Bunemma's Event Guide

[Bunemma]

BUNEMMA'S GUIDE TO EVENTS:
PLANNING, ADVERTISING, AND HOSTING
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Hello! I'm Bunemma and I've hosted a fair number of events in my time playing on Massive. Sometimes I get asked questions about hosting events, so I thought it might be helpful for some people if I compile my thought process / tips and tricks! You have Jjaspurr to thank for me finally getting around to writing this up :)

I will preface that this guide is very much written from my point of view, and by no means hard guidelines or steps anyone has to follow -- if you do it differently, that's awesome too!

PLANNING​

When planning an event, it's important to think about four main things:

- What is the purpose of the event?
- What kind of event do I want to host?
- Who do I hope attends the event?
- What type of venue would I need for my event?​

Let's break that down, question by question. These aren't necessarily steps I run through each time myself just because I'm usually pretty sure of what I want to do and how to execute it, but you might find these helpful to read through all the same!

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE EVENT?
» This question might seem a bit silly, but it's integral to figuring everything else out. Depending on my motivations for hosting something, it could change where I'm hosting it, what I'm doing, who I invite, et cetera.
» The answer to this question doesn't have to be something super selfless, or even that important. Sometimes the answer to this question for me is "curing my boredom", or "showing off". Those are perfectly valid, and even normal, reasons to host an event (in my opinion). Being honest about why you're doing something can make it a lot easier to actually do said things, I've found -- I have fun hosting events, and I like it when people have fun at my events, so I host events.
» Beyond self centric answers, here are some other reasons you might consider hosting an event: to impress another character (maybe there's a foreign dignitary in Regalia, or your character has a crush or rival), celebrate something important to your character (a holiday, milestone, achievement), bring attention to something (campaign for an issue your character cares about, expose some drama you discovered, encourage discussion about the ethics of magic), et cetera. By no means is this a comprehensive list, but hopefully this can get the ball rolling.

WHAT KIND OF EVENT DO I WANT TO HOST?
» This question has a few different types of answers! I usually think about events in terms of what the actual thing is -- like a gala, or a tournament, or a lecture, or a soiree, but you can also break it down by what you want to DO at the event, and what you want to talk about at said event.

» Some examples include (but are not limited to):

• Gala / ball / masquerade / anything involving dancing could be hosted if you want an excuse to have some light socializing, the scandal of who dances with who, a place to announce something official, and something with a more 'noble' vibe.
• Tournament / competition if you want to pit people against each other, test out new combat abilities, highlight some section of people (knights? criminals?), have someone to root for and gossip about in roleplay.
• A soiree / social if you want something more laid back, but still a way to chat with friends and people within your social circle.

» Another important thing to consider when deciding what you want to host is how interested your guests will be in your event, and how to make it more interesting if need be. A combat event can be really fun for those involved in the actual combat, but those watching might quickly grow bored. A performance event can be fun for those participating, but not as much for those watching. A good rule of thumb to consider is whether your guest will be doing the thing, or watching the thing. If it's watching -- how do you make it interesting, or change it up to involve more people?

WHO DO I HOPE ATTENDS THE EVENT?
» Another question that might seem pretty self explanatory. If you're wanting to host a debutante ball, chances are you'll be hoping the nobility comes and make it a grand affair -- or maybe you're hosting a debutante ball for the people of Crookback! Either way, figuring out who you hope will come to your event influences how you plan.
» After you've narrowed down what sorts of characters you want there, you can figure out when is best to host the event, how to advertise it, and how to spice it up. If I'm hosting a debutante ball for the nobility, I might go the extra mile and write personal invitations to noble house heads over the forums, just for the added flair and sense of importance. If I'm hosting a rager party, I might post flyers and hand them out in character to add to the event's vibe. If I know most of the nobility is available on the weekend, I might plan to host it on a weekend, versus knowing my friends are all free on a Tuesday and coordinating accordingly.

WHAT TYPE OF VENUE WOULD I NEED FOR MY EVENT?
» Contrary to popular belief, a venue does NOT make or break your event. I've attended some great events with impromptu event venues, and some less interesting events at over the top venues. The location of your event can absolutely contribute to the event itself, but don't feel discouraged if you have limited hosting options.
» We have a list of currently available and recommended event venue locations on the forums, linked here. I do my best to keep it updated, but am always happy to know I've missed somewhere! If none of these work for you, you can always nicely ask worldstaff to custom build a venue for you (provided you give us enough time), or ask staff for some recommendations based on the event you want to host.
» The biggest thing when choosing a venue is making sure you match the intended amount of players to the space available. If you're worried only a small amount of people will come, it might be best to host in a smaller space versus somewhere gigantic, which will highlight the smaller number of players in attendance.
» Thinking outside of the box when it comes to the venue can also have great payoff. You might consider hosting a combat tournament in the Regalian opera house, hosting a debate in the park, or even asking a noble house head whether you could borrow their estate for a night of speed dating. The world is your oyster!

And there you have it! You've got the basics down: why, what, who, and where. Now we can get into some specifics and ways to make your event truly YOUR event.

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HOW DO I MAKE MY EVENT IDEA UNIQUE?
» You don't. That's my secret, and an honest answer. Every event I've ever thought of hosting has been done by someone else, in some other capacity. I've hosted SEVEN masquerades in my time on Massive, plus a bunch of other galas/dances/balls/what have you that are all similar.
» Instead of making the actual event idea unique, I've found success in putting my own spin on it, or establishing some sort of gimmick. I hosted a masquerade themed after a magic garden and included a cursed hedge maze, I hosted a harlequin masquerade where everyone was supposed to wear different colours according to their character names, I've hosted an under the sea ball that took place under the ocean, et cetera. They're all masquerades at their heart, but I found ways to 'spice it up' and make it memorable and appealing to attendees.
» This can be applied to any sort of event -- not just dances! Annie_Short hosted a combat tournament awhile back that took place on a floating platform in a lake, sonofthestars hosted an auction in the sewers using a cryptic disguise and sold some crazy stuff for crazy offers, to name a couple. It was still a combat tournament and an auction at the heart of the events, but the way they executed them was different, and made them memorable and fun to attend.

WHAT IS THE BEST TIME TO HOST AN EVENT?
» As I mentioned earlier, the best time to host an event depends entirely on the expected attendees. In general though, prime time (as far as I know) is usually 6 PM EST - 9 PM EST, and can sometimes run later or start a bit earlier.
» The best days for event hosting are usually weekends, as they're the perfect time where Europeans being up late and Americans being up earlier can intersect, and it's not so bad if you're up a bit later (sorry Australians and Kiwis I don't have your timezones memorized). Friday evenings can work if the event isn't intended to go on too long, Saturdays are usually best, and Sundays can be alright depending how late the event goes and when it starts, as the staff meeting takes place on Sundays, which limits some staff attendance.

SOMEONE SCHEDULED THEIR EVENT FOR THE DAY I WANTED. WHAT DO I DO?
» This happens. And that's okay! Not everyone will go to every event, and in my mind, it's perfectly alright for there to be some overlap between events. If the event being hosted is similar to yours and you're worried about attendance because of it, you have two options: reschedule yours, or contact the other host and chat about whether it'd be possible to combine your events. If the events are completely different, e.g. a large noble event and a small criminal event, I (personally) think overlapping them is alright. Not everyone will be able or interested in going to every event, so as long as you understand attendance might not be as great as you'd like, you should go for it.
» If you're still worried about social etiquette, it might be nice to stagger the event by an hour or two. For example, a noble event starts at 6 PM, and you host your event an hour later at 7 PM to give it some breathing room for people that might want to attend both. It's honestly entirely up to you -- no one can ever make you move an event!

ADVERTISING​

Now that we've covered the basics and extras of planning your event, it's time to get into advertising and making sure people show up!

For this, there's two big points to take into consideration:
- How, where, and when am I advertising for my event?
- How accessible is my event?

Let's dive right in!

HOW, WHERE, AND WHEN AM I ADVERTISING FOR MY EVENT?
» I hear the phrase "wait, there's an event?" so, so often. This can be for a multitude of different reasons, and can be tackled in a few different ways.
» The most IMPORTANT form of advertisement are the calendars, located both in the Massivecraft discord (events section and the actual calendar chat), and on the Massivecraft forums. With the introduction of the discord events section it's become a lot easier to let people know about your event (and they can mark themselves as 'interested' and get an alert when it begins) -- but it's also important to add your event to the forums calendar! I've seen some scheduling mishaps because people check only one or the other when planning something, which leads to two events at the exact same time. I think it's always better to be safer than sorry, and to have more advertisements than less!
» When posting to the discord and forums calendar, I always also make an actual thread for my event in the section 'player events' on the forums. This means I have to do less copy and pasting and explaining of my event, and can direct people to it by using a link to the thread. More on this later.
» Beyond just posting it to the calendar in discord, I recommend pinging for it in the appropriate channel. This tells people it's coming up, instead of relying on them to be proactive about checking the events channel. You can ping when you add your event to the calendar, and when the event is starting -- please keep in mind you're not supposed to ping an hour before it starts or when/if you reschedule it.
» After you've done that, you're free to advertise in other places. That can be in game/in roleplay through word of mouth, posting a link to your event in organization/personal discords related to Massivecraft, and private messaging your friends. When I'm advertising for an event, I DON'T SHUT UP ABOUT IT! The more excited you are about your event, the more excited other people will be, and it snowballs from there!
» Another way to generate hype and advertise for your event is making something special or unique for your event, and posting that. I see this done a lot by artists making skins for upcoming masquerades or special dress events, or flyers advertising the basics of the event. You don't need to be an artist for those either -- websites like Canva can be a great resource for making a flier if you lack the skills.

HOW ACCESSIBLE IS MY EVENT?
» This is important, but often missed when advertising and planning your event! Not everyone on Massive has the funds to buy a new skin to match a dress code, a way to disguise their characters to attend an event in somewhere prestigious, or even a reason for their character to attend in the first place!
» Thankfully there are some resources to help with that. Massivelooks has more skins than ever listed on PlanetMinecraft that are free to use, and can be edited and applied to characters whenever and by whoever. If you're planning an event with a dress code, I'd recommend making it either flexible or something easily done, like wearing gold somewhere on your outfit. Another great step is providing some links to skins you've found that you think would match, or go the extra mile if you're a skinner, and upload some options yourself. This goes a long way and is very much appreciated.
» Not all characters will realistically be able to attend each and every event. It'd be silly for a known vampire to walk into the Imperial palace, or for a noble to walk into the sewers -- but there are definitely ways to mitigate this. Disguises can be super helpful, as well as chatting with any players that express worries about being caught or unincluded from the event, and figuring out ways to make it work.
» Another reason someone might not attend your event is if they don't really have a reason to. Why would a Purist attend a super magical event, or a noble get their hands dirty heading down into the sewers? It isn't necessarily your job to provide answers to those questions, but it couldn't hurt to offer some brief explanations or possible points of interest on your event page about why someone would go that wouldn't otherwise (think plot hooks!).

HOW DO I WRITE A FORUM THREAD?
» A good forum thread for your event must be simple! Aesthetics and flowery descriptions can make a good thread a great thread, but it still needs to have the required information. At the very least you should have the following included:
- A brief description of your event. This can include what it is, where it is, why it is, etc.
- A clear section that mentions the time, location, who can come/who can't come, and any rules you have for the event.
- If hosting something like a contest, the rules and prizes listed.
- If hosting a contest / tournament / something that requires a sign up, a blank format of info you need from sign ups.

HOSTING​

Yippee! You planned your event, advertised for it, and now it's time to host!

I know a lot of people get nervous about this part in particular, and I don't blame them! I'm terribly socially anxious, and all of my friends can attest to the fact that I spend HOURS lamenting and worrying and stressing myself out before any of my events start.

I think of hosting as being done in two major ways: hands off, and hands on. Let me explain.

HANDS ON HOSTING:
» 'Hands on' hosting is exactly as it sounds: a bit more involved in the actual running and proceedings of the event. Usually this can look like walking around the venue chatting with people, guiding them to other people they might enjoy interacting with, calling everyone's attention for announcements and running a schedule, et cetera. Anything that requires you to help keep the event running while it's going is something I would consider hands on.
» As someone that's very anxious, this is the type of hosting I like the LEAST. You might like it the most! It definitely offers a better insight into how the event is going, if people are enjoying themselves, and lets people feel like you're really present for the event.

HANDS OFF HOSTING:
» As mentioned above, this is my preferred method of hosting, if only because it means I can keep to myself during the event. 'Hands off' hosting involves setting up your event to run itself, which doesn't always work for some types of events. The main way I do this is by putting a lot of my effort and time into the venues themselves, which usually have places to explore, region pop ups, and even vendors -- all ways guests can entertain themselves without me needing to be a direct aspect of it. That way, I'm free to skulk in the background and play hermit.
» Another way to think about hands off hosting is providing your guests the tools to enjoy the event their way, rather than guiding them to enjoy it your way. Both have merits, and some events might even require both!

More often than not, there'll be a mix of both necessary for every event. A ball might need the dances announced as the evening goes on, a tournament might need prizes awarded to the victors, et cetera. Being a good host means being flexible, and adapting to whatever the event needs at the time. I wish I could offer some more concrete advice on how to host, but ultimately that is all up to you, and not something I can predict or list. It's definitely a trial and error process, but I have faith that you can do it!

POSSIBLE EVENT HOSTING TIMELINE:
» Here's a mock up of what a hosting schedule could look like during your event. You don't need to have one of these actually written down when you're hosting, but it might help to know what order and roughly at what time you're hoping to run through things.

- At the hour, ping in discord that your event is starting, and if you haven't already, make a ticket for an in game announcement that your event is starting.
- Wait for people to file in -- usually people will arrive anywhere from 5-15 minutes early, so some people might be there already! I usually give it 10-15 minutes past the hour just in case there's any late arrivals.
- When you're satisfied with the amount of people, make your way to the central area where everyone's gathering (if your event is supposed to move further in, it might be wise to bring everyone there first), then start your speech! Welcome everyone in, thank them for coming, and give them a brief rundown of the event to come. This is a good time to explain how things will work (if there are any mechanics), rules, expectations, or anything they need to know for the duration of the event.
- Begin the event! People will move around as they please, and start doing whatever they're supposed to be doing. If it's a ball or party, they'll probably congregate on the sidelines. It might be a good idea to direct people if they're supposed to be elsewhere or prod them to get started.
- Be present! Some guests might have questions about the rules or what's happening, or require more direction. Mingle around, talk to people you know personally, thank them for coming, et cetera.
- If your event requires you to start another activity or have another speech, make sure you leave enough time for that!
- When things start to slow down and people start heading out, it might be a good time to bring the event to an official close. Thank everyone for coming, announce winners if there was some sort of contest, allude to your next event, provide information about something they need to keep an eye out for in the future -- whatever you need!
- Hang around longer if you'd like, or you're free to head out. I usually stay until there's only a few stragglers.​

Overall, you should do your best to be attentive and present at the event -- try to avoid doing other things on the side if you can help it. Chances are people will ask you questions, especially if there's specific instructions, so do your best to be patient -- you might have to repeat yourself a bit! A way to go above and beyond as a host is to facilitate other people having a good time. You might notice some people standing by themselves, and bring them over to other people to make a connection, or ask your guests questions about how they're enjoying their night, et cetera.

LA FIN​

That's it! Really! That's all there really is to hosting an event! I know it might seem like a lot just reading through all of this, but as you do it more it will absolutely become easier and intuitive and you'll be rocking it. Some questions / answers didn't fit into the categories above, so I've compiled them into a list below as well just in case you find them helpful!

If this guide doesn't cover something but you still have questions, you can always shoot me a DM to talk it over. I'm not always great about responding to them so you might have to poke me once or twice, but I'll do my best to give you honest advice. No, this does not involve me hosting FOR you :)

MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS​

CAN I HOST AN EVENT, EVEN IF PEOPLE MIGHT NOT KNOW WHO I AM?
» Absolutely! Of course! Anyone and everyone can host an event! You don't have to be a staff member / long standing member of the community / well known to host a successful event. Being flexible and open minded definitely helps, but anyone can do it!

HOW DO I GET PAST MY ANXIETY?
» I have no idea. No, seriously. I've been hosting events on minecraft for a good six or seven years now, and I still worry no one will come, that it'll be awful, that I'll be made fun of, that all of the worst things that could possibly happen will happen. And you know what? Sometimes they have! Sometimes not many people come to my event, or people say mean things about my events, but at the end of the day I still kicked ass, stepped out of my comfort zone, and hosted something. If even a couple other people had fun, that's well worth it in my mind.

I NEED TO MOVE MY EVENT. SHOULD I PUSH IT BACK, OR RESCHEDULE?
» My advice would be to reschedule if it's pushed back by any more than an hour from the original start time. This may seem a bit extreme, but roleplay moves fast -- as do people's lives! They might've cleared only a portion of their schedule for the event and have other things to attend to, or might not be willing to stay up any later than that. If you're worried attendance will be different because the original time doesn't work, rescheduling is a great way of taking that weight off your shoulders.

I'M WORRIED ABOUT HOSTING AN EVENT ON MY OWN. CAN I HOST WITH SOMEONE?
» YES!!! Of course! Hosting with other people is a great way of having someone 'in the thick of it' with you. Someone to bounce ideas off of, someone to split the work of planning, advertising and hosting, and someone to remind you that you aren't alone in this. Group projects do however come with their own set of challenges, so if you find out group hosting isn't for you, that's alright too!

HOW DO I PREVENT PEOPLE FROM CAUSING TROUBLE AT MY EVENT?
» There isn't really a great way of going about this, unfortunately. An unofficial rule I've heard some players adopt is the hour rule -- where they let the event run for an hour, and then allow themselves to cause drama or stir trouble. Even if you put a disclaimer on your event asking people to let you know ahead of time if they intend on doing anything nefarious, that isn't always realistic -- especially if drama can only occur because of something that happens at your event. I totally understand wanting everything to go smoothly, but sometimes the drama and excitement from people stirring trouble can be what makes your event memorable! As such, I'd recommend leaving anything like that out of your event post, and instead trust your guests.

HOW LONG SHOULD MY EVENT BE?
» I usually shoot for an hour's worth of content during my events. Sometimes that can look like planning a certain amount of dances at a gala, turns around a table at a speed dating event, or the size of a venue intended on being explored. If people want to stay longer, that's completely up to them -- but at a certain point I 'check out' on hosting duties. If you're planning some sort of tournament or something similar, shorter is always better for rounds. All combined, an hour - an hour and a half should be your goal.