Hosting Talent

 

Introduction

 

Hosting guest speakers or performers is a common, yet important form of social interaction in the activist community. When hosting guests, particular those visiting from out-of-town, certain guidelines should be followed in order to ensure the best possible experience for all parties. Testing.

 

 

At the Airport/Train Station/Bus Depot

 

Be sure to coordinate with the guest(s) about arrival and location. Have cash with you to pay for parking and tolls. Be there to welcome them inside the facility and have a sign with their name on it. Bring at least two or three other members of your organization or co-sponsoring organizations with you to the airport to welcome them; this will make them more comfortable and excited about the event. Help them with the baggage and props they have brought.

 

Come prepared with a short list of potential conversation topics, such as the details of their last speaking engagement. Getting to know them will keep the situation comfortable, and also provide an opportunity to gather information for their introduction at the event, if one hasn’t already been written. Don’t discuss details of the performance at this time, unless you are in a hurry. Focus on establishing a relationship and making them feel comfortable.

 

 

In the Car

 

Ask the guest(s) if they are hungry. Offer to stop and get anything they may need to pick up on the way to the location at which they are staying, such as a beverage or newspaper. It is customary to take the guest(s) out to lunch or dinner AFTER the performance, but if they have been traveling for a while, they may need a snack, or just an opportunity to unwind. Remember, they may be in an unfamiliar place, and may not know where to procure items they may need.

 

When discussing dinner or lunch arrangements, ask them what kind of food they would enjoy and if they have any special dietary needs or preferences. Suggest a few places for them to choose from. You want to get this information early, so that if necessary, you can call ahead to the restaurant to make a reservation. Don’t assume that speaker of a particular ethnicity will want to partake in their own cuisine, but be sure to include it in the list of options. Also, be sure NOT to bring them to Starbucks, or other establishments that are the target of ongoing Palestine-related boycotts. Establishments that are clearly Israeli-owned, operated, or themed, should also be avoided, even if this limits the availability of Middle Eastern cuisine.

 

Guests typically prefer to travel directly to the place at which they will be staying upon arrival, especially if staying at a hotel where they need to check in. They will also frequently need to return phone calls they may have missed while traveling. If bringing them to a hotel, it is okay to drop them in the valet area. There is no need to go inside the hotel with them unless they need your help carrying items or checking in and paying. Do not go to their room unless you are openly invited, this is their area where they probably want privacy. If you are bringing them to the home of someone they have not yet met, you should enter with them, but leave as soon as you’ve introduced them to their hosts.

 

Make sure the guest has contact information and at least one back up contact. You may want to have this information typed on a piece of paper to give to them before you drop them off at the hotel. Schedule a time to return to pick them up before the event, keeping in mind things like traffic and weather.

 

 

Pick-Up Before the Event

 

Be sure to arrive at least five to ten minutes before the agreed upon meeting time. If picking the guest up from a hotel, do not go directly to their room. Instead, call their cell phone or go to the front desk of the hotel and ask the guest(s) to buzz the room to let them know you are there. Wait in the lobby.

 

 

Preparing the venue

 

Make sure that other members of your organization are at the venue and have things set up before you and the guest(s) arrive. By the time you arrive, all necessary setup should be complete, and the audience should already be arriving. Exceptions exist for musical performers, who typically plan to arrive before the audience, in order to oversee and/or participate in the setup of their equipment, and perform sound checks. Always try to have an area, such as a dressing room or blocked-off bathroom, where the guest(s) can prepare for the show. Have a few things in the room that they may need such as bottles of water, fruit or other snacks, a mirror, and tissues. Also, be sure to have at least one bottle of water placed on stage for the speaker.

 

 

Before the Event

 

Show the guest(s) to the preparation room and give them a few minutes alone if possible. Often guest(s) need a few minutes to prepare before going on stage, and they may wish to avoid distractions at this time.

 

 

Immediately Following the Speech/Performance

 

Deliver brief closing remarks, including a thank you to the speaker, to make it clear that the event has concluded. If you have planned to take the guest out for a meal following the event, you may (with prior permission from the guest) invite the audience to join you. Be clear that each person is responsible for paying for their own meal.

 

 

After the event

 

It is important to stay close to the guest(s) and make sure they are comfortable. It is very easy to get caught up in the event and leave their side, but it is important to remember that your obligation to them is not over. Watch for aggressive audience members who may be confrontational after the performance. Check to see that the guest(s) doesn’t look uncomfortable and that they aren’t looking for the exit. If at any time the guest(s) does look uncomfortable, step in and get them out of the situation. Good excuses include the need to get them back to the hotel/house because of an early departure, dinner plans, other people needing to talk with them, and the fact that you only have the facility for a certain period of time and must clear out the location. Remember, it is better for you to be in a hurry than for your guest(s) to be put in an awkward situation.

 

 

At Lunch/Dinner

 

This is usually the easiest part of the day/night. There are plenty of things to talk about from the performance, and others should be eager to join you to eat. Generally the guest(s)’s meal should be paid for by the organization(s) inviting them, but everyone else is responsible for their own meal. Privately inform the server that the guest(s)’s meal should be put on the appropriate person’s bill to avoid an awkward situation at the end of the meal when then bill arrives.

 

 

Ride from Post-Event Meal

 

By this time you will have built a rapport with the guest(s) and you should feel very comfortable. Ask again if there is anything they need before heading back to the hotel for the night. Compliment them on their performance and bring up specific things from the presentation that you enjoyed (for example: “the point you made about _____ was great” or “I wasn’t aware that_______”). Coordinate a pick-up time for the next day to take them to the facility from which they will depart, and offer to pick them up a little early the next day for a tour of the city’s nearby noteworthy sites (if there are any). Again, it is not necessary to walk them into the hotel (or other location, since you’ve already introduced them to their hosts). Dropping the guest off at the front is completely appropriate and preferable.

 

 

Payment

 

Unless prior arrangements have been made, it is best to give the guest(s) their check when you drop them off at the hotel for the night after their performance. At this point, they have fulfilled their part of the deal and you should fulfill yours. Anyone who provides a service is eager to have payment settled and this will allow him or her to feel as though the job was well done and complete.

 

 

Ride to the Airport/Train/Bus

 

Make sure that you are early when picking up the guest(s) the morning of their departure. Remember they have a plane/train/bus to catch and if they miss it, you are responsible for them until they are secure alternate transportation to their destination. If they miss their scheduled departure as a result of your tardiness, charges for rescheduling the departure, and possibly additional hotel charges, will be your organization’s responsibility. Call the air/train/bus line to verify that the vehicle will be departing on time. Offer again to stop and pick up anything they may need, especially food before the departure (this doesn’t have to be fancy; a fast food restaurant is generally appropriate, especially considering the shortage of time).

 

 

Saying Goodbye

 

As long as you are on time, there is no need to escort the guest(s) into the transportation facility unless they need your assistance (i.e. with baggage). It is fine to drop them off curbside and say goodbye there. If you plan to go inside the facility with them, be prepared to pay for parking. Give them copies of any fliers produced for the event for their records, and make sure you have their contact information. Thank them again for coming, and remind them to keep in touch. You may wish to remain around the facility in case their departure is delayed, and they decide to leave and return later, rather than sitting in the facility for hours. However, this is not necessarily your responsibility, and you are not obligated to take care of them during a delay.

 

 

One to Three Days After Event

 

After the event, send them a thank you letter or e-mail to thank them again for coming. You may attach any pictures from the event to the thank you. This is polite and reinforces that they have your contact information for future events