How to Host an Effective BBQ
On Saturday, August 25th grassroots groups across the country will hold barbecues in backyards and neighborhood parks with the goal of reaching new supporters in their communities.
Here you can find all the details you need to plan and execute your event successfully.
Are you ready to make a difference? Let's get started.
Your Goal
The most important thing you can do for the campaign right now is reach out to new supporters. Building a movement requires a lot of people committed to seeing the dream of electing Barack Obama become a reality.
In planning your barbecue, it should be completely oriented around meeting the goal of recruiting five new supporters. Barbecuing for Barack should be fun and enjoyable, but at the end of the day, it should be based around bringing new people into the movement.
This means you’ll need to reach out beyond your my.barackobama.com group and your immediate circle of friends. Of course all of those people should be invited to your event, but you need to make sure that other people who may not be as familiar with Barack Obama plan to come.
The campaign needs to know which supporters you have brought into the movement. Have each new supporter fill out a supporter card.
Movements are created one person at a time. Can we count on you to get started in your community?
Getting Started
1. Join the Action Center Updates Group on my.barackobama.com. By joining, you’ll be able to receive Action Center-specific updates and learn more about how to host your event.
2. Reach out to your local group on My.BarackObama.com. In most communities, grassroots organizing groups already exist. If you haven't already, take a moment and search for a group in your area. In the case where a group doesn’t yet exist, take a moment to create one and invite friends, family, and neighbors to join it.
3. Take a moment to put your event online. The friends, family, and neighbors that you invite can RSVP. You should also post the event to your local grassroots group in order to access all the energy there.
Before you create your event, you’ll need to have thought about the size of your event and where you can hold it. Would a backyard barbecue work? Or do you need to find space at a local park? What about a rain location?
You should plan to hold your event on August 25th. Pick a time that works best for your group.
You’ve created your event online, now what? Get prepared!
1. Get help from members of your local My.BarackObama group. There’s a lot to do and the event should be a team effort. Find a local group and let them know you're planning on hosting an event by sending a note to the group listserv.
2. Spread the word. People aren’t going to attend your barbecue if they don’t know about it!a. Reach out to members on My.BarackObama.com. Go past sending a note to your local grassroots group. Take the time to find other groups around you and send notes to their listservs as well. Write a blog post to publicize your event.
b. Reach out to friends and family. After you create your event, you can send a note using the automatic system to friends and family. Or at any point you can send them a direct link to the group by copying and pasting a URL into an email or message. Remember, the barbecue isn’t just for supporters.
c. Reach out to your community. Make a flyer for your event and post it at your local coffee shop, grocery store, library and community centers. Let local clubs and groups know about your event too.
3. Manage the RSVPs. Encourage everyone to sign up for your event online so you know how many people to expect. Send an email using the Email Attendees link on the Manage Event page a week before the event and then another the day before to remind everyone of the event’s details.
4. Coordinate the barbecue. Who is bringing what? What do you still need? What are the cooking facilities like at the site? Feel free to distribute the responsibility of who brings food to the event amongst the group.
5. Get your materials ready. Everything you need is available online for you to print. You will need to print out a number of items:
• Sign-in form. This is the form that you will want to have all of your event attendees sign.
• Meeting agenda. Print out a meeting agenda with your items and talking points beforehand so you know how to structure your event.
• Supporter cards. These cards will be signed by those people at your event who make a firm commitment to vote for Barack Obama in your state’s primary. Your goal is to reach out and engage at least five new supporters and make solid their commitment by ensuring they fill out a supporter card.
• Create a group flyer so people know how to join your local My.BarackObama group.
• Think about printing out issue flyers detailing Barack's positions on important issues.
6. Think about your location.
a. Write up clear directions for your guests.
b. Make signs so people know they’re in the right spot and your event is welcoming to passerbyers.
c. Set a rain location.
Do you have any tips on preparing for an event like this? How did you get the word out? Share your tips.
Don’t forget to be prepared and bring these materials to your event (along with your food!):
- Sign-in form.. This is the form that you will want to have all of your event attendees sign.
- Supporter cards. These cards will be signed by those people at your event who make a firm commitment to vote for Barack Obama in your state’s primary. Your goal is to reach out and engage at least five new supporters and make solid their commitment by ensuring they fill out a supporter card.
- The agenda below.
- Create a group flyer so people know how to join your local my.barackobama group.
- Think about printing out issue flyers about Barack.
Sample Agenda:
Do not feel compelled to adhere exactly to this agenda. It’s meant only to be a suggestion to guide you in your activities.
| 11:30 – 12:00 pm | SET UP |
| Be visible! Make sure people can easily find your barbeque. | |
| 12:00 – 12:15 pm | GUESTS ARRIVE and SIGN IN |
| Welcome your guests and introduce them to others at the barbeque. Make sure every attendees signs in on your sign-in form. Name tags also help! | |
| 12:15 – 1:00 pm | BARBECUE |
| Mix and mingle with your guests. Invite everyone to socialize and eat, but let the group know that you’d like the whole group to circle up for a discussion at 1:00 pm | |
| 1:00 – 1:30 pm | GROUP DISCUSSION |
Make sure to get the entire group together to talk about what brought you here today.
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| 1:30 – 2:00 pm | WRAP UP and CLEAN UP |
| Make sure to gather all of the sign-in forms and supporter cards. |
Have you held an Obama event in the past? What advice do you have for first time hosts? Share your tips.
Submit your data.
Did you reach your goal of bring five new people into the movement? Enter the data from the supporter cards you collected.
Please take a moment and tell us everyone who came to your event by entering the information from your sign-in sheets.
If you’d prefer, you can send your sign-in sheets to:
Obama for America
Attn: New Media Action Center
233 N. Michigan Ave, Suite 1100
Chicago, IL 60601Let us know how it went!
Your feedback is very important. What worked? What didn’t? Did you reach your goals?
Write a blog and post it to the Action Center Updates group
Thank your guests.
Send a thank you email to all of your guests and encourage them to join your My.BarackObama group to stay informed of future events.
Report back to your group.
Send an email to your group listserv and let them know how it went. Have you decided who is going to host the next action event?
