Staging Committee

Staging Committee

The Staging Committee plans, manages and documents the physical aspects of the Fair; rents, buys, and otherwise provides all the equipment and services as specified by the Fair committees; and troubleshoots during the week before the Fair, during the Fair, and during the tear-down days after the Fair. The Staging Chair has knowledge of all aspects of the Fair.

The Staging Chair is appointed by the Fair Chair.  The Chair of this committee expends over 1200 hours and must be on site and reachable by cell phone during Fair week. The Chair is a member of the Steering Committee and is the Coordinator for the Logistics group: Signage, Parking Signs, Permits, and Operations Center. The Chair also shares the workload with an experienced volunteer staff with specific assignments to support Cultural Performance; all food and beverage; artists, demonstrators and non-profits; and all other areas.

The Chair:

  • Reports progress and problems to Fair Chair.
  • Attends all Fair Committee Chair meetings.
  • Prepares and submits a line item budget to the Fair Chair.
  • Coordinates with Fair Chair to understand and accommodate any changes for the upcoming Fair.
  • Invites the Fair Chair to strategic committee meetings including wrap-up and initial planning meetings.
  • Recruits, schedules and trains volunteers.
  • Submits the list of volunteers to the Volunteer Placement Chair for badges to be made.
  • Acknowledges by thank you note, or other means, appreciation for the work done by volunteers working on this committee.
  • Submits vendor invoices to the Guild Treasurer for payment.
  • Submits vouchers with receipts to the Guild Treasurer for reimbursement of Committee expenses.
  • At the end of the year, reviews the committee job description posted on the Guild website and in the Committee Notebook. They should both be the same. Updates and sends it to the Fair Chair who will review and forward it to the President Elect and to webmaster@heardguild.org.
  • Attends the Wrap-Up Meeting after the Fair. At least a week prior to the meeting, emails the Committee Report to the Fair Chair. The sections of the report are: Committee Purpose, What Worked Well, What Needs Improvement, Recommendations for Improvement. Appropriate attachments would be sales spreadsheets, tallies, and other information that would be useful for decision making. One report is given to the Fair Chair and the duplicate is kept in the Committee Notebook. The report is the basis for the individual Committee planning meetings for the following year.

Tasks

  • Consult with the Fair Chair, Steering Committee, and Museum operations staff about set up requirements and changing needs. Consults will all Chairs to ensure the success of the Committee and Fair.
  • Recruits volunteers:
    • One person to obtain the necessary Permits – secure and complete the forms, submit them in person, arrange for payment with the Guild Treasurer and follow up until permits are in hand.
    • One person to support each of the following areas: Cultural Performance; all food and beverage; artists, demonstrators and non-profits; all other areas.

o        One person to serve during set-up week and the Fair as Operations Center lead and others as needed to perform this function. It is the central point for all requests and the dispatch point for all assistance. This position is critical particularly during the weekend. This group must have Fair staging experience.

o        One person to oversee custodial activities during the Fair.

o        One person to take care of Parking Signs – prepare the signs, consult with Staging Chair for placement of signs, place the signs then pick them up and return them to storage after the Fair.

  • Plan the physical layout of the buildings, booths, and grounds.
    • Solicit and compile a list of all layout requirements from all Chairs.
    • Meet all permit and inspection requirements.
    • Layouts include size of tents; full, one-half, or no sidewalls; location of electrical outlets and water outlets; tables; chairs; sound systems, and other equipment needed.
    • Submit electrical requirements and locations, with drawings, to Maintenance.
  • Submit tent layouts and equipment needs to vendors of choice.
    • Work closely with selected vendors to ensure understanding, particularly the primary vendor (Pro-Em in recent years).
    • Order temporary fencing (if needed), all tents, canopies, tables, chairs, umbrellas, stools, ATMs, waste containers, port-o-lets, mobile restroom, lighting tower and any other necessary items.
  • Map the physical layout of the buildings, booths, and grounds.
    • Submit small-scale map of the Fair to Fair Chair for the web site and to Marketing for inclusion in the Artists List & Map provided to guests on the weekend.
    • Submit a large-scale map of the Fair to the Chair of Permits to apply for Tent and Fire Safety permits.
  • Arrange/remind the Security Chief:
    • For night security.
    • To secure qualified people to staff the First Aid Station.
    • To secure parking facilities for Friday evening and the weekend. Needed in time for the Fair Brochure, usually by Oct. 15.
  • Arrange with Museum Comptroller to send Insurance Certificate of Liability to appropriate vendors in early February.
  • Prepare a detailed daily timeline for vendor and Guild setups and the participation of the Museum’s Maintenance, Custodial, and Security staff.
  • Obtain from the Museum’s Facilities Manager staff needs and necessary permit and inspection requirements. Be knowledgeable about inspection requirements and oversee all inspection.
  • Oversee take down after the Fair. Arrange for labor force for post-Fair Monday and Tuesday to clean Fairgrounds. Coordinate with Facilities Manager.

Time Line

March/April/May

  • Begin recruiting and continue through the beginning of February
  • Begin planning for the next Fair. Invite the Fair Chair

July

  • Prepare and submit a budget to the Fair Chair.

October

  • Consult with the Fair Chair and all Chairs about set up requirements and booth location.
  • Prepare general map draft of the grounds with the Fair layout to be used at the first Fair Committee Chair meeting.
  • Attend Fair Committee Chair meeting and distribute campus layout draft.
  • Meet with tent vendor (recently it is Brent Mabb of Pro Em) and include the Fair Chair and Food & Beverage Chair.
  • Contact Waste Management on needs and delivery.
  • Arrange for delivery of ATM machines.

January -February

  • Confirm with the Fair Chair and all Chairs about set up and booth requirements.
  • Obtain and submit permits. To be done late December or early January.
  • Meet with Museum staff, tent vendor, and Food & Beverage Chair to confirm arrangements for electrical outlets, custodial needs, etc. Give them a daily time line for the week before the Fair.
  • Prepare and distribute detail booth layouts and equipment needs for each specialized booth area.
  • Attend Fair Committee Chair meeting and distribute final campus layout.
  • Submit Request for Check along with vendor invoice to Guild Treasurer for any deposits. Generally, deposits must reach contractors before the week preceding the Fair.
  • Finalize volunteer schedules and submit volunteer names to Volunteer Placement Chair in February so badges can be made.

 

Fair Week

  • Be present Fair week and weekend. Along with the area specialists manage, trouble shoot and solve problems as they arise. Coordinate activities through the Operations Center.
  • Oversee all inspections.
  • Set up the First Aid Station.
  • Work with Parking Signs person so that signs are set up and taken down at the correct locations and times.
  • Make sure there are hired personnel to assist with Signs and for custodial duties.
  • With the Fair Chair and area specialists walk the campus Thursday for an inspection tour. Along with area specialists follow up on any identified to dos.
  • Consult with Chairs during the Fair to be sure they have necessary equipment and everything is working properly.

March/April

  • Analyze the vendor invoices for accuracy.
  • Submit vendor invoices and expense vouchers to the Guild Treasurer if not already done so.
  • Acknowledge the work done by the volunteers.
  • Meet with Committee to debrief. Invite the Fair Chair and next year’s Committee Chair if there is a new Chair.
  • Write the Committee report (see Chair section above)
  • Review the job description (see Chair section above).
  • Attend the Fair Committee Chair Wrap-Up Meeting.
  • If not continuing as Chair, ensure a smooth transition to the new Committee Chair.

7/20/14