How to Autocrat an Event

Step 1 – Talk with your barony/shire/territory and come up with the vision of what you want your event to be. Pick a theme, a time period, an event that happened that you want to recreate.  Figure out who will be taking on what roles.

 

Roles to be filled  (Note these do not HAVE to be handled by one person. You can have 2-3 feastocrats running an event.)

• Autocrat (Responsible for the event space and scheduling)

• Feastocrat (Responsible for the menu, purchasing, and preparing meals and dayboard for the day)

• Fighting Coordinator (Responsible for the fighting scenarios and finding a marshal for the event)

• Archery & Thrown weapons coordinator (Responsible for shooting/throwing games and tournaments and finding marshals for the event)

• Arts and Sciences Coordinator (Responsible for classes, competitions, and activities)

• Vendor Coordinator (if your event is going to have vendors, this person is responsible for coordinating and organizing the vendors)

• Camping Coordinator (If it is a camping event, this person is responsible for organizing where people will camp, and take care of land layouts)

• Set up crew (team to help set up tables, chairs, troll, and decorate for the event)

• Clean up crew (team to help ensure proper and timely breakdown of the event, and clean up of the hall) 

• Troll  (responsible for checking people in, accepting payments, and distributing site tokens) 

 

Step 2 – Find a site. This can be difficult if you don’t know where to start.

 

Places to look are camp grounds, Mason Halls, VFWs, Fire Houses, Knights of Columbus, American Legion, Elks, Moose, or Eagles Lodges. Non Profit organizations typically charge other Non Profit organizations less for Hall rentals. 

 

 There are a few things that the site will typically need, and some key questions you need to ask the site owners.

Site should have:

• A place to fight (usually outdoors – indoors would require significant space, and high ceilings)

• A place outdoors for thrown weapons and/or archery when possible

• A Kitchen (pictures of the kitchen are very helpful to your kitchen staff)

• A Hall in which to perform A&S activities, and serve dinner

 

Once you have determined that the site will cover all of your needs, some key questions to ask the site owner are:

• Can we fight in armor on the property?

• Can we have archery shoots on the property?

• Are we permitted to use the kitchen (including stove, and oven)?

• Do we have access to serving dishes, or should we bring our own?

• Is alcohol permitted on the premises (not for sale but BYOB)?

• Are open flames permitted on site (candles/bonfires etc)?

• What day/time will we be permitted to come and set up?

• Where can we park?

• Is camping permitted on site?

• Where do we dispose of trash?

• Will there be a liaison on site for the event?

• Is the site handicapped accessible?

• What time do we need to be off site by?

• Who will be letting us inside, and how do I contact them? 

• Who will be locking up?

 

Try to look at the site from different perspectives, (as a mom with little kids, as a new comer, someone with a disability) and really familiarize yourself with the site.

 

Step 3 – Determine the date of the event. Check with the Seneschal to be sure the date is available for the kingdom.

Have a meeting with your territory to determine what date works for them and what activities can occur at the site, and if there are any limitations. Talk to the A&S coordinator and any other deputies to determine if funding is needed for any of the activities that will be occurring at the event. 

 

Step 4 – If you require a certificate of insurance to provide to the venue, request one here, and it will be emailed to you within 48 hours. If you need robust coverage for the event (such as for a fair), you can get an additional event insurance policy. You can get an insurance quote to see how much additional coverage will cost for the event. 

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Step 5 – Determine what the cost of the event will be

 

Add up :

Cost of the site + Cost of any additional Insurance + Cost of activities = your total overhead of the event

 

Divide it by how many people you can realistically and reasonably expect to show up (estimate on the lower side – if too few people come, we will be in debt, if too many people come we will make a profit.)

 

For example if the site costs $500, and the insurance costs $300, and tools/supplies/equipment cost $100 then the total overhead fee is $900.

 

Estimate 50-60 people, however, DEFINITELY  at least 40 people.

The cost would be $900 divided by 40 = $22.50 – Entrance fee will be scaled to $25 per person off board.

 

Step 6 – Coordinate with Feastocrat to determine what the On board Cost will be additionally. Once you get the cost of feast, let's say it is $500, add it to the off board cost of $900 and the total is $1400. Divide it by 40 people, your onboard price is $35 per person. 

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Step 7 – Submit an event form online – This gets sent to the webmistress and to corporate finance. An event page and registration will be created and available online.

Things to be sure to add to your event information ​​

• Event Name, date, and location

• Autocrat's name, and contact information 

• Ticket prices (rate variances such as on board/off board, children, advanced reservation, member price, & door rates) 

• Deadlines (if feast needs a final head count by a certain date, that should be noted)

• What time doors open 

• Table sizes and shapes 

• Open flame policy 

• Alcohol and smoking policies 

• Parking instructions, and if there is priority parking available for feastocrats, royals and others with lots to unload

• Handicapped accessibility status (restrooms, parking, hand rails, ramps)

• Clear instructions on cleanup time and closure 

• A schedule of the days events (including court, contests, tournaments, entertainment, and activities)

• Menu (from the feastocrat)  

 

Step 8 - Request reimbursement form for the Site fee and the insurance fee. Pay for the insurance and site fees.

 

Step 9 – Coordinate with your territory deputies, who are assisting with the event, what time dinner, classes, and fighting will be. Create a schedule. Plan for that schedule to have bumps in the road – allow yourself room for error. Have a plan for who is going to help you with set up and breakdown, as well as who will be working troll. Arrange troll in multiple shifts, so everyone has a chance to enjoy the event. Communicate the scheduling very clearly with all parties involved  including the Kingdom Court Herald (make sure that court is calculated into your time frame). Make sure everyone knows when doors open and when they can set up.

 

Step 10 – Promote your event like crazy!! Submit it to the President for publication in the White Hart, send social media posts, talk about it – share it – whatever you have to do to get your event well attended.

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Step 11 – Get a list of who is attending your event and who has already paid from the webmistress or any website administrator. Have this list available for whoever is running troll, so they can check off who has paid and collect from those who have not. (If there is an onboard/off board selection or seating arrangements that should also be available to troll as well.)

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Step 12 - Make signs!! Even if this is a site that you used a million times, it may be someone's very first event. Create signs for the rest rooms, changing areas, children's area, troll, and the Schedule for the day. 

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Step 13- Make a binder with all your important "day of" information such as contact information for the site owners, the deputies, and volunteers who are assisting for the day, the event schedule, and the local hospital and medical center information. 

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Step 14- Post your signs in the hall, so people know what areas are designated for which activities. 

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Step 15 – Give printed list / electronic access for check in to Troll. Troll will collect fees and distribute tokens.

 

Step 16 – Touch base with all of the event deputies – the court herald, the feastocrats, the vendor coordinator, camping coordinator, fighting coordinator, archery coordinator, trolls, and the A&S coordinator. Make sure everyone has what they need, and everyone knows the schedule, and is ready to go.

 

Step 17  - Clean up the site. Leave in better condition than you found it. Keep connections open for the possibility of future events.

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Step 18 - A lot of people worked very hard to make this event successful. Be sure to thank them. Publish thank you posts publicly in the White Hart, or on  a social media platform within  48 hours of your event. 

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