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The Vegetarian Food Fair Manual Project Hosted by Follow these links to learn more about VUNA and IVU:
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Vegetarian Food Fair Manual Draft Part IV Section 24: Following up with participants and media After the food fair is over and you've had a chance to take inventory (see Section 24) and organize your materials (see Section 26), you may want to take a quick survey of food fair sponsors, vendors, exhibitors, and other participants or create a final press release for the media about the event. Following up with participants and the media not only provides input and constructive critique for next year's event but also lets the public know that the event was a success and presents another opportunity to present vegetarianism in a positive light. Chances are that you've been in close contact with food fair participants during planning and on the day of the food fair, so you may already be aware of their impressions and critique of the event. You will likely record this information and even implement change based on that input when you organize the food fair materials (see Section 26). You may also want to have something in hard copy, however, to refer to for future fairs and events. This section suggests ways to follow up with food fair participants and the media to gain insight about how the fair went and find out what might be done to make it even more successful in the future. Media Following up with the media is less straightforward but still important. You may have developed a working relationship with reporters and writers who provided pre-fair coverage or took an active interest in covering the event for their paper, magazine, or television or radio station. These individuals will be your primary contacts. They may be interested in doing a follow-up story or interviewing you about the success of the fair. They may print an editorial or run a press release that you write and send about the food fair. They may also be interested in new events that evolve from the food fair, such as vegetarian potlucks or supper clubs. Often a community newspaper or local magazine will be the most responsive since the food fair is a community activity. You should try to follow up with general media contacts with at least a press release (see Sections 10 and 11) and pursue more aggressively those contacts with which you have a strong working relationship. Media coverage is good not only for vegetarianism and for your fair but also for your organization. TOP Participants An effective way to follow up with food fair participants is to send them a short thank-you letter and provide an easy way for them to submit comments and suggestions (for example, a postage-paid postcard or a survey and stamped reply envelope). Thanking sponsors is an important part of post-fair work. Although you have likely said "thank you" by providing advertising and visibility for sponsors of your food fair, it is important to follow up with them again after the fair is over to let them know that their support was a key ingredient in making the food fair a success. You should thank vendors, exhibitors, and other participants for taking part in the food fair and helping to make it a success by promoting vegetarianism with their presence or information. Prompt participants for input by asking a series of questions. You may want to tailor the letter to fit its recipient-for example, vendors and sponsors receive one kind of letter, nonprofit participants receive another, and speakers, bands, and demonstrators receive a different letter. You might also ask participants to send you copies of food fair-related items that appear in their publications or newsletters. TOP Sample questions for participants ___ Was the information packet provided informative, helpful , and complete? Was there information or were there instructions missing that should have been included? |
