Mooneschadowe Demo Strategy and Tactics

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Points from the campus demo held 9-5-12. Will be adjusted as time/inspiration hit. Suggestions sent to elsa@hailmog.org will get the machine moving again. I want this to be a generic thing with pointers for all demos, and additional call out spaces for the specific demos that we host.

• Edited and rearranged: --Elsa 09:22, 5 October 2012 (PDT)

Purpose of Demos in the First Place

• To promote awareness of our awesome hobby in the community
• To perpetuate the effectiveness of Mooneschadowe as a whole
• To give a hand-up to those who need us but may not know it yet

Setting Up A Demo

• Clear it with whoever has the responsibility for scheduling (Authority Having Jurisdiction)
• Fliers!
• Business Cards!
• Coordinate post-demo activities with Mooneschadowe. For example: Fighter Practice the next night, something happening over the weekend (Guard Practices are good!), New Event-Attendee Orientation and Garb the week before an event.

Set-Up Stuff to Bring

• Tables - 2-3, arranged in an L?
• Table cloths!
• Chairs - As many as we can get
• Pavilions - 3 is a good number: 1) with full wall coverage for changing/storage, 2) for a formal A&S display (expensive/delicate pieces), 3) hanging out space where the Fighters can rest and socialize, and interactive A&S can be demonstrated. Bring dog mat rugs for this third one.
• Foods - Some sammich things, some easy snacking things (no-mess finger foods are best - cherries and grapes go over well)
• Drinks - Bottles of water, Gatorade

Ambience/Display Stuff to Bring

• Display pieces - Fiber arts (textiles), Leather arts, Well-crafted armor, Pretty weapons, Framed scrolls, Beads on a string, Jewelry, Metal work
• Everyone should wear nice garb if possible. Not necessarily the nicest thing they own, but the nicest thing that will tolerate the weather and the working. Gulf Wars and Mooneschadowe shirts are a reasonable compromise.

Finish Work

• Mooneschadowe should show up in force for the first fighter practice, ready to help armor people who haven't tried it before. No one should be left without someone to talk to at the very least.
• Triumphe Orientation Meeting. How to show up in style, what you need in order to take care of yourself, how to act like a person who knows things about stuff.
• Post-Triumphe eventing plan.

Unique Purpose of the Campus Demo

• To keep our existance in the forefront of campus awareness
• To catch students early in their academic careers, when they have time for us

Timing

We periodically kick around the idea of joining in Lights on Stillwater but that venue is not well suited to what we do. People attending Lights want for-free job-fair-type handouts that they can collect and be the cool person with the cool bag. We don't show well there.

Try to get in the Campus Activities Mart - that was a main premise in reinstating our Registered Student Group status. They offer us a table that we can do whatever with on Library Lawn (or somewhere else? the stadium?). We've set up a pavilion over the table before - that was absolutely awesome and all the other clubs were jealous! But the point is that it gives us the same face time and credence as every other special-interest group on campus.

Which Day Should we Schedule for? I'm So Glad You Asked!

The last week of August is historically the "sweet spot" for attracting new interest because:

• Students aren't overcommitted with their classes yet
• They may not have figured out their interests, so we can help!

The first week of September is a good fall-back spot because:

• It's often rainy or at least slightly cooler than August. Rainy demos have the advantage of being comfortable. Of course, they wash away our chalkings.
• Some years, it's too hot to think earlier in August, so this week may be a better bet for the weather.

It's not advisable to schedule later than that first week of September because we'll need to find garb, armor, and other assistance for everyone who shows interest, and we still have Triumphe to put on.

Prepwork

• Campus permits - for the space and time, for chalking, for any fliers we hang up
• Chalking! For a Demo on Wednesday, Monday night is the right night to go. If you go on Tuesday night, it won't leave a whole lot of time for people to plan to stop by. There's a stencil of a knight somewhere.
• O'Colly and maybe Newspress communication. Maybe write up a Press Release ahead of the fact? That would help a bit with the weird phrasing. Ask the Hospitaler's office for help - there are Media rules and considerations involved.