Thank you for agreeing to host a BE 1! Conversation. The dual purpose of a BE 1! Conversation is to, through sharing your story, invite the people in your life to BE 1! and to grow the BE 1! conversation. We want you to have a great time, great conversation, and an energizing event. If you need assistance at any point in this process, don't hesitate to reach out to one of the BE 1! volunteers. Here are the steps to host a successful BE 1! Conversation:

 

 

1. Set a date and time.
   Pick a date at least two weeks away to give your guests time to work your BE 1! Conversation into their schedule. For the day you've chosen, decide which time of day works best for the people you will invite.

2. Email your date and time.
   Once you have your event scheduled, email the following five things to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it : 1) date, 2) time, 3) location, 4) name(s) of the host(s) and 5) contact number. If your event is intended to be public, it will appear on the BE 1! website at www.be1kc.org/calendar/

3. Send initial invitations!
   Decide how many people you have capacity for in your venue (ie: living room). Now multiply that number by 10. That's how many people you want to invite in order to get a capacity crowd to actually attend. Decide whether or not your invitation needs to convey a map as well. Extend invitations to each invitee.

4. Send reminder invitations.
   The day before your BE 1! Conversation, send out email reminders to all your guests and then call them to confirm that they'll be in attendance.

5. Prepare for your event.
   The day before your BE 1! Conversation, double check to be certain that you have enough comfortable seats for your guests, a comfortable atmosphere (this is a casual conversation), and if possible, light refreshments such as water, coffee, and cookies. Be certain to have name tags, pens and notepads available for your guests. Will someone be taking photos at your event? Will you have soft music playing in the background before and after your program? Print off copies of the BE 1! sign-in sheet and BE 1! Flyer.

6. Rehearse your program.
   Your guests are coming to hear your story; be prepared to tell it! A basic outline looks like this:

• Social / Networking (15 minutes)
• Welcome / Introductions (5 minutes)
  - guests share their names and why they chose to attend the Conversation
• Awareness (7 minutes)
  - asks: why do we have what we have? 
• Acknowledgment (7 minutes)
  - asks: what role do we play in what we have?
• Action (7 minutes)
  - asks: what can we do to create a new conversation?
• Your Story of Why You Chose to BE 1! and the Impact (5 minutes)
• Requests: Choose to BE 1! and Share the Conversation (5 minutes) 
  - host circulates the sign-in
• Thank You
• Social / Networking (15+ minutes)

7. Welcome your guests.
   Put a sign on your door or in your yard to help people find you. If necessary, have someone outside to point people to appropriate parking. Have a sign-in sheet immediately inside the door. Have a sign that points guests to the restroom. Have refreshments in an out-of-the-way location. Circulate and greet everyone before starting the program. Start the program on time!

8. Thank your guests.
   As your guests leave, be certain you have the sign-in sheet and offer them copies of the BE 1! flyer to distribute to the people in their lives.

9. Enter the contacts from your sign-in sheets.
   To do so, go to: www.be1kc.org/contactform/ and add each person that signed in. There are five required fields: first name, last name, email, whether or not they want to BE 1, and entered by (this is where you put your name). Email any photos taken to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

10. Follow-up with your guests.
    Call each of your guests to thank them for attending. Ask if they have already chosen how they will BE 1! (or if they've completed an application with one of the BE 1! partner agencies). Ask when they would be interested in hosting their own BE 1! event (and then forward them to this document: www.be1kc.org/checklist/).