How to Plan an Event

What does event planning involve? Here is a high-level overview are some of the basic steps you’ll need to follow when developing an event. We can't identify all of the details you’ll need to think about (since much of it will depend on the type of event you are holding), but we hope the following provides a starting point for your event planning.

1.      Develop Event Goal and Objectives

The very first step is to establish a tangible goal and  objectives. (e.g., why are you organizing this event and what do you hope to achieve?)

2.      Organize a Team

Any event takes a concerted team effort to handle all of the details. Consider identifying one key Event Manager or Event Chair as well as individual Chairpersons for subcommittees, such as:

• venue management;
• speakers;
• entertainment;
• publicity;
• sponsors;
• volunteer management

3.      Set a Date

The date might already be pre-set for a reoccurring event, but if this is a new event, be sure to consider the following before firming up your date:

• Give yourself enough time! Ideally, you should have 4-6 months to plan (depending on the nature of your event)
• Be aware of statutory and religious holidays
• Avoid school holiday time periods (e.g., winter, spring and summer holidays)
• Check dates with key participants – e.g., speakers, presenters, VIP guests, etc.

4.      Brand Your Event

If you want your event to stand out, you need to choose a timely and compelling theme that sets you apart from your competition. This means that you need to come up with a dynamic overall theme and you need to take great care with the actual name – since it can be a key attention-getter, especially in online media.

• Brainstorm names: When you are brainstorming the event name, think about:
  • how is your event different from other events in your sector?
  • what are you hoping to convey through this event?

• Create a Tagline: Once you’ve come up with a name, also try to craft a tagline – a short, memorable branding slogan that describes the event. 
• Design a Logo: The final step will be having a logo created to represent your event. A logo can be an effective branding tool – offering immediate recognition of your event in all of your publicity and promo items (e.g., Tshirts, water bottles, bags, etc.)

5.      Create a Master Plan:

This plan should encompass all aspects of the event, including:

• Venue, logistics & catering management (contracts, permits, insurance, etc.)
• Speakers/presenters (identifying, confirming, logistics & management)
• Activities/entertainment
• Publicity/promotion (online & off-line, e.g.,: web page & online promotion; events calendars; printed programs; media relations; signage; social media, etc.)
• Registration (online sign-up, payment and tracking; on-site sign-in, etc.)
• Sponsor/partner management
• Volunteer management

6.      Determine Administrative Processes

In other words, how are you going to keep track of your planning, registration, budget, guest and speakers lists, etc.? 

If you are a Wild Apricot Membership Management client, you can quickly and easily create an event and manage your registration through our online event management system.

If your website or membership database is not powered by Wild Apricot, you may want to determine how to best organize and track all of your event information. You could review event management software tools through a directory, such as Capterra.com/event-management-software

7.      Identify and Establish Partnerships & Sponsors

Are there organizations that you could partner with or call on for sponsorships to defray the costs and increase potential participation?  When you involve other people or groups in your event, they have a stake in helping spread the word and making the event a success.

You might want to consider:

• Seeking corporate sponsors to fund a portion of the event. This can range from national organizations that might want to sponsor a dinner, offer a door prize or a key silent auction item, to local businesses that might be able to provide goods or services, such as flowers for the tables, gift bag items, etc.
• Partnering with community organizations who might be able to offer a venue and/or assistance with organizing or staffing an event

8.      Create a Publicity Plan

Even with the most amazing speaker or entertainment line-up, you need publicity to get people in the door.  Event promotion starts with the initial notice or page on your website, note in your newsletter or email to save the date, and then builds to include online and off-line publicity, media relations and on-going outreach to encourage registration. And no plan is complete without the post-event thank-you’s, sponsor acknowledgements and articles about the event’s key messages or fundraising success.

9.      Establish a Budget

Your budget should incorporate estimates for all of the key items identified on your Event Master Plan. Don’t forget to include any travel or accommodation costs for speakers, presenters, etc.

Written by Esther Darlingtom 

www.wildapricot.com

6 Things You Should Never Do In Lagos,Nigeria

Lagos is the most vibrant city in Nigeria.If you are travelling to Nigeria and you end in Lagos,It’s seductive charms are legendary, and for good reason. Inviting cafes and lounges, lustrous boutiques, top notch museums, and an impressive restaurant scene make Lagos the runway model of the beautiful,fashionable, confident, and inspiring envy at every turn.However, its size and scope can make it a challenge and sometimes, you are faced with certain experiences that make you wonder at a traveler’s love with such an elusive town. To avoid having these experiences,here is list of 6 things you should never do in Lagos.

 Skip your fare in a bus

Taking public transport, including the Moluwe and Danfo buses, may be the cheap option of transportation in Lagos, but it is not free.

 

A fare is usually required and it is important you ensure you have enough cash to settle the transport fee before jumping on the bus.  While it might be tempting to skip your bus fare, either because you think the conductor will not notice or you believe you can come up with a story touching enough to make them waive the fare, don’t do it. The public embarrassment and possible physical harm will not be worth it.

 Put Your Wallet in Your Back Pocket

While most Lagosians are nice and helpful there are always folks looking to take advantage of unsuspecting tourists (and locals!). Never place your wallet in your back pocket, as you are bound to lose it – sometimes without even knowing.

Be smart, use common sense and keep an eye on your wallet is, particularly when you’re in crowded places such as Obalande, Oshodi and Balogun market.

 

Flash cash around

Whether it’s when paying for things on the street, counting your money or taking out a wad of cash and then asking the waiter how to figure out the bill, flashing cash is never a good move in Lagos.

 

Try to cut in line

With so many amazing things to do in Lagos, sooner or later you are going to have to wait in a line. Whether you’re queuing up to snag rush movie tickets, trying to grab a meal at a popular eatery or waiting to use an ATM in a shopping mall, you are going to have to wait along with everyone else.

If you stealthily try to make it to the front, you will be caught and blessed with the wrath of a crowd of scary, impatient Lagosians…and this is not something you want to deal with.

Taste street food with no intention to buy

In some part of the country, street vendors will encourage you to have a taste of what they are selling, even if they know you may not end up buying.

Some people actually eat to their fill by tasting street food from numerous vendors. However, in Lagos, if you are going to taste it, you better be prepared to pay for a portion, even if it is as small as NGN50 worth. Most street vendors will reign insults and curses on you, while some other will take a step further and cause an embarrassing scene if you refuse to make a purchase.

Pay a hawker before collecting the purchase

Despite the ban by the state government, the traffic in Lagos ensures that there are hawkers lurking around to meet the needs of stressed and tired commuters.

If you are looking to buy anything from a hawker, never give them the cash before you receive the item as there is a huge chance they will disappear with your cash and the item. Also, if they need to give you some change after purchase, do not hand them the cash. Instead, ask them to return with the change you need before you make the purchase.

 

Written by Nkem Nwachuckwu

Yoweri Museveni Wins Fifth Term

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni extended his three-decade rule on Saturday, winning a fifth term with 60 percent of the vote in the country’s election, poll officials said.
“The commission declares Yoweri Kaguta Museveni the elected President of the Republic of Uganda,” Election Commission chief Badru Kiggundu said as he read results.

Woodfox freed after years in solitary prison

The longest-serving prisoner to be held in solitary confinement in US history, Albert Woodfox, has walked free in Louisiana after 43 years.

Woodfox was part of the group known as the "Angola Three", after the prison where they spent years in confinement.
He had been there since April 1972 for the murder of a prison guard.
Maintaining his innocence in the death of Brent Miller, Woodfox, 69, was finally freed after accepting the lesser charge of manslaughter.
The plea bargain was negotiated with state prosecutors.
Twice in decades of legal battles, his murder conviction was thrown out of court, yet Louisiana state prosecutors were preparing to try him a third time.
He finally agreed to plead no contest to lesser charges in exchange for freedom but insisted this was not an admission of guilt.

"Although I was looking forward to proving my innocence at a new trial, concerns about my health and my age have caused me to resolve this case now and obtain my release with this no contest plea to lesser charges," he said in a statement on Friday.
"I hope the events of today will bring closure to many."

Your confessions rule You

                                                   PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith (Mark 11:23).

Proverbs 6:2 says, “Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.” This scripture underscores the precarious situation many have found themselves in today. They’ve been taken captive by their negative confessions; bound by their words. However, if you’ve been taught right, you’ll think right, and the result of that is, you’ll talk right. Moreover, when you talk right, you’ll act right. When you talk right and act right, your life will turn out right.

Our confessions rule us. When it comes to words, there’s no such thing as “I didn’t quite mean what I said.” Jesus said you shall have what you say; so don’t say it, if you didn’t mean it.

Consciously speak in consonance with the Word always—over your life, finances, business, health, etc. Proverbs 18:20 says, “A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.” Here, the scripture isn’t talking about the size of your lips, but the words of wisdom pouring out of your mouth.

Proverbs 18:21 tells us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” This means you can speak life and reap a harvest of good things. Whatever you believe and voice out with your mouth is what’s going to happen in your life. This is a law of the spirit, and it works, whether or not you believe it.

CONFESSION
I’m triumphant by the Word today, always, and forever. I’ll never be discouraged nor subject to the crippling principles of this world, because I live in, and by, the Word. I reign victoriously over circumstances, by my faith-filled confessions, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY:
Romans 10:9-10
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Mark 11:22-23
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Mark 4:1-20,
Leviticus 15.

2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Acts 19:30-41,
Psalm 29-30.


Have a Lovely Weekend!
Culled from. www.rhapsodyofrealities.org

Denis J. Slattery:The Making of a true Father

Rev. Father D.J. Slattery,the founder of Saint Finbarrs College Akoka came to Nigeria in 1939. He initially served in a parish in the Yoruba Inland Town in the Old Western Region. He was later posted to St. Gregory's College, Obalende as a teacher. He eventually became the Games Master for the school. He later became the editor of the Catholic Herald in Mushin. It was during this period that the thought of establishing a unique school occurred to him. His school became the first bilateral school in the country, combining full Grammar (called Basic) with Arts and Technical subjects. In the 1955/56 academic year, with six students, fondly referred to as “the first six”, a new school, but without a name, was born.

The new school had no address and had to be accommodated in the newly built St. Paul's Catholic Primary School, Apapa Road. The next task was to look for a site for the new school. Rev. Father D. J. Slattery, after an eleven-month search, which took him through the then jungles of Apapa, and now the present National Stadium, eventually got to another jungle in Akoka where he met a man who knew him but he did not know the man. The friendly disposition of the man made it easy for him to acquire a twenty-plot piece of land in the present site of the school. In 1959, the school moved from Apapa Road to its present site in Akoka, and in 1963, the school was officially opened by Dr. Nnandi Azikiwe, the first President of Nigeria, who was a personal friend of Fr. Slattery.

In a tactical move, he got a grant from the then British Colonial Government, with which he set up a ten-classroom block, two technical drawing rooms, a technical block, an administrative block, which also houses the teachers staff room, and a dining room assembly hall with a well equipped kitchen. Among the first teachers of the school were the late Chief Albert Bankole, Fr. Slattery himself, and Mr. F. Ekpeti. 

Early Academic Successes 

The school made its first attempt at the West African School Certificate Examinations in 1961, having been approved in 1960. In that first attempt, the technical department had 100% passes, with 80% making 3 or 4 credits, while the Grammar, or basic as they were called, had 50% passes with two of them making distinctions. These boys were also tops in sports and Vice-Admiral Patrick Koshoni (Rtd) happens to be one of the two. From then on the result kept improving year after year, with the technical department consistently recording 100% passes. In fact, in those days of Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3 categorization of WAEC results, whenever the result was released, the understanding or common expectation was that all candidates would normally pass and what everybody was interested in was how many came out in Grade One or Grade Two: Grade Three was regarded as a consolation result. This trend remained true until the government takeover of schools in the mid 1970's.

Heritage of Sports

Rev. Father Denis J. Slattery, being a Games Master and an International Referee, was very eager to put the school at the forefront quickly in football since it would take 5 years for the school to prove its excellence in academics. In its first year of existence, it pitched itself in a football match against its host Primary School, St. Paul's Primary School, Apapa Road and lost 1-2. In 1957, it faced much older St. Gregory's “Rabbits,” where Father Slattery himself had been a Games Master. The school later had a number of matches with another older School, the Ahmadiya College, Agege. It was a very ambitious venture for the school, in its first four years of existence on 3rd June 1960, to make its first attempt on the Zard Cup, a nationwide inter Secondary School competition, which later became the Principals Cup. The school again lost to its counterpart institution, St. Gregory's College, 1-3. In 1961 it met the school again and lost 0-1 after an initial draw of 2-2, and won the Principals Cup for the first time in 1962, six years after its inception. This victory was repeated in 1966, 1968, and 1969. From then St. Finbarr's College team became a team to beat. Weaker teams feared any match with St. Finbarr's while stronger ones like C.M.S. Grammar School, Baptist Academy, Igbobi College, and of course, the big brother St. Gregory's, always looked forward to a tough encounter. In 1971, 1972, and 1973, the school had the Principals Cup, having won it 3 consecutive times. Saint Finbarr’s College also won the cup in 1977.

Renowned Sports Alumni

It is noteworthy that in the 1970's and 1980's the school produced international players like Thompson Oliha, Nduka Ugbade, Samson SiaSia, and Henry Nwosu, just to mention a few. In fact in those days, for any candidate to aspire to come to St. Finbarr's, he must be academically sound and/or physically superior in football. Stephen Keshi, who is presently the coach of Togo’s National Football team, captained Finbarr’s Football team. He later went on to captain and coach Nigeria’s national team.

Six players from Saint Finbarr’s College were selected into the first junior National Team: Nathaniel Ogedegbe, Henry Nwosu, Stephen Keshi, Wakilu Oyenuga, late Obe Adedeji, and Emeka James were selected to make the first Flying Eagles and later called Junior Eagles. Paul Okoku, Nathaniel Ogedegbe, Henry Nwosu, Stephen Keshi, later went on to the Green Eagles national team. Godwin Odiye represented the country during the African Nations Cup. He was the first Saint Finbarr’s College student to make the national team. 

Discipline at Saint Finbarr’s College 

Saint Finbarr’s College is most noted for three characteristics:

1. Academics
2. Football
3. Discipline

Rev. Father Denis J. Slattery placed a very high premium on discipline and could expel any student even if he was the best in academics or in football, once it was established that he had committed a serious offense. The gate used to be referred to as the gate of no return. There was no point in appealing a case of expulsion. Father Slattery never entertained such acts – no pleading, no begging, and no beseeching. Saint Finbarr's College had four commandments, which constitute the Moral Pillars of the school.

(1) Any student caught stealing will be expelled.
(2) Any student caught copying during an examination time will be expelled.
(3) Any student caught leaving the school compound during school hours without the Principal's permission will be expelled.
(4) Any student caught smoking or with drugs will be expelled. 

CULLED FROM http://stfinbarrscollegeakoka.com

For enquiries: +2348093503769

The Lost Tribes are not Lost(Part 2)

Meet the Igbo
In Nigeria, the Igbo tribe, numbering in the vast millions of people, claim to be descendants of Israelite slaves sold into Africa. Many of the slaves brought to America were from the Nigerian ports. Community activists such as Amar’e Stoudemire of the New York Knicks are very vocal about the roots of the many descendants of the slaves in America. Mr. Stoudemire and other groups collaborate to educate and return exiled communities to their ancestral heritage.
The phenomenon of hidden Jews also stretches into Arabic-speaking communities in Israel, who claim to have been the descendants of forced converts to Islam. They sometimes have tefillin and mezuzot hidden under floorboards from hundreds of years ago, as documented by Tsvi Misinai and written about by the first prime ministers of Israel. They are actually antagonized today by other Arabic-speaking communities, which call them “musta arabim,” the Arabic version of a Marrano.
We pray on the Holy Days for an “agudah achat,” a united community. As well, the prophecies speak of a time when the borders of Israel will greatly extend themselves. The Jewish people regularly chant a song whose lyrics speak about the anticipated time of the stretching of Israel’s borders. We know these expansions will not happen through military conquest, but rather when nations raise their hand asking to be included in the people of Israel. Whether these groups are Jewish or not may be irrelevant. Having hundreds of millions of people identifying with Israel is something that deserves the attention of the Jewish people and forces us to figure out how to best elevate this desire towards global peace and sustainability.
Amid all this discovery and networking, our crew found a wonderful plot of land in the lower Galilee, in the location where Reish Lakish states in the Talmud (Tractate Eiruvin) the entrance to the Garden of Eden might be located. Acquiring it was difficult, but, believing strongly in the promise of Rabbi Teichtel, we decided to move ahead.
When it came time to make the down payment, our team was still empty-handed. With just days left, a descendant of Rabbi Yitzchak Yaacov Reines heard about the struggle and was inspired to lend the money, interest-free. This was miraculous, but we still needed to secure the final payment. With only days left before the payment was due, the pressure was on.
Meanwhile, a tribal leader was elected by the heads of the Afghan Israelite tribes to reach out to the Jewish people and to declare that the time had come for the two groups to begin working together after centuries apart. This message was brought to the Amishav organization—founded at the request of Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook and Rabbi Ovadia Yosef—with which our team was already in discussions about building a social network called iTribe to identify these groups across the globe.
Humbled by the magnitude of this development, we called Rabbi Shimon Kessin, who called an emergency meeting that night. We mentioned to the rabbi that we were having trouble making the final payment on the farm in Israel.
Rabbi Kessin introduced us to an investor and philanthropist who greeted us with open arms and allowed me to make our “elevator pitch.” Thirty seconds in, we were met with a smile and an assurance the deal would close in time. We were graciously granted an additional no-interest loan.
And there it was! A tribal leader from the house of Joseph reached out to the tribe of Judah, and directly stimulated the needed financing to purchase a beautiful farm in the location of the Garden of Eden.
Ezekiel prophesied: “And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write upon it, ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel his companions’; and take one stick and write upon it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.’ . . . And say to them, ‘So says the Lord God: Behold I will take the children of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side, and I will bring them to their land’” (Yechezkel 37:16–21).

Written by Harry Rozemberg
 Harry Rozenberg is a social entrepreneur who heads iTribe.us, a global platform to connect the Israelite tribes scattered across the world. Harry is considered one of the leading voices backing the reconstitution of a global Israelite family. He also teaches a course on the Lost Tribes (http://www.trio.academy/). All proceeds from the course go to financing Harry's work on the Lost Tribes.

PETE EDOCHIE COLLECTION OF PROVERBS

1. The little opportunity given to a monkey to wear cloths, does not guarantee it to join the dinning table.
2. Girls are like mangoes, while you are waiting for them to be ripe, others are eating them with salt.
3. Whoever presents his own head to break coconut would not be able to partake in the eating of it.
4. A man who hangs around a beautiful girl without saying a word ends up fetching water for guests at her wedding.
5. A man who counts his money after withdrawing from the ATM has trust issues.
6. If something that was going to chop off your head only knocked off your cap, you should be grateful.
7. When a girl has beauty without Brains, the Private parts suffer the most.
8. Having a Female as a Best friend is like having Chicken for a pet, You will eat it some day.
9. The wolf on the hill is not as hungry as the wolf climbing the hill.
10. Never let negative and toxic people rent space in your head. Raise the rent & kick them out.
11. Life goes on, Even if you don't want it to.
12. Drinking garri doesn't mean you're poor but allowing it to swell before drinking is poverty.
13. The buttocks are like a married couple though there is constant friction between them, they will still love and live together.
What number is your favorite?