How to Host a Catalyst Week
Locate potential venues Locate a venue where you could host the event for two consecutive weekends., Plan Your Supplies Determine what supplies you will need to host a catalyst week., Determine the Scale Based on the available venues, determine a...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Locate potential venues Locate a venue where you could host the event for two consecutive weekends.
It should be a space with an open meeting area, space to eat, and appropriate workspaces.
It may simplify the process to target specific dates from the beginning. -
Step 2: Plan Your Supplies Determine what supplies you will need to host a catalyst week.
Make sure to include meals, snacks, and supplies appropriate for the type of work participants will be doing.
It is always a good idea to include writing tools, sticky notes, and whiteboards. , A catalyst week is recommended for at least 15 and no more than 150 participants.
Decide on the minimum and maximum number of attendees you want. , Make sure to include some money for prizes and advertising.
Divide the total cost by an average number of people you expect to attend.
Talk to potential attendees and see if they would be willing to attend on your target dates for your estimated cost.
Once you feel comfortable that the cost and time will work for your potential attendees, secure the venue and continue to the next step. , Make sure to include a description of the event and the catalyst week format.
Use an online ticketing platform like eventbrite to manage this.
If you need to cancel for some reason, the sooner you do this the better! Give everyone refunds and figure out a better time and place for your catalyst week. , Use the sponsorships to provide discounts for your attendees or better food or prizes. , Community leaders or celebrities can make good judges and attract more attendees. , Meetup.com and local newspapers might give you ideas of where to look for people.
If you create a nice looking one page description of the event, you can use it as both a simple webpage and a handout.
Make sure this document includes the dates and location. , Contact these experts and find out what times they have available during the middle of the week.
You may also schedule experts to speak or present to all the attendees during the middle of the week. , Attendees may also volunteer to help run the event.
You may be able to allow some people to attend for free in exchange for volunteering, but make sure they understand that they may have to stop working on their project to help during the intensive work periods. , It is best to do this after you surpass your minimum number of attendees, because you do not want to have to cancel after this point. , Create a prominent space for the goals and the teams where they are visible in the meeting area.
We'll call these the Goal Post and Team Roster respectively. , Try to get people to connect with others whom they do not normally connect with. , Goals should be specific and measurable.
Goals should be about something the group can realistically, intentionally change within the next week.
If the goal meets the above criteria, record it and the person or group who proposed it on the Goal Post.
Anyone may propose a goal for the catalyst week.
A person or group may propose multiple goals. , Teams may work toward as many of the goals as they want, but they are encouraged to focus their efforts.
Teams may choose members however they like.
Individuals or groups may leave teams for any reason and form new teams.
Multiple teams can work on the same goal.
After the initial teams are formed on the first night, no new goals should be added to the Goal Post.
The teams themselves can change their Team Rosters throughout the entire time period including forming new teams. , Provide meals and snacks to help the teams stay focused.
Encourage teams to collaborate, especially if they get stuck or bored. , The venue does not necessarily need to be available during the week.
Teams can continue to work throughout the week on their goals. , Try to match teams with the experts who can help them the most. , The attendees are encouraged to take part in these events, but they are optional. , Provide meals and snacks to help the teams stay focused.
Encourage teams to collaborate, especially if they get stuck or bored. , The teams should prepare a short presentation about their work. , Each team should demonstrate the goals they chose, what they did during the week, and how well they accomplished their goals. , Three types of prizes should be awarded:
Best Goal: a small prize for choosing the best goal regardless of whether or not it was achieved.
This goes to the team who proposed the best goal during the first weekend.
Most Progress: the main prize for the best achievement of a goal.
Fail Fast: a prize for abandoning bad ideas.
This should be something relaxing or entertaining like a gift certificate for movies, entertainment, massage, etc... , This is a good time to serve desert and/or drinks if appropriate. -
Step 3: Determine the Scale Based on the available venues
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Step 4: determine a rough number of people who should participate in the catalyst week.
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Step 5: Validate the Event Cost Add up the cost of all your supplies and your venue.
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Step 6: Sell Tickets Once you have your venue secured
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Step 7: you can start signing up attendees.
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Step 8: Seek Sponsorships (Optional) Talk to local businesses
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Step 9: governments
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Step 10: and other organizations about the event and ask them to sponsor it.
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Step 11: Seek Judges Find some objective representatives in your community who can volunteer to judge your catalyst week.
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Step 12: Advertise Tell people in your community about the event by attending gatherings for the type of workers you want to attract.
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Step 13: Find experts Talk with the attendees who have signed up already to determine what types of experts may be most helpful.
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Step 14: Find Volunteers Find additional members of the community to help you facilitate the event.
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Step 15: Obtain Your Supplies As the event draws closer
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Step 16: make sure to arrange for food and all of your supplies ahead of time.
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Step 17: Prepare the space Before the event begins
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Step 18: make sure the venue is clean and ready.
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Step 19: Break the Ice As your attendees arrive
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Step 20: have some games and activities that will help them mingle and interact.
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Step 21: Brainstorm Goals This activity should be done during or after a meal on the first night.
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Step 22: Form Teams Everyone should join a team that will work on at least one of the goals for the week.
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Step 23: Facilitate the 1st Intensive Work Period The teams should work intensively toward their goals for the next two days.
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Step 24: Return to Normal Routines Attendees should go back to their normal routines
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Step 25: except for any meetings they schedule as part of the catalyst week.
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Step 26: Coordinate Expert Meetings Help the teams coordinate meetings with the experts who have volunteered their time.
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Step 27: Arrange Optional Events If you have the venue available all week
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Step 28: you may want to schedule presentations or other events that will help all of the teams.
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Step 29: Facilitate the 2nd Intensive Work Period The teams should work intensively toward their goals until the final day.
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Step 30: Review and Assess Accomplishments On the final day
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Step 31: the teams should spend all of their time reviewing what they were able to accomplish.
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Step 32: Present Results If you do presentations over dinner
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Step 33: there is less time pressure to present.
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Step 34: Determine Winners and Award Prizes The judges will convene to determine the winners of catalyst week.
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Step 35: Celebrate Make time on the final night for everyone to mingle and relax.
Detailed Guide
It should be a space with an open meeting area, space to eat, and appropriate workspaces.
It may simplify the process to target specific dates from the beginning.
Make sure to include meals, snacks, and supplies appropriate for the type of work participants will be doing.
It is always a good idea to include writing tools, sticky notes, and whiteboards. , A catalyst week is recommended for at least 15 and no more than 150 participants.
Decide on the minimum and maximum number of attendees you want. , Make sure to include some money for prizes and advertising.
Divide the total cost by an average number of people you expect to attend.
Talk to potential attendees and see if they would be willing to attend on your target dates for your estimated cost.
Once you feel comfortable that the cost and time will work for your potential attendees, secure the venue and continue to the next step. , Make sure to include a description of the event and the catalyst week format.
Use an online ticketing platform like eventbrite to manage this.
If you need to cancel for some reason, the sooner you do this the better! Give everyone refunds and figure out a better time and place for your catalyst week. , Use the sponsorships to provide discounts for your attendees or better food or prizes. , Community leaders or celebrities can make good judges and attract more attendees. , Meetup.com and local newspapers might give you ideas of where to look for people.
If you create a nice looking one page description of the event, you can use it as both a simple webpage and a handout.
Make sure this document includes the dates and location. , Contact these experts and find out what times they have available during the middle of the week.
You may also schedule experts to speak or present to all the attendees during the middle of the week. , Attendees may also volunteer to help run the event.
You may be able to allow some people to attend for free in exchange for volunteering, but make sure they understand that they may have to stop working on their project to help during the intensive work periods. , It is best to do this after you surpass your minimum number of attendees, because you do not want to have to cancel after this point. , Create a prominent space for the goals and the teams where they are visible in the meeting area.
We'll call these the Goal Post and Team Roster respectively. , Try to get people to connect with others whom they do not normally connect with. , Goals should be specific and measurable.
Goals should be about something the group can realistically, intentionally change within the next week.
If the goal meets the above criteria, record it and the person or group who proposed it on the Goal Post.
Anyone may propose a goal for the catalyst week.
A person or group may propose multiple goals. , Teams may work toward as many of the goals as they want, but they are encouraged to focus their efforts.
Teams may choose members however they like.
Individuals or groups may leave teams for any reason and form new teams.
Multiple teams can work on the same goal.
After the initial teams are formed on the first night, no new goals should be added to the Goal Post.
The teams themselves can change their Team Rosters throughout the entire time period including forming new teams. , Provide meals and snacks to help the teams stay focused.
Encourage teams to collaborate, especially if they get stuck or bored. , The venue does not necessarily need to be available during the week.
Teams can continue to work throughout the week on their goals. , Try to match teams with the experts who can help them the most. , The attendees are encouraged to take part in these events, but they are optional. , Provide meals and snacks to help the teams stay focused.
Encourage teams to collaborate, especially if they get stuck or bored. , The teams should prepare a short presentation about their work. , Each team should demonstrate the goals they chose, what they did during the week, and how well they accomplished their goals. , Three types of prizes should be awarded:
Best Goal: a small prize for choosing the best goal regardless of whether or not it was achieved.
This goes to the team who proposed the best goal during the first weekend.
Most Progress: the main prize for the best achievement of a goal.
Fail Fast: a prize for abandoning bad ideas.
This should be something relaxing or entertaining like a gift certificate for movies, entertainment, massage, etc... , This is a good time to serve desert and/or drinks if appropriate.
About the Author
Karen Knight
Committed to making organization accessible and understandable for everyone.
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