Firetree Gathering
Since hosting the inaugural Firetree gathering held at the Starfish facility in Chiang Mai, Thailand in November 2022, we’ve had lots of requests to share how we did it and what lessons we learned from the event. Here’s how everything unfolded …
Firetree invited the leaders of its partner organisations, and the Senior Fellows from their new Fellowship program to the gathering as an opportunity to informally connect with other leaders, while at the same time engaging with the wider Firetree and Tondo Community Initiative teams.
Based on conversations with our partners pre-Covid (where partners told us that interacting with other leaders to share and learn from each other would be significantly beneficial) and strengthened by the research we did on sabbatical opportunities in Asia, Firetree arranged this gathering to bring as many partners as possible together for an informal opportunity to interact with, share and learn from each other.
Following consultation with partners, fellows and staff, the gathering was designed to provide a relaxed, productive environment for collective and collaborative sharing. The overall objectives of our gathering were:
- To provide a curated opportunity for partners and fellows to meet, connect, share and learn.
- To provide some restorative time for partners, both through the informal activity day and through the retreat time offered to partners afterwards
- To provide an opportunity for Firetree to hear from partners to inform and improve our work going forward, as part of our continued accountability to partners.
Once the objectives were set, our planning began! In the interest of sharing lessons learned, we’re outlining all the steps we took to organise the event from beginning to end:
Step 1: Get everyone involved!
While the overall coordination of the event was the role of one staff member who worked on the project one day a week for about 8 months, the organising and execution of this event involved contributions from all of Firetree’s team members (some of their partners / spouses!) and many of Starfish Education’s team.
Once we knew what dates worked with Starfish Education (where the event was hosted), the logistical organising of the event started. This included but was not limited to: preparing the facility (accommodation for participants, spaces we would convene in, spaces we would hold sessions in etc.), transport (to and from the venue and activities), sleeping arrangements for participants, food arrangements (the cooks at Starfish provided some delicious food for the staff and fellows who arrived earlier in the week while the majority of the catering was provided by Ann Sasithon Kamrit of Studio Horjhama) and much much more! All of the food was a huge hit and something that was remarked on very positively in the feedback provided by participants.
Guidance on the overview of the event as well as help for the nitty gritty came from Firetree’s management. No one got away without a job … or several!
Before we started planning, we spoke with all the participants (Staff, Fellows and Partners) to set expectations and to find out from them what a successful gathering would look like to them. Some of the key questions we asked were:
- What challenges each organisation (and individual) was facing so that we could find the common challenges to address in our peer sessions. All of this feedback was used to tailor the event so that it met the majority of needs and expectations identified.
- As well as finding out what they would like to get out of such a gathering (and what would turn them off attending!), we asked participants about practical information to assist us in better planning e.g. their dietary requirements, any accessibility requirements, any allergies etc. (we even asked their preferred drink so we could ensure they could unwind with their favourite tipple at the end of the day!).
- We established who needed travel insurance, asked for emergency contact details and discussed flight bookings with them.
- We asked participants if there was anything that would bring them joy to have at the event (where it was possible to deliver on that, we did).
- We asked about other events they’d been to that they had enjoyed and what about them worked (and didn’t) so we could include and avoid accordingly.
- In order to help us establish who to connect our participants with, we asked them what their superpower was. This way when people raised challenges (and others had superpowers that could help address them), we were able to make recommendations to connect with each other. This was done in recognition that we couldn’t address all the challenges raised but by making connections with others who had valuable input on the topic, the participants would go away feeling a sense of accomplishment in addressing the issue they personally raised.
Step 2: Design the schedule
Armed with all the information we needed to tailor the event, we began adding details to the schedule.
Our schedule consisted of 3 separate get-togethers that allowed for maximum benefit for those attending. The first for Firetree’s Staff, the second for the Firetree Senior Fellows and the third for all our Partner Leaders, Fellows and Staff. As we believed some of the best learning and interaction opportunities would occur over shared meals, we made sure the food was delicious and plentiful and that there were lots of mealtimes!!!
21st November (Firetree Staff arrived)
Firetree Staff arrived at the Starfish facility and had an informal dinner together.
22nd November (Firetree Staff Session & Fellows Arrive)
Firetree Staff engaged in sessions together (specifically designed to meet the desired outcomes shared by the team members prior to the event). The Firetree Fellows arrived at the Starfish facility and shared an evening meal with the Firetree Staff — it was a great opportunity to get to know each other in a smaller group setting.
23rd November (Fellows Session & Partners Arrive)
Firetree staff had free time to explore the local area. The Fellows undertook tailored sessions at the Starfish facility. The partners arrived at varying times throughout the day. The only planned activities for them were meals together (lunch for those who arrive earlier) and an informal dinner for all participants, followed by drinks and socialising. Depending on what time they arrived, partners had time to settle in, explore the site and connect with some of the Firetree staff and fellows who were already on site.
24th November Chiang Dao (Informal day activity)
On 24th November, we planned an informal day trip to Chiang Dao where participants had the opportunity to partake in a variety of activities. The objective of this day was to provide an informal setting for people to engage, connect and have fun! This day provided an opportunity for participants to start to build relationships with other participants ahead of the peer learning discussions planned for 25th November.
Based on our knowledge of our partners and fellows, we made individual recommendations to all participants (prior to the gathering) of peers we believed could be of particular benefit to them to connect with. While we strongly recommend that participants use the informal day (and the entire event) to explore those recommended connections, they were under no obligation to do so. We also highlight that just because someone wasn’t specifically recommended to them to connect with, it didn’t mean they were not a potentially great connection. We simply recognised that with just over 40 participants, some people might struggle to get enough quality time with everyone!
For the informal day we booked-out a local resort where participants were invited to chill by the pool /hang out with others, enjoy the scenery, get a massage, and simply relax. There were also options for those wanting a bit more adventure which included: visiting temples, caves, hot springs and a 7km walk/hike. The variety of activities ensured there was something for everyone and that like minded people got to spend time together.
Dinner that evening was hosted at the Starfish facility followed by drinks and socialising.
‘I think spending time together outside is a great peer learning between the organisations. The gathering is more exciting as it’s not just about meeting’ — feedback provided by one participant
25th November (Facilitated sessions)
The full day on 25th November was dedicated to meeting as many of the desired outcomes of the participants (based on our conversations with them when we initially discussed the gathering). We designed sessions that facilitated conversations around the most pressing challenges raised by the majority of the participants. The sessions were not designed to be a training or capacity building opportunity but facilitated conversations among peers. Our objective was to provide a shared learning opportunity and highlight the resources among our partner group.
Our objective for these sessions, which were based on the conversations we initially had with all the participants, were:
- Shared problem solving
- Shared experience of challenges. Know what challenges others are facing and what they are doing about it
- Peer learning — a sense of solidarity from lessons learned
- Confidence for future problem solving i.e. connections with others you know and trust to share your challenges with beyond this gathering
Chatham House Rules {participants were free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed} were observed for these sessions.
The most common challenges identified by participants were in our initial discussions with them were:
Human Resources Challenges
● Values
● Leadership
● Attracting & retaining staff
● Succession
Working with the government / Safety & Wellbeing
● Working within / outside the government system
● Sustainability of the projects
● Safety & wellbeing
Allocation to the groups was decided based on the following
- Relevance to the participants organisation
- Where 2 (or more) people from the same organisation were in attendance (and where both subjects were relevant to the organisation) participants from the same organisation were split into different groups
- Opportunity to learn from those we allocated to the group
- Experience / interest in the topic
As our intention was for the participants to get the most out of the day, we allocated them to groups according to where we felt they would best interact and learn. We did invite them to discuss with us if they would like to change groups and one participant chose to do so. Our observations of interactions at the informal day informed our decisions for who to allocate for sub-groups within the topics.
The informal day together also eliminated the need for ice-breaker games as everyone was comfortable with each other at that stage. This satisfied the desire of the majority of participants who had told us in our initial conversations that ice-breaker games were a turn off at such events.
It was acknowledged that in such a short time, it would be impossible to fully resolve the challenges we were addressing, but that the intention was to initiate conversations and highlight the resources available within the group.
We took notes and shared them with the participants after the event so they had the opportunity to learn from the group they were not part of (as well as have notes for the sessions they had partaken in).
After the sessions, participants had dinner together, drinks and an opportunity to socialise.
26th November (Leave Starfish Facility)
As participants were leaving for flights or onward travel, the only plans on this day were to provide breakfast before they left, and transport to the airport / Chiang Mai.
‘I thought there was a really good balance between structure and flexibility in the session — enough guidance to have clear, organised conversations / discussions, enough space to explore topics organically. I learned a lot and definitely have so much to reflect on and think about.’ — feedback provided by one participant
Step 3: Design the sessions & resources
The resources we produced and shared with the participants before the event include:
- A document about the gathering that included all the information we thought participants would need to know to prepare for and participate in the event. This included details on the facility, the surrounding area, the schedule, agenda, emergency numbers, country specific information, etc.
- Profiles of all the participants (Firetree Staff, Partners & Fellows). For the profiles, we included an overview of the organisation and the person attending, contact details for the organisation and the participants (with their permission to share this), a photo of each participant, and some fun facts about them (which they had provided to us prior to the event). Each participant’s profile was sent to them before we shared them all so that everyone could confirm they were comfortable with the information being shared.
- A copy of the Code of Conduct for Starfish Education was shared with all participants. As we were on the same site as the Starfish school, we required all participants to read, sign and return this document to us.
- Based on our conversations with participants when we initially discussed the gathering, and on our knowledge of our partners and the work they do in the organisations they represent, we made individualised recommendations for specific other attendees participants might find interesting / useful to connect with during their time together.
Given that Covid was still a threat to the undertaking of this gathering, we needed to ensure we had plan B’s for as much as possible. We assigned lead facilitators and identified others who could assist (and step up if necessary). Detailed notes of how each session would run (including timings) were produced and printed. This ensured the show could go on even if our facilitators couldn’t! The notes included examples of what the organisations did (in relation to the topics covered) that could act as prompts if conversations stalled. As there was a risk of some of the topics being heavy conversations, we identified ways to lighten the atmosphere if needed. All of these tips were provided in the facilitators notes that were shared with the key staff who would undertake (or act as understudies for) these activities.
Step 4: Additional Extras
Post Gathering Retreat
In addition to covering the cost of transport to and from the airports and flights for all participants, in recognition of the additional stresses Covid had placed on our partner leaders, Firetree offered them the opportunity to take a retreat before or after the gathering. Firetree offered to cover accommodation and a per diem for up to 6 nights in Chiang Mai. While not everyone was in a position to take up this offer, for those who did, it provided an opportunity for a retreat / some respite.
Personalised note
When each person arrived in their room, they were greeted by a personalised welcome note and a small gift (many of which were based on what they told us brought them joy when we were having our initial discussions).
Catering
Ensuring all tastes were catered for was key to keeping everyone happy at mealtimes. We catered for vegetarians, vegans, meat eaters, those who ate spicy food and those who didn’t. The food was all locally sourced, healthy and delicious. It was one of the things most commented on in the evaluation!
Communications
Appreciating how busy everyones day to day jobs are, we wanted to make sure participants had enough information at each stage of our planning (without us needing to be in touch every week). Whenever we communicated with the participants, we provided the information necessary to receive at that time, told them what to expect next from us and invited them to ask any questions they felt were unanswered at that stage.
Step 5: Evaluation
Like everything Firetree is involved in, we want to know how it can run better the next time (and yes there will be a next time!) so at the end of the event, we asked 3 simple questions.
- If we were to run this event again, what are some of the things we could do to improve it?
- In your opinion, what worked well?
- What didn’t work?
The feedback was really constructive and will allow us to improve on the delivery of this event going forward. Most of the feedback was very positive. The recommended improvements were around more time together. We recognise that there is a fine line to balance as the time people have to commit is limited and we wanted to ensure people felt that their time had been valued and respected and used in the most productive way possible.
‘I don’t know since this was amazing and pretty much perfect … knowing time is the most precious, maybe adding 1 more day for additional discussion? But that probably would be the most challenging (3 days might be too long?)’ — participants feedback
Requests to improve things included later / longer breakfasts (with limited time we had to start breakfast early). People really appreciated the informal day which allowed people to get to know each other better before the formal sharing sessions. This really broke down barriers and allowed people to interact on a deeper level. The informal activity was varied which allowed for people to chill and sit around the resort or to take a hike / visit temples. Good food was key to almost everyone’s satisfaction levels at the end of the event.
‘Everything worked so well :) Super organised, great communication / updates. Amazing food. Deliberate and meaningful connections. Design of schedule (relaxing activity before intense discussion) — participants feedback
One of our participants posted about his experience of the event on LinkedIn.
We’ll take all of this feedback on board when organising our next gathering in November 2023. Our challenges for the event were around getting flights booked on time to ensure we were within budget. With Covid still causing restrictions in some countries when we started planning, and given the varying levels of comfort (or not) people were feeling about travelling after Covid, people were understandably slow to book their flights.
For me personally, the biggest lesson learned was how amazingly well the Firetree team works together and how valuable each staff member is.
If you’re planning on running a similar event or would simply like some more information, we’re happy to share our knowledge.
