1.  Primary Purpose (what is the one reason you want to successfully run this project)?

2.  Give a brief description of the proposed project and background information.  Follow this with a listing of the specific and measurable goals to be accomplished by this project.

Background

• the convention’s daily agenda;
• what training sessions are available;
• who the officers are and what they do;
• traditions, including challenges, dressing in costume, etc.
• Other misc. info they might be unsure whom to ask about.

• Meet people by walking up and saying, “Howdy!”
• Just Have Fun!

With initial response to the idea of a national First Timer’s being overwhelmingly positive, plans were floated to the USJCC in Tulsa about the feasibility aspects.  Their encouragement was likewise enthusiastic.

Project Description

Who:

• The session will be open to the general public:  All Jaycees and families from all states, even if they have previously attended a National Convention.
• The target audience will be the “typical” delegate who hasn’t attended a national convention.
• Advertising will be distributed to all state ONTO managers and otherwise as widely as possible to maximize attendance.
• A lower limit on attendance is probably 75.  Upper limits are probably close to 750.  Since this hasn’t been run for a long time, it is hard to predict.
• One master-of-ceremonies trainer will introduce the VIPs and other trainers that get up to make comments.
• Various VIPs will be invited to attend and line the walls so they may be recognized later in the convention when people see them walking around.
• Depending on timing issues, candidates might be introduced with who they are and what office they’re running for.
• Candidates might be allowed to distribute campaign information to the attendees (this is a possible source of “donation” funds to offset event costs).

What:

• Information will be distributed via information packets
• A trainer will go over the material quickly.
• There will be a question and answer portion of the session.
• Guest speaker(s) might speak for 2 or 3 minutes (Mike Marshall?)

When:

• The session will be start at 6:45 am, Monday morning, June 23rd, 1997.
• The session will end before opening session starts at 8:00 am.
• The room will open at 6:15 am, and be fully ready for guests by 6:30 am.
• The exact start time will be flexible to 6:55 am in case there are late stragglers or a long entrance line.

Where:

• The location is to be determined; probable location will be one of the meeting rooms on the bottom floor of the Des Moines Convention Center.
• If overflow space is needed, a contingency might be to open up a second room, or open the doors between the main room and the adjacent one.

Why:

• The “why” of the event is contained in the above background information.

Goals

1. To provide a useful informational session about the USJCC National Convention;
2. To have the session end before the opening session begins;
3. To have at least 50 Iowa Jaycees attending;
4. To have at least 50 non-Iowa Jaycees attending;
5. To earn $1 for Iowa Jaycees ONTO fund (i.e., to run a revenue neutral project);
6. To distribute info booklets and pens to each attendee;
7. To greet each attendee as they arrive with a handshake and a smile.
 
 Less specific and measurable (but nonetheless important) goals are:
 
8. To provide an entertaining, fun atmosphere for all attendees;
9. To publicize Iowa as a great place to be a Jaycee;
10. To demonstrate the capabilities of the Gladbrook Iowa Jaycees, a Pop. II chapter with a Population 8 attitude;

3.  What are the specific personnel assignments?

Chairperson’s responsibilities:

• Has primary responsibility for the project’s success;
• Presents preliminary CPG to the Iowa Jaycees Board of Directors;
• Organizes and prepares for event;
• Directs and coordinates efforts of committee members;
• Provides assistance to committee as requested/required;
• Verifies all loose ends are tied up;
• Reports status regularly to supervising program manager;
• After event, prepares and submits final CPG to board of directors.

B. Program Manager:
Mr. Kevin J. Rice
ONTO Program Manager, Iowa
Home Chapter:  Des Moines, Iowa
1515 - 46th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50311
Home: (515) 255-9981
Work: (515) 225-8379

 Program Manager’s Responsibilities:

• Provide advice and counsel to chairperson;
• Receive status reports from chairperson regularly;
• Provide status reports regularly to Vice President in Charge;

C. Vice President in Charge:
 Ms. Lori Oakland
 Administrative Vice President, Iowa Jaycees
 Home Chapter:  Des Moines, Iowa Jaycees
 5521 Aurora Ave.
 Des Moines, Iowa 50310
 Home: (515) 251-4917

Vice President’s Responsibilities:

• Provide advice and counsel to chairperson and program manager;
• Receive status reports from program manager regularly;
• Provide status reports regularly to the Iowa Jaycees President;
• To ensure the project is being run in a fair and competent manner.

D. President of the Iowa Junior Chamber of Commerce
Mr. Ron Redmon
President, Iowa Jaycees
Home Chapter:  Jefferson, Iowa
304 Grauer St. 50129
Home:  (515) 386-4547

President’s Responsibilities:

• Provide advice and counsel;
• Receive status reports regularly;
• Overall responsibility for all Iowa Jaycees activities.

The following personnel will be required to run the event:

• Overall trainer/speaker;
• Assistant trainers, to answer questions (1 trainer per 25 people);
• Celebrities (Ron Redmon, Mike Marshall, National Vice Presidents, National Vice Presidential Candidates, National Presidential Candidates, other VIPs;
• Volunteers to post advertisements, hand out flyers, etc.;
• Volunteers to open up and set up the room;
• Volunteers to greet people at the door;
• Volunteers to give people the handout materials;
• Volunteers to contact the VIPs to invite them, then to confirm their attendance;
• Volunteers to remove the advertising materials after the event is run;
• Volunteers to clean up the room after the event.

4.  What specific materials, supplies, and resources will be required?

Specific physical requirements will be:

• Meeting room large enough for 150 people;
• Overflow meeting room(s) large enough for 500 people;
• Booklets with information;
• Pens to write with (taking notes);
• Food (donuts);
• Microphone/amp/speaker setup;
• A bullhorn in case of extremely large numbers of attendees;
• Training material (what the speaker is going to say);
• Promotional material (signs with who, what, where, when and location directions);
• Certificates, medals, or Pins for attendance (depending on price - to sell or give away).

5.  Describe any potential problems and how they can be prevented:

Q: Not enough physical meeting room space
A: Have an overflow room big enough for any overflow crowd.

Q: Low attendance
A: Promotional ads in USJCC publications (including the USJCC web site);
A: Include details of event in all ONTO mailings;
A: Put up posters advertising the event on the 2 days prior to the event all around the convention area;
A: Inform all other ONTO managers from other states of the event and provide promotional material to them for them to put up in their hospitality suite;

Q: Income insufficient to cover costs
A: Get as many items donated as possible, (i.e., pens, donuts, duplicating).
A: Minimize expenses per attendee to ease fundraising efforts.
A: Run entire event as cost-plus:  don’t spend until a donation is received.
A: Donuts and juice might have a voluntary $1 donation basket.
A: Don’t purchase pens or donuts if cost is excessive
A: The only required material is the handout booklet.

Q: Guest VIPs don’t show up
A: Confirm VIP’s attendance by sending an initial letter to them describing the event and requesting their presence.
A: Phone VIPs to personally invite them and confirm their attendance.
A: Send a follow-up postcard to VIPs.
A: Confirm VIPs attendance by contacting them as soon as they arrive at the convention location.
A: Structure the event so that VIP attendance is not vital to its success.

Q: Rain on the day of the event
A: Training will be held inside; the skywalk will provide a dry path to the event from any of the hotels.

Q: Insufficient good publicity for for the Gladbrook Jaycees
A: Promotional items mention the sponsor is a Pop. II chapter, with both a hometown welcome and a big-city professional sheen to the execution.

Q: Not enough pens or booklets to distribute to attendees
A: Have at least 500 donated pens and booklets available.  Copying is cheap and hopefully the pens will be donated by a willing company.
A: Give an IOU to those who show up, solicit a “donation” to cover costs, and promise to exchange IOU for an actual booklet later that day; use money to make more copies, and distribute them at a predetermined location and time.

Q: Not enough volunteers to help with event planning and execution
A: Arrange ahead of time with specific people to do specific jobs via a sign-up sheet;
A: Arrange a calling circle to contact members to remind them;
A: Have several backup people to take over in case those assigned have last-minute conflicts;
A: Make sure all Gladbrook members know of the event;
A: Promote event to Gladbrook as a national event that’s “their” project to make shine.
A: Get a carpool going so people can go to the event and still return to Gladbrook in time to work on Monday if they so choose.

Q: No one knows what a great event it was after it occurs
A: Have someone take pictures with a good camera;
A: Have a sign in sheet for all those attending to prove numbers involved;
A: Provide pictures of the event and a good written description to the editors of the Gladbrook newspaper and perhaps the Des Moines Register.

Q: Insufficient advertising materials
A: Have a committee member create some far in advance;
A: Ask USJCC for their assistance in developing material content.
 

6.  Complete a proposed budget including all anticipated income and expenses.

Donation of Pens    $0.00
Donation of Copying    $200.00
Donations for donuts (37.50 * $1)   $37.50
Donation of Meeting Room space  $0.00
Total Income:     $237.50

Expenses

Meeting Room space (donated)  $0.00
Donuts (150 at $0.25)     $37.50
Pens (donated, with advert. logo)  $0.00
Copying Costs:      $200.00
Total Expenses:    $237.50

7.  List specific steps to bring this project to a successful conclusion:

• 2/22/97 Select a chairperson for the project
• 2/22/97 Write the draft CPG
• 2/22/97 Write the session handout
• 2/22/97 Mail the draft CPG and handout to chairperson
• 3/14/97 Present preliminary CPG to Iowa Jaycees board meeting
• Before event Contact Marsha Knowles at USJCC Tulsa, providing her with an overview  of the event (possibly a copy of the preliminary CPG) so she can advertise the event as well.
• Before event Contact other ONTO chairpeople so they know of event
• Before event Solicit donations of required materials
• Before event Arrange for storage location for donated materials and pick-up time/date for those which are last-minute (food)
• Before event Arrange for VIPs to attend
• Before event Arrange for trainer to attend
• Before event Arrange for location of event and overflow location
• Before event Arrange for meeting greeters and other volunteers
• 6/20/97 Verify locations by visiting event site and backup/overflow site
• 6/21/97 Visit other states’ hospitality suites and distribute flyers advertising event.
• 6/21/97 Publicity committee distributes materials: posters, handouts
• 6/22/97 Publicity committee distributes materials: posters, handouts
• 6/22/97 Assemble required materials at a staging area
• 6/22/97 Verify personnel attendance via confirmation phone calls
• 6/23/97 Setup event materials and venue
• 6/23/97 Run event
• After event Clean up room
• After event Submit photographs to news media not in attendance (Gladbrook, Marshalltown, Des Moines papers)
• After event Evaluate event and complete final CPG
• After event Submit final CPG to Iowa Jaycees Board for approval.

8.  List recommendations for future chairpeople in case the event is run again.

9.  List any revisions that were made to the original plan.

10.  List the specific goals achieved and those that were not achieved.

Preliminary CPG:  To be completed later.

Addendum:  Unresolved Issues

• Big issue:  getting a meeting location locked in.  Contact Marsha Knowles at USJCC or Ann Pierschbacher at National Convention HQ.
• Marsha Knowles at USJCC needs promotional material ASAP for publication!!!!! (use CPG as-is?)
• Can we charge for donuts?  “Donation basket” okay?  Same for booklets?
• Can we request a $10 donation for allowing candidates to distribute campaign literature at the event? (would help offset duplicating costs)
• If we allow each candidate to submit one page ad, divide duplicating costs equally among them, pay ahead of time.
• Serving any food might be limited by the convention center catering
• Also serve coffee, juice, water, or milk ?
• Estimating attendance might be delayed until days before the event due to large uncertainties about other states’ promotion of it.
• Getting donations of Pens and copying are the biggest issues monetarily.
• Media involvement - invite DSM Register?  Invite Gladbrook press?  Marshalltown news?
• Have surprise guest celebrity like a Governor, U.S. Senator, movie star, Perot, or Michael Jackson? (signing autographs only)
• Revisions to informational booklet - additional topics, rewording, etc.
• May we: (a) sell items there (b) mention items are for sale (c) allow people to stand outside and sell items, etc.?  Example 1: “official” autograph books with USJCC logo, Des Moines Convention logo, or a new FirstTimer’s logo.  Example 2: a FirstTimer pin (privately funded).
• Do we collect signatures?  That seems like lots of work to grade them.
• Do we have a secondary training session on Thursday like at an All-State?
• Do we give out certificates of completion of the program?  Medals?
• Renaming the event - not “FirstTimer’s” but something else (might by very confusing - everyone knows what FirstTimer’s is, and it’s already being publicized).
• Photography of the event.
• Publicizing the event on the USJCC WWW page or Jaycees magazine?