Let the Brainstorming Begin!
Below are questions that can help generate ideas for your brainstorming process. Consider what events and programs might be planned in conjunction with each:
- List the 10 most high-profile venues in your area.
- List the 10 top news stories in your area.
- List 10 community service projects or organizations in your area.
- Identify the 10 best-attended events in your area.
- List 10 organizations or groups with which your chapter can partner for an event or program (local civic or social groups, other alumni association groups such as AAA or BAN, etc.)?
- List 10 prominent UW alumni in your community.
- Ask “what if” questions to add elements of fun (What if your event had an attitude — what would it be? What if you could smell, taste and touch it? What if you combined it with something else? What if a child planned it?).
- Surf the Internet for event ideas and additional tools to help brainstorm new directions.
- Review WAA event ideas list to spark ideas for own events.
- Where would you take a visitor or guest to your community or area? Do you find that, like many people, you rarely visit your local area's primary attractions? What have you always wanted to see but haven't gotten around to?
- What is your community/area known for (e.g. famous pie, a geologic formation, historical site, factory or company)? Can you build a learning opportunity or field trip around it?
- What are you most proud of in your community (e.g. a natural site, a program or service, a monument, educational institution, athletic facility?). Could you get a tour or have a talk about the creation or impact of that point of pride?
- What topics would you like to know more about — either about your community, or perhaps a local/regional/global issue that may impact your community?
- Is there an attraction — permanent or temporary (e.g. museum exhibit, cultural performance, seasonal event) that will attract attention around which you might do a value-added experience?
- Do you know anyone who works or has connections at any of these places or with any of these topics whom you could tap? On boards, volunteer, etc. Are they UW grads?
- Is there some sort of UW connection with your area attraction?
- Do you have a favorite faculty member from your time on campus who has a topical connection to your area's attractions?
- Combine the known with the unknown for maximum return. Take things that people have heard of or have some experience with and add a twist that will help them view or experience it in a different way. Don't try something completely unfamiliar the first time out.
- Try to build in any kind of "behind the scenes" element; one that the ordinary public can't get. That is always appealing.
- Maximize and leverage the UW connection, as people are more likely to try something with a "known" quantity (even if just the commonality with fellow attendees)
