Planning and Publicizing Beth El events

Publicizing an event at Beth El requires a coordinated effort. You need people to come up with ideas, people to volunteer to help with various tasks at various times, and people to actually run the event. But the most compelling event in the world won’t attract people (both current and prospective members) unless you let them know about it well in advance. The most important thing to keep in mind is: It’s never too early to start planning your event and spreading the word, even if you don’t have all the details finalized. Except in extraordinary circumstances, event must be scheduled at least three months in advance, preferably at Beth El’s quarterly calendaring meeting. 

Everything you need to do is outlined in the Checklist for Event Planning. It has two parts:

1. Getting Started — getting the early information to the temple administrator so she can get the ball rolling
2. Event Coordinator’s Checklist — a document to help you keep track of everything that needs to be done and who’s doing what in terms of running the event.

Download Event Planning Checklist

Who does what?

• Event Organizer:
  • Fills out an Event Publicity Form for approved events, which involves providing text and images about the event as well as timing and logistical details.
  • Posts the event to websites of local media and other organizations on the Publicity Contacts list as appropriate.
  • They may also create a Canva graphic and provide it to the office.

• Temple Administrator:
  • Puts approved events on the calendar
  • Creates Zoom links and Attendee Registration Forms
  • Sends event publicity emails to members
  • Includes the event in the Mah Chadash newsletter

• Communications Committee:
  • Posts events to Beth El’s Facebook page, JewishBoston.com and the Jewish Journal of Greater Boston (which publishes a calendar in their print edition)
  • Executes advance marketing and advertising campaigns for large-scale events or programs that promote membership and community profile goals. This involves writing press releases for regional news media and other organizations, managing pre-planned marketing strategies, arranging ad budgeting and ad buys, branding work with the rabbi and cantor, etc.).

Event publicity procedures for office staff and others

Here’s everything that has to happen for getting the word out and making sure your event draws as many people as possible. Many of these things are done by office staff, but it’s good to see what’s involved and where you can help. People who have to do certain things are in bold type. Things that those people produce are in red type (“Communications Managers” are website managers Alice Waugh and Sheila Goldberg, and Communications Director Bridget Hodder).

Step 1

Event Organizer calls the Temple Administrator to share the basic details of the desired event and get it on the agenda of the next calendaring meeting, which happens every three months. Events may NOT be scheduled less than three months in advance except in extraordinary circumstances. Once the event has been officially approved and scheduled, the Temple Administrator notifies the Event Organizer, and they can both proceed to Step 2. 

Step 2

QUESTION 2a: Do attendees have to register in advance?

YES: Office creates an Attendee Registration Form with the title of the event, date, time, images and other information and gives the link to the Event Organizer.

NO: Proceed to Question 2b.

QUESTION 2b: Does the event require a Zoom link?

YES: Temple Administrator creates a unique Zoom link and gives it to the Organizer.

NO: Proceed to Step 3.

Step 3

IMPORTANT: Event Organizer fills out the Event Publicity Form on the member area of the Beth El website (this information goes to the Temple Administrator and Communications Managers). This form includes the Attendee Registration Form and Zoom link created in Step 2.

Step 4

Communications Managers (or Event Organizer if they wish) create a graphic using Canva that includes the event title, date, time, images and other information. If Event Organizer created the graphic, they email it to Temple Administrator and Website Managers.

Step 5

Communication Managers…

• • Post the event text and image on the Beth El website
  • Post the graphic on social media
  • Post a short description and a link to the Beth El website event on JewishBoston.com and the Jewish Journal.
  • Arrange for an advertising campaign (if appropriate) using the Publicity Contacts list.

Step 6

Event Organizer posts the event on local news sites listed on the Publicity Contacts list.

Step 6

Temple Administrator…

• • Sends out emails to congregants via Constant Contact referencing the link on the Beth El website
  • Includes it in the rabbi’s pulpit announcements
  • Puts a one-line text notice in the next Mah Chadash newsletter with a link to the Beth El website event
  • Puts the event into the Beth El Google calendar with a link to the Beth El website event for more information