Democratizing events: Part II

Pick a role, play as a team

Working (or playing) together creates a bond between people. That’s why our on-boarding events are quizzes! Teams also allow us to share a task and play to our strengths. So the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and everyone has much more fun!

Creating great events is no exception. As I stated in Part I of this article, there’s more to an event than just hosting. In fact, we see three distinct roles that people can play:

Ideator

Ideators are never short of great ideas for things to do. Perhaps they have their finger on the pulse, know what’s happening around town, and all the coolest, or hottest, new places to go, maybe even with the connections to get in. Or they know about all those hidden gems that only the locals know — the beautiful or interesting places to go. An Ideator will come up with some fun event suggestions.

Organiser

Organisers think everything through, see problems before they arise, and like everything to be well planned to avoid any surprises. They’ll book a venue, plan where to meet, have a backup for late-comers and a fallback if it rains. The kind of person who grabs the bill at the end of a shared meal, and lets everyone know how much they need to pay. An Organiser will make the arrangements necessary for an event to run smoothly.

Host

Hosts are friendly and welcoming, good at making introductions, and making sure everyone is happy. They’re engaging, but don’t dominate a conversation, empathetic enough to spot the people who feel left out, and savvy enough to steer them towards the right friendly person. They make an event flow! A Host will put everyone at ease during the event.

So if you’re in a Zojul circle, why not let your fellow members know where your strengths lie, and what role you’re happy to play. Of course, choosing the event is up to all of you! That’s democracy.