A guide to organising a T3V event

Thank you for considering to organise an event for the group. Our events are our greatest assets as they attract members and it is the support and money of us veggies that persuade caters to improve their veggie options.

If you've not organised an event before it may surprise you how much work it requires, but it is the effort we put into organising events that makes them so popular, both for the group and the venues. Once you have organised one event, the second is much easier.

What follow are the tasks required in creating a successful T3V event.

Defining the event

  • Allow yourself a 2 month lead-in to get every thing organised and leave enough time to create sufficient publicity.
  • Decide on a venue. You may which to look at past T3V events for ideas or try something we have not done before.
  • We have T3V business cards. Feel free to ask for a few as it will make you look so professional.
  • If the event before yours is a curry make sure yours is not.
  • Try to choose a different day of the week from that prior to your event.
  • We are especially happy to try somewhere new.
  • Make contact with the restaurant, but not during their busy times. If at all possible approach the manager in person. Look smart.
  • Say something like:

    Hello, I'm Joe Green from Thames Valley Veggies.

    We are a large local vegetarian and vegan group and I think your restaurant would be a great place for one of our monthly evenings out. Would you be interested in that?

    It is hard to predict this early on how many of our members will be coming but our events draw any thing from 15 to 80 people, depending on the location, price and the food on offer.

    What day of the week would be good for you?

    We find buffet style food works the best, in terms of what attracts our members and what has worked best for other restaurants we have used.

    We always ensure that all the food is suitable for vegan, that is, no eggs, dairy or honey as well as being vegetarian.

    The best thing to do now is for you (the chef) to suggest what might be a good menu and a suitable price. We can advice you on how to veganise any dish.

  • Read this for some veganising recipes ideas: http://www.veggiesnow.org/articles/18.html
  • A meal price greater than £15 per head will reduce numbers wishing to come. Price can be a big factor for people choosing to come, or not.
  • If they cook in wine ensure they understand that some wines are not vegan or even vegetarians.
  • If the restaurant insists on a minimum number of guests, go elsewhere. Don't lumber yourself with a financial risk. Remember, it is the restaurant that will make the profit, not you.
  • If the restaurant insists on a deposit for each guest, go elsewhere. Don't lumber yourself with the extra work.
  • If possible, arrange for your guests to buy their drinks on the night separately from the bar etc., as this will make collecting the money so much simpler.
  • If possible arrange for the restaurant staff to collect the money, not you.
  • Give the restaurant a few days to work on the menu. Don't let them forget you. Chefs are very busy people so don't be put off with them not returning your calls, it does not mean they do not want your trade.
  • Greet any menu they offer with enthusiasm, but be prepared to suggest improvements. An important reason for organising events is to educate caterers. If the menu is rubbish, no one will come and you'll feel bad about it.
  • The menu must include a dessert that is not fruit salad.
  • A menu of steamed Mediterranean vegetable will guarantee no one comes.
  • Ensure the food is substantial by including beans, grains, tofu etc.
  • Some places may need you to come up with ideas up front so be prepared.
  • You may need to tell them about the existence of tofu, vegan cream, ice-cream and cheeze.
  • Suggest soya cappuccino are popular.

Publicising the event

  • It's never too early to tell the group about your event. You will need a log-in to the T3V website - it is much easier than you suspect. You can asked Contact Us for a user name and password.
  • LVW works by defining a few things upfront, such as venues and event organisers, so that once you've typed in the details then next time the whole thing can be done in seconds.
  • Go here to log in: http://www.lvw.makessense.co.uk/configure
  • Check if your venue is already on the system at http://www.lvw.makessense.co.uk/configure/location/. Venues are listed by town name.
  • To create a new location, either click on an existing town name or hit the Create a new location button.
    • Set Publish to on.
    • Set Name to the venue name, e.g. Joe's cafe
    • Set Type of place to something like "Thai Restaurant".
    • Set Tag line to something to encourage the punters, like, "The best noodles in Newbury"
    • Set Description to explain a little about the venue, why it is good and maybe what its weak on. Just type in simple text and leave a blank line to create paragraphs. Use HTML if your happy with that. You are describing the venue, not your event.
    • If you have a image of the venue, or can find one on the net, load it into Image. An image width of about 200 pixels is ideal.
    • Fill in the Address and Contact details - postcode is very important, then you can ignore the "map URL", as LVW will automatically create a map for you from the postcode.
    • Give Directions if it proves useful.
    • Add Telephone numbers and Web address etc.
    • Set the Exclusively Vegan/vegetarian flags if appropriate.
    • If you can link to a Menu do so. This will not be the special menu you have arranged for your event, its their normal one.
    • Set the Service and Facilities switches where appropriate then Submit your work.
    • Your venue is now live on the Internet!
  • You have a venue defined but you must now define the person who is organising the event - the Contact. Go here: www.lvw.makessense.co.uk/configure/contact/
    • Find your name on the list. If you are not there hit the Create new contact button .
    • Set Name to your name, or whatever you want to be know as.
    • Set Email address to your email address - it will be display on your event page, but it will be strongly spam protected.
    • Set Telephone number if you want people to be able to book by phone.
    • If you wish a picture of yourself to appear in the event load a Portrait of yourself. An image width of around 90 is ideal. For people new to the group and familiar face is reassuring when they turn up.
  • You now have a venue and an event organiser, you just need to define the event now.
  • Find you venue here again: www.lvw.makessense.co.uk/configure/location (Locations on the left-hand menu) and click on the events link.
    • There will be two pulled down lists. One is the Venue name which should already be set, and the other is the Contact, the person organising the event. Find your name on the list and press Create new event.
    • Set Title to the name of your event, such as "National Vegetarian Week Feast" etc.
    • In the Description tell why people should come to the event, what the menu will be like, the cost per head and anything else you think appropriate.
    • Set the Start Date and Start Time. For evening events 7:30 proves popular.
    • In Publicity, set Use in main news to Yes and Submit your changes.
  • You can come back and change anything later.
  • Find your event in the T3V web site http://www.t3v.makessense.co.uk/events/ and check that it reads well.
  • Click on the Basic event details link at the top of the page and copy the text.

Telling the group about your event

  • Now to send the message. Go to http://www.lvw.makessense.co.uk/configure/messages/ and click on the Whole Group link.
    • Give a Subject like "T3V - November event at the Thai King"
    • Paste in the text from the Basic event details. Just pasting in a link to the event is not adequate as some people have access to email but not to the web so those people would not be able to gain access to the event details. Submit your changes.
    • You will see a preview of your message.
    • Click Send Message if you are happy.
    • An email will now be sent to the whole group and the return address will be yours.

Other places to mention your event

Monitoring the event

  • It is advisable to keep in touch with the restaurant, especially if they are new to this vegan thing.
  • With two weeks to go send a reminder message to the group.
  • Within two weeks of the event you should have some idea of numbers and you should give the restaurant an estimate.
  • A week before the event send a final reminder to group, you need not copy all the details again.
  • Ensure you mention that guests should leave a tip of about 10% with their payment how to buy drinks and who they should give their money too.
  • Give the restaurant final numbers the day before.

Arrive early at the venue.

  • Take a list of guest names with you.
  • Remind guests to buy their drinks separately.
  • Get a good seat for yourself.
  • If a guest starts quizzing you about the menu, tell them to ask the waiter. You want to enjoy the evening too.
  • If people leave early beware that often these people forget to leave a tip!
  • At the end of the meal it can be nice to publicly thank the restaurant for organising the meal.
  • Thank the chef or restaurant manager for the evening when you leave.
  • Congratulate yourself on doing your part for vegetarianism.