DSG/NULab Fall Welcome

New Panel Format

• Food laid out outside room 90 before event starts, attendees encouraged to take food in
• Brief keynote (30 minute talk, 15 minutes for questions)
• Two lightning talk panels with students and faculty (speakers had 5 minutes each, 10-15 minutes for questions at end)
• Followed with food and reception
• Set-up was theatre-style chairs with single long table and 4-5 chairs at front for lightning talk panelists
• Expect 50-ish attendees?

What Worked Well

• Selecting panelists from disciplines across campus, to ensure wide variety of representation
  • Sent personal invitations, which worked better than previous general calls for participation
• Good publicity withing DSG and NULab, with DH seminars and other relevant classes specifically notified
• Delicious Haley House food
• Have an online RSVP form, which can be used to give outside attendee list to library access services.

Lessons Learned

• Ask Communications and Events office for help! They are essential (event brochure, layout advice, staffing on the day of, etc.)
• If DSG/NULab staff are speaking or otherwise presenting, do not also put them in vital organizational role at the event itself
• Charge someone with managing food delivery, again not one of the main event organizers or panelists.
• Ideally food arrives first, and participants have snacks before keynote plus break to get more food
  • NB: Haley House came quite late, so have food delivered one hour before event if using Haley House
• Do advertise to BostonDH and the BLC
• It takes a lot of time to round up panelists and remind them of the lightning talk format, as well as gather participant names, contact info, and talk title
• Program feedback was largely positive; the only constructive criticism was that some attendees might prefer fewer panelists with more time to speak, or a shorter event with more time for socialization
• Need people to give introductions (likely Directors of NULab and DSG) as well as panel moderator and panel timekeeper
• Organizer should notify panel participants ahead of time that there will be a panel timekeeper, and remind them to check the front row for time indications
• A clean up crew should be designated beforehand to take care of things after the event, so that it doesn't all fall on one or two people.