This document’s purpose is to define and explain FlyerTalk Dos. It is intended to serve as a guide rather than as a set of rules for FlyerTalk Dos. This document has been made possible largely through the contributions of FlyerTalkers Jenbel and Spiff.

The TalkBoard would like to see your comments and suggestions in this thread. In the meantime, if you are organizing a Do you will find this information useful.

You may want to consider posting this in Community.

- A DO, as defined by Catman when DOs were just starting out, is defined by a group of at least 12 people. YMMV.

- A DO should be open to everyone (as stated) in good standing on Flyertalk. If for example a poster has been banned, or someone is masked in Coupon Connection, I'd say that the DO organizer should be allowed to make the decision if that person should attend. YMMV.


- A DO is a labor of love. Remember to thank the organizer (if you want to see the DO repeated in the future).

dh

I would suggest posting this in a more portable format. Not everyone has the latest version of Microsoft Office to be able to read a .docx file.

Good point.

The document is a bit long, but easy to read; series of Q&A. I don't see why it can't be just posted in a post & if it's too long, put it into two posts.

Cheers.

The Do FAQ goes into a bit more detail

Cheers.

For those who cannot access Microsoft Word:

This document’s purpose is to define and explain FlyerTalk Dos. This document should serve as a guide, rather than as a set of rules for FlyerTalk Dos. This document has been made possible largely through the contributions of FlyerTalker Jenbel.

A Guide to Do Organization

What is a Do?

A Do (pronounced “doo”) is the name used on FlyerTalk for any organized or semi-organized get-together or party. It’s a less-commonly used word for festive get-together, affair, or party (www.m-w.com)

Who organizes Dos?

Any FlyerTalker can organize a Do; all one needs to do is post a thread in the CommunityBuzz forum giving a time and a place, and other pertinent information.

What are the formats for Dos?

There are many – but they tend to range from locals and random visitors meeting up for drinks, to full weekend affairs, with multiple events (which usually revolve around food/drink/travel, which may involve people flying in to somewhere, or where the flight itself is the highlight of the Do.

How many people go to Dos?

Dos can be as small as 2 people, while the largest Do (so far) has been attended by 190 people. A Do may experience a spectrum of popularity; some events have snowballed way beyond initial expectations, resulting in a much larger Do the organizer initially intended. Other Dos may only attract a smaller crowd of people.

How are Dos advertised?

CommunityBuzz is the center of the FlyerTalk Do world, and all organized FlyerTalk events must be posted onto this board so members know that events are occurring.

A Do may also be organized on one specialist board (e.g. GLBT and BA boards are known for organizing their own Dos), and targeted at that board’s members, but the event must be cross-posted into CommunityBuzz so that all members have the opportunity to attend.

Who may attend a Do?

Attendance at a Do that has been posted onto FlyerTalk must be open to all FlyerTalkers without exception – the convention is that if it is on FlyerTalk, each and every member is welcome to attend. Events organized only for certain classes of members (such as certain age groups, airline programmes, genders etc) must be organized offline.

It’s also a very good idea to check the FlyerTalk Event calendar, and to add the event onto this calendar. This permits one to see if there are any potentially clashing events, and whether or not these events might compete with each other for attendees and activities. As there are only 52 weekends in a year, there will inevitably be multiple events on some weekends. For example, the annual London Christmas drinks in 2006 were moved to January 07 because a lot of European Dos had been organized in December 06 – only to then clash with the annual Sin Run. However, because there was not much overlap between the two groups likely to attend, it was decided that a clash on this occasion could be lived with.

What’s the most important thing to remember when organizing a Do?

It is impossible please all of the people all of the time. Be prepared for all kinds of feedback on your efforts, both positive and less-positive. This mindset will make dealing with possible grumbling much easier.

How is a Do organized?

Stage 1: Decide:

a) Location
b) Type/purpose of Do
c) Date/time

a) and b) are probably closely related; these decisions may have already been made. So for example, if one were organizing a Scottish Islands Do, the aim of the Do is to take a group of people en masse off to an island they probably haven’t visited. It’s going to be for a weekend, since there’s no point going for less – and it would be more sensible to make it over an English bank holiday weekend, since then people are more likely to have some holiday/vacation time available. In the UK, that would mean weekends in May, and one in August. The weather in Scotland in better in May, so that leaves a choice of weekends in May. One might then approach a small group of people who would be likely to attend and ask them (offline) which date would be better for them, and go with the majority. This particular Do would be targeted primarily at the British, since it’s likely the vast majority of attendees would be British, but of course, anyone else would be welcome to attend. If one were more interested in the schedules of potential US attendees, one might look at dates that coincide with US holidays.

(US people in general tend to get less vacation time than Europeans – one consideration when arranging for weekends outside of the US, where travel time may be comparatively long, if one is seeking a large US turnout!)

It may be better not to try and make decisions about dates online by reaching consensus - everyone has their own days which are good for them and others which are not, and of course they want the dates which work for them. One possible process is to settle on a date with the help of a small group of likely attendees, and then post this as the defined date of the Do, which people can either make or not make. Another way is to unilaterally make the decision. The Do organizer is putting in considerable effort for the Do and ultimately it should be a good date for him/her.

Stage 2 – Advertising the Do

Post the Do information (including the date and location in the thread title) in the CommunityBuzz forum. Be as specific as possible about the intent of the Do. However, it’s perfectly acceptable to be vague about what exactly what is going on at the outset. Attendees will expect vagueness to be filled in as the date of the Do gets closer. One might also be very explicit about any suggestions for venues seeking from the attendees – but don’t necessarily expect them to suggest anything; the Do organizer should also have some ideas.

It can be a good idea, particularly for a large multi-event Do, to post 2-3 times first on the thread – so that there are additional posts which can be edited at the start of the thread, summarising the information, attendees, events, places people are staying etc. It’s rather less necessary for the organization of an evening event. Only the person announcing the Do or a CommunityBuzz moderator can update the first post/title, so a third party announcing the Do may not be desirable.

Stage 3 – Making the Do happen

From the date of the announcement, popularity of the Do may be gauged by responses posted, particularly how those attending are reacting to the various events. In the meantime, there are probably many Do details to sort out by the time the date arrives. This may include finalizing venues and finalizing numbers. Communicating with the attendees so that they know the event is proceeding is a good idea. There are a lot of things to consider and decide on such as:

- Negotiate group rates at a hotel?

(This is ideal if staying in a small place, with a limited choice of hotels, but quite a big group. Otherwise, in big cities, with many chain hotels, people will tend to go with their preferred chain they can get status, points or get reward nights with).

- Create a Do website?

(It can be a good idea, though it requires time and website creation ability. If it’s a large Do, all the information can be organized there for people who won’t read the entire thread (see communications)

- Name badges?

(A good idea, if more than 25-30 people, and many people don’t know each other. Be aware though, that there will always be some members who object to having to wear them, who think they are uncool and/or have other issues with name tags. Even Hello My Name Is stickers can work well. Larger events generally have more professional looking badges)

- Should attendees be required to pre-pay events?

(yes, if events are expecting money upfront and/or it’s a large group. For example, The 2006 London Mega-Do organizers made everything pay up front, and could not have organized the Do any other way. Some flexibility is recommended where possible.)

Stage 3b - Communication

Remember that attendees, while happy with vagueness initially, will be made uncomfortable if nothing appears to be happening– keeping them informed as to how the Do is progressing will prevent one from having to answer lots and lots of ‘what’s happening??’ PMs and emails. As things are confirmed, update and bump the thread. Not everyone will read the thread – which is why websites that allow all the information to be kept in one place in an easy to find manner (the multiple first posts suggested above does likewise!) can be a good idea. Not everyone will read the website – so be prepared to send out PMs to attendees when action is required on their part, thus reinforcing posted material on the website and Do thread. And not everyone will read PMs – there will likely be a small number of people who sign up on the thread, and then vanish without trace, never to be heard from again, despite all attempts to contact them – yes, it’s rude, annoying and inconsiderate, but it also always happens, so forget about it – it’s definitely not personal, virtually all organizers have experienced this!

One can also create mailing lists– some organizers have done or used automatic registration systems (of which a little bit more is said below).

When the Do date approaches, a contact phone number in case of problems can help attendees our tremendously. Please remember, that although the vast majority of FlyerTalkers are lovely people, there are >100 000 people on FT – and not all of them will be angels. Consider personal safety before giving out a personal phone number to strangers – it may be possible to get a disposable/prepaid phone only for Do use. Once FlyerTalkers have a number, they may call it at other times and in various states of sobriety!

Stage 3c – Keeping organized
This is key to a well-run Do! Well, someone has to know what is going on….

Important Do information:
- Event information – e.g. where the event is, what is agreed upon, when it’s happening, who was contacted, exactly what is being supplied, how much it is costing, any minimum spends, what is excluded from the cost. Get as much as this in writing as possible, in case of later dispute.
- Attendee information – who is attending, what events they are going to, whether they have paid, how much they have paid, if they have any guests, name badge information, any special needs (allergies, religious issues for food etc)
- Financial information – how much each event is costing (even if on a per head basis – one may need to make sure income is matching expected outgoings), how much each event has brought in, what additional costs have been incurred.

A spreadsheet can be a very useful tool. It may time consuming, but it’s worth it. There are tools out there to make it somewhat easier – see sources of help.

Stage 4 – Cost and financial considerations
Most people will have a budget – and be prepared that if the Do is expensive, this may limit the number of people who attend. On the other hand, there still will be people out there who want to go and eat at an amazing 3* Michelin restaurant at €200 per head!

As a Do organizer, it is important to try and get the pricing point right. Things to consider:
- Are most people local or coming in from overseas?
- If overseas, what are the exchange rates currently?
- Is the location of the Do expensive compared with where most people are attending from?
- Will they incur additional travel and accommodation costs?
- If local – what price for food and drink would they normally be prepared to pay?
Within any group, there will be those who will want things as cheaply as possible, and those who are prepared to pay a bit or even a lot more for better quality. Generally, try and aim for value for money. Price justification for any event decreases attendee dissonance.

Pre-paying is definitely easier for large events than paying at the event. Some considerations for this are:
- Not all members are happy to use PayPal, so you may have to investigate other methods – this will get more complex if sending money across international borders, but as a last resort, international wire transfers are possible, and most banks can do this. But it will involve giving people personal information like bank account details. There may be hidden charges and exchange rate charges when using online payment facilities. These have to be factored into any Do base costs. A commonly used figure is to add 5% onto base costs to include exchange rate costs, PayPal costs and a small amount for admin. If doing this, do be explicit about it to the attendees.
- Be explicit in advance about cancellation policies. The Do host should not incur a loss if an attendee has to withdraw at the last minute.
- Be explicit about last minute sign-ups? For example, the London Mega Do had a cut-off date, but accommodation of everyone who wanted to attend after the event meant a lot of extra admin for the organizers.

Stage 5 – In the run up to the Do
The final week or so before a big Do will be manic! Hopefully the attendees know exactly what is going on but not everyone reads everything, so you may find yourself having to answer questions where the answers already have been answered. There may be last minute sign-ups and last minute cancellations to deal with. It is a good idea to check in with all events that there are no problems, arrange pre-payment, etc.

If a welcome pack is used, it is a good idea to also post the information sheets i online (this comes back into the giving the attendees as much information as possible. If possible, include maps for venues, as well as full addresses and phone numbers. Give all times and places, highlight any potential problems. It’s easier to just assume that your attendees know nothing about it when writing the information sheets! Remember to include any local peculiarities which visitors may not be aware of. For example: the Barra Do in 2005, the attendees were informed of some of the realities of life on a small Scottish island (potential lack of ATM’s, limited shops) for those who had never experienced that kind of life before.

Stage 6 – the Do itself
Things to remember to bring with you :

- Pens
- Maps of area
- Extra blank name badges
- List of attendees
- Details of all venues, what was arranged, who was contacted, and contact details
- Camera

By the time the day of the Do arrives, most of the hard work has been done – it’s a matter of greeting everyone, answering their questions, making sure they are having a good time and ensuring there are no unresolved problems and trying to get them to the right places at the right times. This may become exponentially harder if it involves removing them from alcohol. One other factor to consider – if it normally takes 20 minutes to walk from A to B, allow 40 minutes when doing it as on the Do. Experience has shown that this is a very good idea when herding FlyerTalkers.

Stage 7 – Post Do
It’s all over! You may have to help people round up stray missing belongings, left in various premises located all over the city. Some people may miss flights, but that’s back into FT territory – they should know what to do! Congratulations on a job well done!

Organizing a Do is hard work. Don’t be surprised by post-Do exhaustion. Try and factor in some recovery time before starting back at work… and take the time to read and respond to the Do thread, and enjoy everyone’s photos!

What help is out there for me?

There are some good resources and sources of advice out there to make the whole thing a little bit easier!

First of all, consider whether one of the free online event management programs will be of benefit. These programs offer automated sign-up and database facilities. Some are linked to PayPal, meaning the organizer has control over the amount and currency of the payments. www.eventbrite.com was used very successfully, and got a glowing report, both from organizers and from attendees at the London Mega Do was but there are other programs available too. Most have a premium (i.e. paid for) and a free version. And they do take a lot of the hard work of entering people’s names, handles, and details into databases. Attendees can add these details themselves. Eventbrite also gives the opportunity to record offline payments, and can also deal with free tickets too.

Remember that there are many experienced Do organizers who are generally perfectly willing and happy to share their experiences. The Community forum is a good place to seek additional assistance.
__________________

Concur, although this is a losing battle.

Microsoft makes a "compatibility pack" that allows older versions of Office programs be able to read and write to current file version formats. Works very well.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/e...displaylang=en

Oddly enough, I had no problem in reading it and my Office is Professional Edition 2003.

In software terms, that is like driving a Model T.

Thanks to wharvey, no additional software required. In future we'll make sure everything just gets posted in the thread rather than as a doc, so people don't need to worry about what version of word or office they're using.

Cheers.

Well, if 2003 is the Model T, what is my 1997 version?!?

A horse?

Saving as PDF -- also available within Office 2007 -- is probably the more universal way to share a formatted readonly document like this (though wharvey proved with cut-and-paste that there wasn't much added by the formatting!)

So the ToS is incorrect, when it says that cross-posting is not allowed?

http://www.flyertalk.com/help/rules.php#q64

People post notice of the Do in the The Consolidated Do-List Thread as example below. Those posts get deleted after a time. All very simple.

There's an exception for Dos. Forum mods should be informing their members of this and encouraging members to cross post dos.