Host an Iowa Watch Party |
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Change begins on January 3rd and supporters across the nation are coming together to celebrate as the primary season kicks off in Iowa. Be a part of this historic moment and tune in as the results of the caucus come in through the night. An Iowa Watch Party is a great way to ring in the New Year with friends, family and fellow supporters and gear up for action throughout the primary season. By hosting a party, you can:
Step 1: Register your Event Take a moment to register your event online. Registering your event online means you’ll get your own page for your event, be able to send an invite to your friends, track who is planning on attending, and send details and reminders to your attendees.
Step 2: Invite Friends, Family and Fellow Supporters Start with people you know. Think about friends, family, colleagues and neighbors who are excited or interested in Barack Obama. Aim to invite at least 15 people, knowing that at least half probably will not be able to attend. You may also want to reach out to your larger community. You can find your local My.BarackObama group and invite members to attend by emailing the group's listserv. You can create your own event flyer and post it at your local coffee shop, grocery store, or library. It's up to you if you want to keep your party small or try to invite all members of your local My.BarackObama group for a large celebration. Encourage all of your attendees to RSVP for your event so you know how many people to expect. Send an email to all of your attendees using the Email Attendees link on the Manage Your Events page a week before the event and then again the day before to remind everyone of the event’s details. Step 3: Plan the Next Step Consider this a kick-off to the primary season. In the 33 days after the Iowa caucus over half the nation's states will hold their primary elections. Prepare now for your next organizational meeting so you can share the information with your guests.
It's important to encourage all of your guests to get involved. Ask everyone to make a specific commitment to volunteering during the next couple of weeks as the intensity of the election increases.
Here are some materials you might want to have on hand at your party:
This agenda is meant only to be a suggestion to guide you in your activities. Feel free to organize the evening differently, according to your preferences. Guests arrive and sign inWelcome your guests and introduce them to others at your house party. Make sure every attendee signs in on your sign-in sheet. Mix and mingle Invite your guests to socialize, but let them know that you’d like the whole group to circle up at a certain time. Introduce yourself and talk about your support for Barack Introduce yourself and share with the group what motivated you to host your Iowa Watch Party and why you support Barack Obama. Aim to answer the question, why did you get involved with the campaign? Everyone has a unique story about how they got engaged, and your guests want to hear it directly from you. Your openness will help set the tone for the rest of the event. Tune-in to Iowa /Watch Barack video Watch as each Iowa precinct announces their caucus results. Your guests also might enjoy seeing videos of Barack. Depending on the size of your party, you can watch Barack's speeches on your home computer or burn the video onto a DVD to play on your television. Group Discussion After watching the videos and as the caucus results come in, spark up a group discussion. What is a caucus and how does it work? When is your states primary or caucus? What can you do as a group in the next 33 days till February 5th? Ask your guests if they have any questions about Barack that you can answer. Next Organizational Meeting Before your party breaks up, invite your guests to your next organizational meeting. Pass out flyers and ask for their assistance in spreading the word about your meeting. Encourage them to post flyers around town and share them with their friends. Now is the time to support our movement for change! Thanks Thank your guests for coming and make sure to gather the sign-in sheets and supporter cards before they leave.
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