• The following article is about organising big scale festive events. The information presented is based on the experience of Lady Acrona Winterflow. The article was requested by Archivar Eiswein.

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• 1. Location

Where would it be good to host a big, festive event...?

In an interesting, various site that offers suitable places for many kinds of activities, both indoors and outdoors. It is easy to become bored and dull inside a small square room after a while. Having enough space is necessary for the quality of air too - please do not let people suffocate! Fresh air will keep people more energic. I will demonstrate by using Westbrook Garrison as an example, where I had the honor to host Westbrook Charity Gala.




The Westbrook Garrison offered a cozy atmosphere, and people could wander around without moving too far from the heart of the event. The platform in the grand hall could be used as a stage for a theatrical play, stand-up show and costume contest. If people were in need of fresh air or had to change a private word with each other, the roof was only a few stairs away. There was also a big meadow surrounded by a circle of trees very near to the keep. The combat tournament was easy to host there, the fighting ring being marked by smoke flares.

And of course, the place should be easily accessible.

• 2. Time

When is it best to host an event?

Whenever it suits the event organiser and assistants involved. However, it is worth considering if you would like to side the event with a seasonal celebration that reaches the whole Azeroth, such as Midsummer Fire Festival, Brewfest, Feast of Winter Veil. These celebrations might provide you with fun resources and accessories that might otherwise be hard to get. And the cities have already been decorated to enhance the atmosphere you are after. For example Scarecrow's Night was held during Hallow's End.

• 3. The Program

Keep people compelled!

A typical way to start an event is holding a welcome speech - and for a good reason. It is a way to 'crack the ice' with the attendants, making them feel welcome, cozy, and encouraging them to have fun. Also, it offers a good chance to mention about the activities that take place during the event and rules that might apply. Some practical information for those that have not heard a thing about the event before turning up.
About the flow of the programme, it is useful to place some interesting announcements close to the end of the event. This will keep a small flame of anticipation and curiosity alive throughout the event, and it is more likely people will stay longer. Selling raffle tickets in the beginning of the event with a mention of compelling prizes, and announcing the winning tickets close to the end of the event is a good example.

• 4. Activities that draw people

One good thing to keep in mind is that most people enjoy being creative and like having something made specifically for them or about them. A single person hosting an hour's speech is likely to bore people.
Fortune telling and Winter Veil Insulters were most probably popular because the attendants got something made for them in person, not something that might apply for everyone. "What might he have to tell about -my- future?" "What kind of an insult will I receive?" "What they told my friend was funny..."
About being creative through fashion - costume contests tend to be very popular. It is good to plan how you wish to carry out the contest; will you be looking for the best costume during the other activities, or host it as an activity of its own where people get on a stage? If you plan to go with the first option, it is good to have at least two persons keep an eye out for striking costumes, otherwise many great costumes may go unnoticed.

Lady Acrona wishes she and her assistants would have had more time to admire all the great costumes during the Scarecrow's Night. "Some did not get the credit they deserved", she says.

Unless you can afford to be risky, I suggest not to go for too tricky activities. During the Scarecrow's Night event I wished to experiment a little and tried to organise a group ball game in the town yard for those that were not waiting in line to see the fortune tellers. People would stand in a circle and toss a leather ball to each other. There is a countdown, and when it ends, people halt the game. The one holding the ball at the time would have to leave the game. A game like this is prone to mischievous sabotage when some people mysteriously add a dozen balls of their own into the game. Also, the rules had to be repeated many times over when new players wished to join in. The game was ended soon as it was just a little too hard to keep under control.

• 5. The Staff

It is important to have enough help with the event - there is so much to do! One cannot stretch oneself from place to another in seconds. The main organiser can expect to be whispered to a lot by the surrounding people, ranging from a recently arrived guest asking something about the event to an event assistant asking when and where the catering services can begin. An ideal situation for the main organiser would be, save for holding a brief speech or two, to be able to guide in the background and make sure the event will proceed smoothly, in a nice snappy fashion.
How many assistants are usually needed? It depends on the type of the event and what kinds of activities it contains. Guards to provide security? Food and drink caterers? You could ask taverns if their staff could be hired. A raffle ticket vendor? Numerous raffle tickets require plenty of room in one's bags, so do prizes. A few persons to lead the activities? Fireworks specialists for a finale?
If possible, I encourage to have a substitute assistant for a role with an important task, in case the first person does not turn up for some reason.
If you do not know where to hire the needed services, you could send a "Looking for..." letter to the Argent Post, who will publish it in the newspaper.

• 6. Gaining publicity

After the event concept is ready and polished, leaving it from two to three weeks advertisement time is an excellent decision. Have it published in the upcoming events section of the Argent Post! Attach fliers to noticeboards! Ask or hire someone to announce a compelling little event introduction speech every second day in some of the major cities and nearby villages, as not everyone is aware of the Argent Post, unfortunately.
Additionally you might like considering passing around fliers written on letter parchments. I think about two hundred fliers were sent and passed around to people before the Faerie Tale event.

Thanks to successful advertising, many attended the Faerie Tale.

• Final words

The article may go through a few updates in the future, but I most sincerely hope these thoughts have offered at least a little bit of insight to what it is like to organise a big, festive event. It is a lot of work, but also very rewarding in the end.