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HOSTING A SNOWDOWN EVENT
Where does SNOWDOWN come up with all those off-the-wall
events? Who plans them? Is there room for any more?
These are some of SNOWDOWN's frequently asked questions. And
here are the answers with details for those of you who have a great idea in
mind and just need a little info to help put your ideas in motion.
SNOWDOWN events are NOT planned or hosted by the SNOWDOWN
Board or Coordinators, rather, individuals and organizations in the community
come up with ideas and make their ideas into real events by following a few
simple steps.
- Idea- is it something that people
can do, will do and have fun doing it? Is it a goofy contest, a game of
chance, or a contest of skill? SNOWDOWN has room for all these and for
people of all ages and abilities. Note:
no like events, if it’s being done, it’s already being done. Check with
the SNOWDOWN Coordinators if you’re not sure.
- Audience- who can participate in
your event? Is it for adults, children or special interest groups? Figure
out the level of difficulty, or degree of fairness you want to impart by
dividing the contest up by AGE or GENDER or SKILL categories. Ex: Boys
9-11 or Novice class karate students or Men over 45, Women over 45, must
be over 21. Try to keep it simple.
- Event set-up- figure out how the
contest or event will be staged. Do you need safety rules? Equipment? Do
you need a special place or special props? Where can all these
requirements be met? Do you need volunteers to help participants in the
event or to judge?
- Spectators- are part of the fun of
SNOWDOWN events. How can you keep them safe and give them a view of the
contest or activity? How many do you want to accommodate? SNOWDOWN carries
insurance that covers spectators; all participants need to sign Waiver
forms provided by SNOWDOWN to each event coordinator.
- Event location- in order to
publicize your event, we need to know WHERE IT IS. Find the right place to have your event
early – well before January as many venues are already booked for SNOWDOWN
events and activities. (Ex: Elk's
Club & VFW are used for events on certain days/nights during SNOWDOWN,
though they may have openings for other times. Rotary Park may work for certain events,
or individual clubs or business locations). Keep in mind numbers of people
a place can accommodate.
- Event cost – we strive to keep SNOWDOWN
events FREE, or as low cost as possible.
Exceptions may be events that are fundraisers (which fall under
slightly different Budget rules) and events that give money back to, as
prizes to the winners. NO OFFICIAL SNOWDOWN EVENTS ARE FOR PROFIT – unless
they benefit non-profit organizations, SNOWDOWN included. (Ex: SNOWDOWN Follies ticket sales go to pay
for the cost of staging the Follies and contributes to the overall cost of
running SNOWDOWN itself: publicity, events schedule, printing, police,
parade expenses, fireworks, et).
- Time & duration of your event-
how long will it take to do what you are doing? Do you need to limit the
number of participants in order to make the time reasonable? Do you need to
have your event at a certain time of day? Does your event benefit from
running more than one day? Figure
this out and choose the best times(s) for your event. The SNOWDOWN Event Coordinator
can assist you with planning, based on current events already scheduled.
- Event Coordinators- which 2 people
do you want to put in charge as contacts for the public interested in your
event and to make sure the event goes off smoothly? We publish the name
and phone numbers of these 2 people to help the public get the information
needed to participate.
- SNOWDOWN official event form- it
is paperwork needed for all events. We use the information to publicize
your event on radio, T.V, web and printed in the official SNOWDOWN EVENTS
SCHEDULE, distributed throughout La Plata County and surrounding areas
(yes, as far away as Farmington!) SNOWDOWN EVENT FORMS WILL BE AVAILABLE
AT www.SNOWDOWN.org
and the SNOWDOWN Event Coordinator's contact information is there as well.
DEADLINE- for all
SNOWDOWN event forms to be submitted for approval, OCTOBER 31st, yes, that's HALLOWEEN!
All the info for where to Mail or Email is on the event form. Click here for On-Line Form
So, go forth and multiply---the number of fun and wacky
SNOWDOWN events and Let it Snow!
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