Webinars are online events, run on Zoom, and open to all 350 Mass members and most are available to the larger community.
This is a guideline for 350 Mass working groups, nodes, and coalitions to propose, organize and run webinar sessions. It’s a living document, based on the experience of organizing and running the first several webinars.
Please send any feedback via email ([email protected], [email protected]) or the #webinar_series Slack channel.
Why webinars?
Many of the motivations are internally-focused. Complementing other 350 Mass communications efforts like the weekly newsletter and regular meetings, webinars provide an open interactive space for members to engage directly with allies, coalition partners and leaders in our membership. They help create a deeper shared understanding about important topics, invite experts and allies from different bases to join us, often outline actions that can be taken to address the issues presented, and create recordings that contribute to a growing reference library. They enable more members to connect with each other outside of node and working group boundaries. Many of the same guidelines described here will still apply.
When webinars are open to the public, promoted on social media, and especially co-presented with other organizations, webinars help promote 350 Mass visibility, recruiting, coalition building, and generating broad strategies for addressing issues. For instance, The Brown Report webinar, co-sponsored by 10 other organizations deeply concerned about the Massachusetts legislatures’ lack of clear, strong, climate action, culminated in break-out rooms designed to develop strategies to address specific areas. Among these were housing, and industrial retrofit and building standards, transforming to 100% renewables, transparency in law making, and transportation.
Background
Starting as a subgroup in the communications strategy working group, the webinar planning team (Cory Alperstein, Judith Black, Curt Newton, Sam Payne) ran an initial sequence of 3 monthly webinars during Fall 2020 about the elections and legislative process. individual working groups have begun organizing sessions about their work, with the webinar planning team serving as advisors and contributors.
Format
Zoom
- Sam sets up using the BFP Zoom account, with registration link on 350mass.org
Duration
- Normally 90 minutes of programming, including time for breakout groups or a “take action” / actionar step.
- 60 minutes would be enough if it’s just information sharing, no breakout or action step built in.
- We typically hold webinars on Mondays, 7-8:30pm, to avoid scheduling conflicts with our node and other meetings.
Speakers
- A limit of three speakers allows each to share fully, with adequate time for a Q&A, panel discussion, break-out groups for a detailed participant discussion, or an action step.
- Determine who your host will be for the session.
Typical outline
- 5 min: gather and settle
- 5 min: speaker intros and opening remarks
- 30 min: speaker presentations - could include brief Q&A segment after each (e.g. 7 min presentation, 3 min Q&A) or 5 min individual opening remarks followed by panel discussion
- 15 min: open up to full group Q&A
- 15 min: breakout groups or actionar step
- 10 min: wrapup and farewell
This is only one model. Once you know the objective of your webinar, you will reshape this to meet your ends.
Planning Process
Ideally this should begin 3-4 months prior to webinar, in order to secure the date, line up speakers and co-sponsors, and be thoroughly prepared.
- Create your planning team. We have found that three to four people is a good working number to supervise all necessary tasks. You might choose to draw in someone from an allied organization that has a deep knowledge and commitment to the issue.
- Refine topic, objectives, and session structure (e.g. actionar or not?) Be specific in your topic and objectives. For instance Housing in Massachusetts is a topic that could require many months of study. The Problems and Possibilities of Retrofitting One Million Homes in the Next Ten Years is specific and allows an entry point for thinking and action.
- Get in touch with our digital coordinator (Sam Payne) to find a date that will not overlap with other events, and secures his participation.
- Write a draft blurb, ~3-4 sentences, that you’ll use to line up speakers, co-sponsors, and for promotion.
- Identify, invite, and confirm speakers.
- Identify, invite, and confirm key co-sponsors, who would help plan and organize the event
- Create a visual that can be used on social media, the event registration page, and other promo
Once all the details are lined up, send out that draft flyer and invitation to all possible allied groups, inviting their co-sponsorship for promotion. This can’t be emphasized enough. The more peer organizations you can pull in, the broader the publicity will be for the webinar, and the greater the opportunity for continued collaborative work. The only thing you need ask ‘co-sponsors’ for is their logo to add to our screens, and their commitment to promote the webinar among their membership. A potential list of co-sponsoring organizations resides here: [COMING SOON]
However, be creative. Each topic will potentially draw in different players.
If using break-out rooms, find a facilitator for each - especially if you envision different topics for each room. Let them know the objectives of their break-out, the amount of time they will have, and ask them to make sure that someone takes notes on a google doc that the coordinators should supply.
2 months out, formalize the flyer, graphics and announcements with a registration link (use bit.ly for public events) and begin distribution throughout 350 Mass, all co-sponsors, and appropriate media outlets. Send all promotional materials to participants as well, and ask them to amplify it to their base. If it is an internal webinar, meant only for 350 Mass members, then you can promote through Slack, the weekly newsletter, and node contacts.
1-2 weeks in advance: Hold a detailed planning session with the BFP digital coordinator (Sam), speakers, host, chat moderator, and break-out leaders (if appropriate). Set expectations on flow and timing, key messages. If a presenter wants to run a power point, let them know that screen share will be available to them.
Other final details:
- Get any special screens, music, etc. to the BFP digital coordinator (Sam) with clear instructions on when each will need to appear during the webinar.
- If using break-outs, coordinate with Sam about how many you will need, if they have different sub-topics attached to them, and how long they should be.
- Sam will receive registrations and send out participation links within 2 days of the webinar.
Running the Webinar
Invite all speakers and the support team to enter 20-30 minutes prior to the webinar for a microphone and visual check, and any last minute questions.
Roles:
- Sam (Digital Coordinator): Zoom master and producer
- Host: introduce speakers, opening remarks, flow from speaker to speaker, maintain timing, questions, and wrap up
- Chat moderator: Monitor flow, summarize chat themes, and let host know when significant questions come in.
- During Q&A segments, two options: chat moderator reads them off (in order), or use Stack. This means asking folks to put an * next to their name in the chat when they have a question or comment, and the chat moderator will have them ask their question directly
- (If using) Break-out facilitators should check in early with the rest of participants.
Follow-Up
Make a time for the planning team to meet. Ask yourselves:
- Did the webinar achieve our objective?
- What aspect of the planning, promotion, or running of the event went better than your expectations? Why?
- What aspect of the planning, promotion, or running of the event felt inadequate or poorly executed? How could it be improved on?
- What are ‘next steps’ you want to take to advance the issue that the webinar introduced?
- Please share these on this feedback document so other webinar planners can learn from your experience. _________________________________
- Consider allied groups, especially around our campaign coalitions. Co-sponsors help promote, sharing with their networks, and get a mention in all promo. Might be worth bringing some other groups in (selectively) on the organizing.
Roles:
- Sam: Zoom host and producer, promotion
- MC: introduce speakers, opening remarks, flow from speaker to speaker, questions and wrapup
- Chat moderator: monitor flow, summarize / ask questions as appropriate
Typical outline
- 5 min: gather and settle
- 5 min: speaker intros and opening remarks
- 30 min: speaker presentations - could include brief Q&A segment after each (e.g. 7 min presentation, 3 min Q&A) or 5 min individual opening remarks followed by panel discussion
- 15 min: open up to full group Q&A
- 15 min: breakout groups or actionar step
- 10 min: wrapup and farewell
Video recording
- Video will be recorded and shared on 350 Mass YouTube channel shortly after the event
Participant Q&A
- During presentations, should post in Zoom chat. Chat moderator monitors, can interrupt speaker if needed, or flow them into Q&A segments
- During Q&A segments, two options: chat moderator reads them off (in order), or use Stack and have participants ask Qs directly
Organizing workflow
- Reach out to #webinar_planning team with your idea
- Refine topic, objectives, and session structure (e.g. actionar or not?)
- Pick a preferred date and at least one backup. We aim for roughly one webinar per month. Coordinate with Sam on dates, try to avoid conflicts with statewide calendar
- Select MC and chat moderator
- Write one-paragraph blurb and a catchy session title
- Identify and confirm speakers, at least 2 weeks in advance. Get their bios and preferred titles for event promo
- Hold a detailed planning session with speakers, MC and chat moderator 1-2 weeks in advance. Set expectations on flow and timing, key messages
- Push out in weekly newsletter (goes out on Tuesdays)
See our archive of past webinars here.
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