midwest in the
19th Century.”

The number of walk-in registrations is
increasing, which makes planning difficult.
How many handouts should be printed?
Is seating sufficient? Will there be enough
lunches? To minimize this problem, set a
preregistration deadline three or four weeks in
advance in order to complete arrangements in a
relaxed manner. Set a cost incentive sufficient
to attract more preregistrations ($2-3 is not
enough, $4-5 may be).

An eye-catching flyer will be instrumental in
attracting more genealogists to your workshop.
A significant percentage of those attending
seminars or workshops will be nonmenbers
of the sponsoring societies. The flyer will
be the only available way to contact those
genealogists.

The purpose of the flyer is two-fold: to give
potential attendees complete information
about the workshop and to interest them in
coming. Obviously, a sheet of paper listing
name, date, and place is insufficient. Your
information must include paragraphs about the
speaker and about each topic, and details about
the schedule, location, meals, handicap access,
and any special features.

An effective flyer need not be expensive to
prepare or print and will bring many additional
persons to your workshop. Colored paper helps
attract attention to your flyer and increases the
cost only nominally. Some feel that the color
yellow makes the best impression. Colored
ink adds significantly to the cost and is more
difficult to read. Neatness counts. The flyer
should be prepared enough in advance to be
at the printers two months before the event.
Proofread! Proofread!

Flyers can be distributed in a number of ways.
They should be placed appropriately on display
for “pick up” at local libraries and other sites.
They should be mailed to members or inserted
in the newsletter. They should be mailed to
nonmenbers. Maintaining a mailing list of
nonmenbers is a volunteer task that is best
undertaken as a year-to-year job. It requires a
significant amount of effort, but is much easier
if you don’t have to “reinvent the wheel” each
year. Every nonmember or former member
who attends a workshop, visits a meeting, or
uses the library should be on this list. This list
is important and the number of names should
grow regularly.

Use your newsletter to expand upon the basic
information included in the flyer. Provide
additional information about the speaker,
perhaps even an interview. List the number of
vendors attending, who they are and some of
the items they will have available. Promote the
workshop as an opportunity for genealogists
to share experiences and information with old
friends and distant cousins.

At your meetings, ask a member who has
previously heard the speaker to give a
testimonial. Personal testimony is the best
recommendation.

A press-release notice should go to every
genealogical columnist, genealogical and
historical society, radio and television station,
and newspaper (including the neighborhood
shopping newspapers) within at least a 100-mile

Planning Successful Seminars and Workshops

Page 3

FGS Society Strategies, Set VI Number 5

�
radius. It should contain two short paragraphs
that can be “lifted’ easily for publication, and—
above all—it should make your workshop
sound like the interesting and important event
that it will be. Be sure to include the society’s
mailing address in the text. If a society member
uses a computer bulletin board for genealogy,
ask him or her to put out a notice. Mail
notices to appropriate national publications.
The FGS FORUM publishes a “Calendar of
Events” for member societies in every issue.
Realize, however, that all publications require
notification far in advance of the event.

If you have planned your seminar or workshop
well, it will be interesting, it will be fun, it will be
educational—a day that area genealogists won’t
want to miss. Convey that through your publicity,
and they will come.

Planning Successful Seminars and Workshops

Page 4

FGS Society Strategies, Set VI Number 5

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Society Strategies

Federation of Genealogical Societies

P.O. Box 830220 Richardson TX 75083-0220

April 1996

Series Set VI Number 6

The FGS Society Strategies Series © consists of papers which offer suggestions and instructions for innovative
and effective management for genealogical and historical societies.

The Federation holds a copyright to this material.

Planning Successful Seminars and Workshops

Part Two - Vendor Options and Accommodations

by Patricia Law Hatcher, CG

Vendor Options

Vendors contribute to successful seminars and
workshops by providing an opportunity to learn
about and purchase genealogical materials:
books, forms, and novelties; preservation,
presentation and photographic supplies and
services; computer hardware, software, and
training; book preparation, printing, and
publishing; microfiche/film readers and rental.

Vendors, like speakers and facilities, often are
committed far in advance of an event. If you
plan to have vendor displays at your workshop,
as soon as you have finalized the date send
“Mark your calendar now” postcards to vendors
who have participated in the past.

Like your publicity mailing lists, vendor lists
and letters are best maintained from year to year
by one volunteer. In this way, the mailing list
can be enlarged, and a clear, informative letter
and response form developed. Letters should
be mailed to as many vendors as possible,
outlining the types of participation:

Flyers or brochures. Many societies prepare
“goodie bags” for each participant that contain
advertising flyers. In localities where there
are not many workshop opportunities, these
gifts are enthusiastically received. In areas
with many workshops, ecologically conscious
societies suggest that vendors send brochures
for only a portion of those expected to attend,
perhaps one-half. The brochures are placed on
a “freebie table” where attendees choose those
items of interest to them.

Door prizes. Vendors should be given adequate
recognition for their donations. Try displaying
the door prizes (with appropriate labels) on a
table during the morning sessions. Presentation
should be efficient and not rob time from the
program. When the prizes are awarded, read the
vendor’s name, describe the prize, announce
the winner. Have volunteers distribute the
prizes to the winners (rather than the winners
come forward); this can be a great time saver.

Syllabus ad. If the handout materials are in
bound format, you may wish to include display
ads. Be specific about the acceptable sizes and
the form of the ad. It must be in final size with
clear printing on white paper; photographs
should be screened. Send a style sheet and rate
schedule with the initial vendor letter.

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Display or sales table. Make the vendor’s
letters informative and specific. Try to answer, in
advance, any questions they might have. What is
the cost of the table? It could be a door prize of a
certain value, a flat price, or free. Are the number
of tables limited? What is the exact size? Does it
come with a cover or a drape? How many chairs
are provided? Can signs be hung on the walls? Are
electrical outlets available?

Scheduling is important to vendors who must
drive several hours to your location. When will the
doors open for vendor set-up? Ample time should
be allowed before attendees are admitted. When are
browsing times scheduled? When must the facility
be vacated? Can the vendors attend the lectures?
If so, must they pay the registration fee? Will the
vendor area be open during the lectures? Provide
maps to your location, along with a diagram
detailing where vendors may unload and park, and
the route to the display area. There should be a ramp
or elevator, not stairs, and the distance should not
be excessive. Include a contract/response form.

Once vendor letters have been mailed and responses
received, get ready for the big day. Give ads to
the syllabus chairman immediately. Neatly stack
brochures for the freebie table in boxes, ready
to be set out. If you prepare goodie bags, draft
several volunteers for a “stuffing party.” Invite new
members. Organize the items including syllabus,
handouts, and registration materials around a large
dining room table and the work will go quickly.
One secret of successful workshops is to use as
many different volunteers as possible, asking each
to donate just a few hours, and make those hours a
fun experience.

Prepare a floor plan marked with doors, tables (for
registration, freebies, door prizes, and vendors),
chairs, electrical outlets, and each vendor’s
location. Tables should have sufficient space in
front of them to allow browsing without causing
traffic jams. Prepare signs with each vendor’s
name. If the exhibit area is not obvious, prepare
“vendors this way” signs.

Prior to the workshop day, assign volunteers to
check the table set-up, to see that doors to the
unloading area are open and the route clearly
marked, and to help as needed. Each vendor’s
table should have a daily schedule. Sufficient
time for attendees to visit all vendors should be
arranged. Time before the first session makes
registration easier and gives early birds plenty of
time for shopping.

Whether in person, or by door prizes, brochures,
and ads, vendors are important participants in
any successful workshop. Vendor tables attract
genealogists to your workshop, where browsing
can be a favorite activity of the day.

Accommodating Speakers

Watchwords for the relationship between the
society and the speaker are communication and
courtesy. The speaker is both a professional
and a guest of the society, and should be treated
accordingly. On the workshop day, you want a
happy speaker—one who is comfortable, rested,
and knows that you have planned well.

When the date is set, send confirmation to the
speaker. Request a brief description of each
topic under consideration and the level of each
(basic, intermediate, advanced). Continue to
communicate as you complete arrangements for
transportation, accommodations, meals and the
workshop schedule. Details on which both the
society and speaker should be clear include:

The fee. How much and when to be paid? Will
the speaker have books or other material to sell?
Who will do the selling? Will the society receive
a commission?

Audio-visual equipment. Will the speaker be
using slides or overheads? Is a chalk or marker
board required? Appoint a society member to
operate and adjust the equipment and lighting.
Check to see that there are extension cords,
markers, erasers, and pointers available.

Handouts. How many pages are there? Who will
reproduce them? If it will be the society, by what
date are the originals required? If the speaker

Planning Successful Seminars and Workshops

Page 2

FGS Society Strategies, Set VI Number 6

�
provided them by what date is the attendance count
needed? Distributing handouts during a lecture is
disruptive; do this at registration or prior to each
session.

Travel. Who will make the arrangements—will
the society purchase the ticket or reimburse the
speaker? When does the speaker prefer to travel?
Is a particular airline preferred? If the speaker is
driving, will reimbursement be based on actual
mileage or an agreed-upon sum?

Local transportation. If flying, the speaker
should be greeted at the airport and escorted to the
hotel by a society member (and vice versa at the
end of the visit). If the speaker is driving, provide
detailed directions to the workshop location and/
or hotel where all accommodations should be
arranged by the society. Provide a written schedule
of transportation to and from the workshop, all
meals, and any special events. Ask of there are any
local sights or research facilities that the speaker
would like to visit, and provide a society host or
hostess.

Lodging. Although some speakers are willing to
stay in a member’s home, most prefer a hotel or
motel (not necessarily elegant, but clean, quiet,
comfortable, with food service). Ask if a non-
smoking or a smoking room is preferred.

Meals and entertainment. The society is
responsible for all meals while the speaker is in
town. Do not forget lunch during the workshop.
Check on dietary restrictions. Some societies
enjoy hosting a reception or dinner for the speaker.
Check with the speaker first. Many want to use
the evening before to prepare for the upcoming
presentation and will be more relaxed at a post-
workshop celebration. Others may need to return
home immediately after the workshop.

At the workshop, the introducer should review the
speaker’s resume and chat a few minutes with the
speaker. Do not read the resume verbatim. Select a
few significant points and add one or two pertinent
personal items. For example, that next week marks
the speaker’s fifteenth anniversary at the historical
society, or that by using the records about to be
described the speaker found a horse thief—in the
spouse’s ancestry.

The audio-visual coordinator needs to check
everything thoroughly before the opening session.
Ice water should be placed on the lectern.

A break should be, literally a break for the speaker,
not an opportunity for the audience to get personal
answers to research questions. Allow the speaker to
leave the room a few minutes before the audience.
If the speaker is a smoker, locate the smoking
areas in the building. Show the speaker where the
restrooms are.

Ask how the speaker prefers to handle questions
and announce this at the opening session. One good
way is to distribute 3x5 file cards at the opening
session, requesting that audience members print
questions and include their names. The speaker
may prefer to answer questions after each session
or at the end of the day.

A week to ten days after the workshop, forward
any evaluations collected at the event that pertain
to the speaker or topics. This is also the time to send
a brief letter indicating the society’s appreciation
of the presentation.

Accommodating Attendees

To achieve your workshop goals, you must focus on
one thing—making “satisfied customers” of those
who attend. Everyone should feel they are getting
value for their registration fee—and that they will
want to return next year and bring a friend. An
event that is profitable this year, but fails to satisfy,
will cause next year’s event to suffer. Remember
the maxim: a happy customer tells one, but an
unhappy customer tells ten!

The facility should be comfortable and convenient.
The vendor area should be uncrowded, with ample
time for browsing. The speaker should be both
knowledgeable and interesting. The audience
should be able to see any visual aids and hear the
speaker easily.

Provide plenty of signs. Check with building staff

Planning Successful Seminars and Workshops

Page 3

FGS Society Strategies, Set VI Number 6

�
about any restrictions as to how signs may be
mounted. Point the way to parking areas and the
main door with large visible signs. If the building
has several entrances, you may need signs on
other doors pointing to the registration area. At
registration, place the signs designating the lines
for preregistration and walk-ins above the table, not
on the front. Point the way to the vendor displays,
restrooms, smoking areas, vending machines,
eating areas, elevators, stairs, classrooms, and
lecture halls—anywhere those participating may
want to go.

You will need lots of volunteers—not a few
people doing everything, but many people each
contributing a little to a successful event. It is
important to involve as many members as possible
so they feel that they are a part of the success.
Volunteers are enthusiastic, and their enthusiasm
is contagious. Remember to have all volunteers
stand to receive a big “Thank You!”

As soon as the building is unlocked, station a
volunteer at the main door(s) to greet everyone
with a cheerful “Good morning! Registration is to
your left,” and to hold the door when needed.

At registration, have at least one volunteer for each
one hundred people expected, twice that if you
expect many walk-ins or if the registration period
is short. In the hallways, have volunteers to point
the way for those who are new to the building or
who have gotten themselves turned around. The
more maze-like the facility, the more volunteers
you will need. All volunteers should wear a
brightly colored ribbon, button, or name tag saying
“Volunteer” or “Ask Me!”

To ensure the comfort of those attending, arrange
for about twenty percent more chairs in the lecture
room(s) than will be needed. It is difficult to get
everyone seated in a room that is filled to capacity.
It is also uncomfortable and stuffy. This is less of a
problem in auditoriums with built-in seating.

Temperature is a frequent complaint. You will
never please everyone, but if most people are too
hot or too cold, an adjustment should be made.
Tell the facility staff how many you are expecting
so they can set the temperature accordingly.
Remember that rooms will seem colder in the
morning, but will heat rapidly when filled with
people. If no building maintenance person will be
on hand, a volunteer should meet earlier with that
person to learn how to make adjustments.

The plans for the meals should be stated in the
publicity and explained again during the morning
announcements. Provide an eating area if lunch
is “brown bag.” If lunch is not provided, include
a list and a map of nearby eating places in the
registration packet. Morning refreshments are a
good idea and help keep audience attention from
lagging during the pre-lunch lecture.

Genealogists love to talk genealogy. The
opportunity to do so is one of the highlights of
the day. Name tags for surnames are often used.
Be creative; if the subject of the day is a state,
provide a tag with the county lines drawn and
let each person color the counties of interest.
This helps strangers become a part of a group
easily. At lunch, label each table with a different
geographical area or state and encourage people
to sit at their favorite research place to share
experiences and questions.

Something will go wrong. Don’t panic. Have
at least one volunteer who is available to “go
fer” whatever is needed or complete whatever
assignment arises. Genealogists are quite
understanding if something goes wrong. However,
planning carefully will avoid foreseeable
problems.

How will you know you have achieved a
successful event? When everyone says, “This
was great! When is the next one?”

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