• Get any permits necessary for gathering (Capitol Bldg. gatherings usually require permits) and/or make site reservations.
• Recruit co-sponsors per contest rules.
• Contact all those who’ve signed up to help and form your steering/advisory committee.
• Invite any players who haven’t signed up but should be part of the steering/advisory committee
• Hold meeting; list basic tasks- get volunteers (for example, you might want someone or a group to deal with each of the following: publicity; refreshments; press; speakers; audience invitations; ECM state web site and e-mail; recruiting children for attendance through child-serving sites; give-aways; children’s activities; on-site set up; onsite clean up; videography and photography)

Remember, all co-sponsors must be received by the ECM DC office by June 1.

• Design Event - Although this is a national event, ECM is encouraging each state to come up with an event design that will work best for them. While getting across a serious message, the event also should be fun. Last year, states had performances by and for children; and activities, such as face painting, balloon animals, music, etc. 
  • Where? When feasible, the event will be held on the steps of the capitol building.
    
  • Focus? It should focus on children’s needs/issues in the individual state (Find state specific information and data here). The overriding message should be that we need to shift spending priorities towards kids and families.
  • Audience/Participants? a sizeable number of children’s advocates, including service providers (early education teachers, after-school personnel, members of the medical community), parents, grandparents, and children themselves should be present at the event, as well as legislators, candidates, other public officials, interested individuals, and members of the media. We hope for a minimum of 200 participants per site.
    
  • Speakers? Speakers (3-4) at the event should include service providers and advocates, including a pediatrician, and they should be well-known enough to draw state-wide attention. It could possibly be helpful if the speakers included a child and/or parent/grandparent telling their story.
    
  • Action? Participants should call upon all elected and appointed officials to make kids a top priority and to shift spending accordingly. We will place information on the web site about top-notch events held last year.
• Approach child-serving sites about their attendance at event with children and volunteers
  

• Invite speakers – (have a list of alternates available) Some groups invited experts on the main issues—pediatrician, juvenile justice person, social worker, after-school or early learning staff; others invited governors, mayors—elected officials who can be trusted not to be partisan at the microphone; some also included advocates, parents, grandparents.
• Recruit event day volunteers (by working with university schools of social work and public health, it might be possible to get students involved to help with kids activities on site, etc.)

• Follow up with any speakers who haven’t responded (explain non-partisan nature of event and discuss remarks)

• Distribute flyers (conferences, community events, child-serving sites, libraries, children’s book stores, malls, grocery stores, etc.) • Update web site regularly (event details, contacts, co-sponsors, etc.) • Collect e-mail addresses whenever you distribute information and forward to the ECM national office (ECM will include them with those already listed for your state)
• Send information and updates regularly to all child-friendly organizations asking them to forward to their constituents (ECM will help to send out statewide e-mails)
  
• Blog 

• Send special invitations to those you want in the audience (legislators, other government types, business leaders; donors, etc.
• Take care of equipment rental/reservation—podium, microphone, any entertainment related equipment; chairs, tables, etc.

• Begin outreach to media regarding event – phone calls; e-mails to contacts

• Draft/Provide Final E-mails for state list & state groups to forward (1st one about two weeks before; reminder 3 days before)

• Conduct final confirmation by phone with all speakers, site, refreshment providers, volunteers etc (collect speakers bios)

• Send talking points to speakers (These are part of the Step Up toolkit and include suggested time limits, specific facts they should touch upon, rules of the game, i.e. no partisanship, no endorsements of candidates)

• Duplicate and assemble final event agenda, press packets with agenda, materials from ECM, speaker bios

• Send press advisory for event (working with ECM DC office)

• Set up event– materials, visuals (banners, co-sponsor info.), podium, a/v, volunteer orientation, directing caterers/volunteers, sign-in, name tags for speakers, donors, local celebs, etc.

• Break Down – pick up all flyers, materials, banners, equipment , debris; return rentals 

• Press follow-up and clips
  

• Video and photos on ECM State Website

• Draft/Send E-mail to state list with link to video

• Send thank-you notes to speakers, other supporters and follow up e-mail in state

• Send e-mail with link to video to children’s groups asking them to forward to
  their constituents

Within a week after

• Follow up with candidates and campaigns via e-mail, mail or phone as necessary