2018 Thorndale Diwali Feedback
Disclaimer: These are purely suggestions , mine or heard from others, and open for discussion for improvements. Please do not take this as harsh comments on anyone or anything. I am open to our group decision. These are just points to note while planning next time. Not all can be done due to limited resources. We should always start with a good target, so that we keep doing better. Thanks.
Project Management/ Co-ordinator:
1. Change the title to Co-ordinator. The co-ordinator should form a 4 member team to take final decision on all matters.
2. Once we assign lead to specific activity, the lead is responsible to make that happen, not the project manager. The lead should form a team to support his/her activity.
3. We shld have deadline to finalize plans, purchase etc. Co-ordinator maintain deadline and only followup status before deadline.
4. Ladies should be included in the organizing as well.
5. We shld plan Diwali event 2 months in advance.
6. Distribution of responsibility is a key to success. Every member who wish to see improvement and maximum enjoyment, should participate in the plan and take up role and responsibity.
7. This is a closed community event, not a public event , so preference must be given to members of the community , their relatives , past members of the community and finally to very close friends, better if they are totally outside of Lansdale area ( Friends who are close to community must be approved by the team). There are other implications by making this an open event that must be carefully evaluated before we allow.
Event Management:
1. One lead and form a team of anchors that take the audience through the entire event.
2. The schedule must be final before the day of. There is always last min changes on the day of event that should be avoided which creates confusion in the event.
3. Cultural item participants should be made aware of their turn, this is very important to maintain the sequence and schedule and not do changes at the event. This will cause confusion for the anchors that need on the spot management and handling of difference of opinions.
4. print or display schedule to all audience.
5. Plan kids activity BEFORE the start of the event to keep them engaged until event starts. This must be fun activity with awards, so that people will plan to come on time because kids will force them. Eg. Kahoot cld have been before the start of the event.
6. Should not plan games that require full attention of audience and time to play the game. The games if planned must be ACTION based to keep audience engaged. Also action based game should not require too much time to setup during the event ( eg. 1 min game could become 10 mins just to get that 1 min of fun with props).
7. Guage time and notify if it is unachievable.
8. Talk to people early and get information about the planned performances.
Anchoring: None of the below happened , they are just points to keep in mind.
1. They must be responsible to lead the event through the planned sequence.
2. They should take full control of the mike and not let someone else take charge and change the track of the event. Must take control of the sequence.
3. We need to include secondary anchors and train them as well. Use them wherever possible during the event.
Decoration:
1. Decoration team lead must form decoration team. This team must include men and are responsible for decorations on the event day. Helpers can be added.
2. Consider older kids to give a helping hand. They get sense of involvement in the making.
3. The lead must facilitate ideas and estimate cost and convey to finance.
4. Decoration should include Lighting Diya activity which is the very essence of Diwali culture. ( It need not have idol if not desired, but lighting lamp has a significance).
Budget/Finance:
1. I like the way finance and budget is handled with transperancy and efficiency. Continue to do that. One lead is good enough.
Photography:
1. Using stage to do family photography may not work since it conflicts with the performance. Must have a separate area for family pictures.
2. Group photography needs proper arrangement of people standing, sitting etc. by volunteers.
3. Photography needs an equally talented backup to eliminate burden on one person and alternate the task during event. So that the photographer can also enjoy the event peacefully.
4. Form a photography team, not just one person. Can include older kids. Older kids will get that experience as helpers and sense of involvement, instead of doing thier own thing.
Videography:
1. Again this cannot be one person, like photography, need an equally talented backup and team to help. One person is not acceptable. Or hire a third pary to do just that which may not be affordable.
2. The video was so close to the stage and stagnant. Did not cover entire stage sometimes. It may be not possible to do movable video. But may be done by a dedicated videography helpers taking turns.
3. People must respect photographer and videographer of their immense effort irrespective of minor mistakes. We have to remember that they sacrifice their peaceful enjoyment time to completely inveolved in capturing moments.
4. Photographer and videographer must make their best judgement of lighting and make changes appropriately or request for more or less lighting.
Audio:
1. Audio lead was handling audio completely solo this time. He or she must have the backup and take break to enjoy as an audience.
2. Consider audio lead need not be sitting constantly in audio area, but shld be able to control remotely via iphone instead of laptop. We did the same last year, and it worked out well.
3. Only during DJ time, should the dj be at the audio location.
Stage:
1. No kids allowed to be wandering on the stage. Parents or big kid volunteers must take care of this. It comes in videos and photoes that do not look good.
2. Kids wandering on the stage during performances is risky. No one should be allowed passing by the stage, except Anchors.
Purchase:
1. Purchasing was done last minute this time. The purchase lead must be reponsible to get enough information to fulfil the purchase well in advance, by working with finance.
2. Decoration items, Return gifts to family, awards, gifts to kids etc must be decided and ordered 2 weeks in advance and must be purchased.
Food drive/charity:
1. The initiative went well this time. But we should get older kids do some activities regarding this.
Audience:
1. Audience participation was a little lacking this time.
2. Lot of them were busy in discussion in groups during performances and not enough encouragements and cheering from audience.
3. Audience must applaud and cheer for all performances, since lot of effort has been put in for entertaining audience.
4. When the performance is going on, need to maintain silence.
5. Kids need to be controlled and ask them to participate as audience.
6. Must be considerate with people who are unable to get visibility of the performances.
Food:
1. Veg Appetizers was bit spicy for kids. Need some kid friendly items.
2. Non veg was good.
3. Mango lassi was not great.
4. Overall food was good, because it is always relatively judged according to people's taste.
Memories:
1. We should have a website or closed area where all thorndalians can view past diwali event posts, photoes, videos, plan etc in one place.
2. This central repository will revoke pleasant memories after 5 or 10 years down the line. We will see our small kids performing when they grow older and us performing when we were young. Also our kids will remember these and can look at it any time.
3. The central repository with different years, single link having links to youtube or google photoes would be acceptable.
4. We can give this project to our interested kids too as a side project to learn website building.
