Events both big and small

Nimhuire

So this is actually something I've been thinking about for a little bit, not just for recent reasons. Shortly after I started playing again, I tried inviting people to the recording of a performance I'd made by picking a time I'd seen people around in my org, and posting about it to the newsboards a couple of days in advance. I even collared a couple of people and had them promise to show up. Date I'd picked the attendance was 0, although there were several people on CWHO, although none of them responded to CT.

I don't know if this is just a my playtime no longer lining up with Serenwilde's peak, people not reading the news anymore, Serenwilde just not being very populated right now, or what. I'm not posting this to complain, I'm more interested in getting perspectives from other people in various orgs about what works and what doesn't when running events from "hey, there's four of us, grab your ritual book and meet at the tower" to org-wide festivals that last a couple of months.

Do you have more success scheduling something in advance? Waiting until x number of people are online and running it spontaneously? What do you do if you can't get people together? An actor/the person who was supposed to run Y event falls through? How do you handle it if revolts/flares happen? 

Also funny stories are always fun.

Ayisdra

For stage work, I think it is more of schedule it when you can get your actors together and hope for the best. As for revolts/flares, these are be predicted with some degree. As such, don't schedule your stuff around when they could happen.

For having people show up to stage work, you can word your announcement over CT in a way that makes it seem required (something like 'Everyone should report to the stage for X'). Beyond that, you could always force-move people to the stage as well if that's your thing.

Aeldra

Several people have commented in my org that schools starting, others had papers due, etc. I think this is just not a high time for people playing and hope it'll increase. But then, my playtime I don't think is generally peak time anyway.

Everiine

Truthfully, there is no "good time" for smaller cultural activities. Those who want to come will come, and those who don't--most people--won't. It's just how the game is. Shouldn't stop you from having them, though! Just don't expect many people to ever come.

Rancoura

But, for the sake of sharing and spreading your culture, please don't stop trying! 

As a note from my side of the Basin, @Stratas, @Salome and @Eliron have been doing a good job reviving Glomdoring's theatre culture, and they tend to get the most attendance when they invite the commune over CT to attend a play performance spontaneously when there are a good number of people around.

Also, it's possible that those who were around during your invitation just aren't into that sort of thing. My advice would be to find out specifically who is (poke @Lendren if they're still around?), then see if they can help you grow the culture or at least bolster numbers during performances.

Tarkenton

Ouch Rancoura, ouch. Don't mention the guy who paid out a bounty from his own pockets to get plays for the stage, and then proceeded to direct one that snagged play of the year. ;_;

Granted, I haven't had time to invest in being culture minister lately, and have been trying to fob the job off on someone else.

Rancoura

I mean it was all @Tarkenton. He did everything.

(Sorry... I forgot, I swear.)

Daraius

Hallifax is kind of a special case because the RP of the org is largely built around culture, so we have a high proportion of people who are into that stuff. We also spin all our events of all sizes as beneficial to the Collective, so OF COURSE everyone attends.

It's helpful to remember that nobody is going to think poorly of you if an event flops. It's easy to feel like your character's credibility or worth to the org hinges on the success of a big event (for instance, Halli's Refounding Festival), but everyone understands that life happens, schedules don't always align, and sometimes an announced event just doesn't happen as planned. Sometimes you just don't get any entries in your contest. Sometimes you don't get any audience for your premier. Sometimes the host for such-and-such game or quiz is a no-show. Don't sweat it. If you have a contingency plan, roll it out. If not, well you tried! There's always next time! But here's some tips that might be helpful.

- In my experience, regular CT broadcasting helps, as does soliciting individual participation in your event. Mention it when you're hanging around your nexus or while you have a captive audience on an aetherhunt.

- Incentives generally aren't going to make people participate who ordinarily wouldn't (see: Hallifax's exorbitant library rewards largely taken advantage of by one or two players). But some kind of prize is customary, be it for winners only or all participants.

- Your expectations of participants will influence the response you get. Halli's upcoming art exhibition, for instance, is shaping up to be an enormous success, while the last theatre competition was a bit of a wash out. I don't think that has anything to do with promotion or hosting, but more to do with it being a lot easier to make a painting than a play.

- When planning a stage production with multiple actors, choose people you like who tend to have similar play times to you. It'll make rehearsal and performance a lot less of a hassle. When it comes time to debut, you DO want to draw as large an audience as you can to get the most culture points. Don't bother announcing a date; chances are something will go wrong or one or more participants will not show. Do as much OOC coordinating with your fellow actors as you're comfortable with, and try to time the debut when you have a lot of people in your org, and invite allies!

If all else fails, come to Hallifax where your artistic and cultural inclinations will be fostered and celebrated.