Open House in a Box

• Plan it as a normal meeting, with only one prepared speech and longer Table Topic section.
• Recruit meeting roles early and confirm they can be at the meeting, or make sure to have substitutes.
• Review these checklist from district 101
• Open House Planning Guide: contains a timeline, program for the event, and a script your club can use to plan and hold a successful Open House event.
• Open House Checklist: use the Open House Checklist along with the Open House Planning Guide. It provides a checklist of action items to achieve each week right up until you hold your Open House.
• Virtual Open House Checklist: use the Virtual Open House Checklist along with applicable parts of the Open House Planning Guide and tips from the Online Meetings for Clubs page. It provides a checklist of action items to achieve each week right up until you hold your Virtual Open House.

• Post flyers near your community centers.
• Attend other clubs meetings to invite participants.
• Publish meeting information on the club’s social media page, Meetup, District Website, etc.
• Send out emails to members and past guests (who have not visited the club’s meeting for a while).
• Offer food if meeting in person and safety permits

• Provide participants with an agenda and name with meeting role explanation
• Use a modified meeting : only one prepared speech and a long table topic.
• Introduce officers at the end

Note for each role:

• The Toastmaster: need to lead the meeting energetically and professionally, following the agenda given. Explain roles but do not get into too many Toastmasters jargons.
• The speaker: choose one speaker for the day, preferably a speech was given before. Choose a story that explains how Toastmasters impact their life, avoid tales unless it brings a certain value to the audience.
• The evaluator: pick an evaluation style, the sandwich method preferably.
• The Table Topic master: choose a topic that can involve and encourage guests to participate.
• A minute taker: it is important to sent out a recap email after the meeting is done, with membership document, so that the guests can review their experience
• Other club members: assist one guest per member, offer to the the point of contact or explain to the guest if they have questions during the meeting (In person: can talk and explain as the meeting happens, Online: can have private chat on the side).

• Send email to follow up. Can be the VP Membership, or the assigned point of contact from the meeting.
• Send out a meeting minute, so the guests can recap their experience.
• Ask guest permission to include them on a weekly meeting invite – nobody wants spam!
• Club officers and Open House Committee to review the meeting outcome and lesson learned.