The Short Guide to Creating a High-Impact Town Hall

By Marcia Kadanoff and the team at the Maker City Project

The goal of the Town Hall is to galvanize people locally, to get them excited and committed to advancing the ecosystem locally around Making and to connect what Makers are doing with the solution to local problems. The ecosystem is the set of organizations, institutions, and individuals from the private and public sectors that are interested and engaged in working together around a particular topic or issue.

With this in mind, here are some simple guidelines to setting up your Town Hall for Success.

• Step 1. Understand where you are at in terms of ecosystem development
  5-6 weeks before the Town Hall
• Step 2. Identify/engage local champions to serve on the “Planning Committee” for the Town Hall
  5-6 weeks before the Town Hall
• Step 3. Invite additional stakeholders and attendees
  3-4 weeks before the Town Hall
• Step 4. Hold the Event
  Day of the Town Hall
• Step 5. Follow up on Next Steps
  1 Week After the Town Hall

A step-by-step guide follows. Check out the advice and counsel on how to avoid Pitfalls. FAQs are also provided.