Jenbel, I'd be interested in your thoughts on this, as you are one of the stars of Do organization.
I have murmured from time to time that FT might become a victim of its own success. What do I mean? The turnout that some Dos get - and the professionalism with which some are run - could intimidate folks from hosting.
When
Captain Mike and I hosted the 2001 San Diego Do, I had only met 3 FTers. I remember leaving work that day, wondering why I was giving up my weekend to throw a party for 60 strangers. It turned out brilliantly, and was a lot of fun for both attendees and hosts.
We had 40 folks at the Saturday night dinner. It was quite a challenge finding a restaurant that would book a private dining area for that large a group. Now, we have Dos such as London where we've had more than 200 attend, and 125-ish at the Saturday dinner. I honestly don't know where I'd look for such space in San Diego, other than a boring hotel banquet room.
There are several dilemnas for the party throwers:
- You have no idea how many will attend. It could be 5 to 200 (record so far). It's easy to organize for 5 or 10 or 20; it's not for 50 and more. And when you don't know going in how it will draw, you can't figure out if you even have event space in your town that's appropriate.
- Do organizers have set the bar high. I salute the Zurich and SFO Do organizers, the last big events. Wow! If you followed either thread, the sophistication with which they were their events was amazing. They had events worthy of professional party planners.
Both of these can intimidate folks.
As an organizer, I've found that the great majority of folks who come are very appreciative of the organizers' effort. I've always liked the shout outs folks give after the event. I was new to FT in 2001, hadn't expected the accolades, and the appreciation made the effort worthwhile. There are always some who grumble, particularly as events are being organized. You simply have to have a thick skin.
For those who are considering organizing an event, a local dinner is a great way to dip your toes into the water. Start a list of every handle you see from your home area. Send out PMs to folks (as many never come into Community). We've had some delightful San Diego dinners, pulling from 20 to 40 folks.
Meeting other travel junkies face to face is an enormously rewarding part of FT. It certainly has enriched my life.