Ten Steps to Creating an IYC Science Cafe/Coffeehouse
Assemble a Project Team
Organizing a science café/coffeehouse is not difficult and does not require a tremendous investment of time or money. However, working with a small team can make the workload even lighter. Establish a budget. While these events are inexpensive, you should be prepared to invest a small amount in advertising—flyers to post in area businesses, community calendar listings, etc.
Determine Your Theme
A look at chemical engineering broadly is not specific enough to attract a partner or an audience. Pick a topic that is relevant to your community: research at local university, industrial chemistry (why does the plant on the river have all those pipes and chimneys?), novel applications of chemistry (local artist’s techniques/materials; local chef’s molecular gastronomy techniques), environment (water issues, air quality, food production), or energy needs. Once you have a theme, determine whether you wish to plan a series or a one-time event to cover your topic. As a final step, test your theme out on friends and family. If you want a younger audience, say a college crowd, ask younger people. If you want a more diverse audience, ask a range of individuals. Be certain you’re your theme resonates with the types of people you want in your audience.
Line up Possible Speakers and Presenters
Make sure you have presenters who communicate well, are knowledgeable, and are eager to work with you and your theme.
Check out Your Competition
The number of science cafes continues to grow. Look at www.sciencecafes.org/find.html to see if there are already cafes in your area. If there are, contact their organizers for partnership opportunities. You may be able to offer speakers to established gatherings or you may be able to promote your event at these venues.
Pick Your Venue
Approach local pubs, coffeehouses, and restaurants. Look for a business that has appropriate space for a small gathering, an established mailing or e-mail list, and if possible some demonstrated interest in outside programming. Explain what you wish to do and why it’s a good fit for the business. Understand that the business is looking for ways to attract customers during traditionally slow times. Do not propose a Friday or Saturday night event to a restaurant or a weekday morning event to a coffeehouse.
Understand Your Audience
Get the word out to the people you wish to attend. Do not rely solely on your venue partner to bring in your audience. Use local calendar listings, contact local press who cover science, education, or community events, post flyers in surrounding businesses, send e-mails to your contacts and ask them to do the same. If you have the money, advertise on local media.
Stay Organized
Make sure your speaker(s) and venue partners have all the information they need as soon as it is available. Share your publicity plans and make sure everyone involved has any written materials and descriptions so they can help publicize. Finally, don’t forget to join the IYC network. Sign up at www.chemistry2011.org. List your events and contact others in your area. Use the materials on the site to help promote your local events.
Encourage Q&A
Ask a few friends or colleagues to get things going by asking the first couple of questions if the audience seems hesitant.
Follow up
Send photos of the event and a brief description of how successful it was to press within a week. If you are doing a series of talks, be sure to include list of upcoming dates and speakers. Send thank you notes to venue hosts and speakers.
Hold a Postmortem
The project team should meet after the event to discuss how successful the event was, what things could have gone better, and what you would do differently for your next event.
