10-1.

Section ten: Events

Section ten:

Events

Strictly speaking you don’t actually need to organise any events as art of your Ping! project. If the tables are in great locations and the promotion of these and ‘Play On’ opportunities nearby is done well, people will play time and time again. However, a programme of organised activity, starting with a launch party, can help to kick-start your project, and enable you achieve your aims.

Events can take a lot of time and effort to do well. For that reason, only deliver events if there is a really sound reason for doing so. Focus energy on the activity that will really help you achieve your aims.

Events can:

• Generate positive PR for the project, including press calls and photo opportunities

• Support social cohesion and community building

• Challenge attitudes about what Ping Pong (or more broadly what sport) looks like, who it’s for and where it’s played

• Generate specific activities for groups who don't traditionally engage as much in physical activity such as disabled people, older people, women etc.

• Help signpost participants towards more regular opportunities

• Improve table tennis skills through coaching and identify those with ‘talent’

• Contribute to personal development and boost confidence through regular participation and volunteer training opportunities

• Enhance established city events

• Help to attract more volunteers

• Showcase the project to new partners

10-2.

HOW TO PING! YOUR CITY

If you decide to host events, do them well

As noted above, the organisation and delivery of an event can take up lots of time and energy. All this is wasted if no one shows up. Give your event the best chance of success by following these simple steps:

• Give your event a name that appeals to the people you want to attract

• Choose the right, time, date and location to suit your target audience

• Identify the best promotional channels for reaching your targets and promote your event in languagethat will appeal to them. Add the event to your Ping! webpage and share via social media and othernetworks

• Be clear about what will actually be happening at the event. What can attendees expect to see or dowhen they’re there. The best events will offer more than just ping pong

• Get some help from the venue, from partners and volunteers

Launch event

An official launch provides a good opportunity to mark the start of your project. It can also be a chance to promote Ping! to the public and press and to shout about all the social table tennis opportunities in your town or city.

There are different ways to launch Ping! so you can plan a launch party that works best for you. Below we talk you through two examples, but be as creative as you want to be.

Launch Example OneInvite sponsors, press, politicians, table hosts, sports clubs and table tennis clubs - and be sure to invite local luminaries, from writers to actors. You’ll be surprised at how many people love Ping Pong! Hold your opening in a public place where there are plenty of people – city squares, train stations, arts centres and shopping centres all make perfect locations. During the launch, you’ll want to get lots of people playing. You’ll need between 4 and 10 tables. After the launch, the tables can be moved to their allocated locations.

Launch Example TwoPartner with a social table tennis venue in the city and plan a launch party together to be hosted at their venue. You can promote this as a party and it can take place after work or at a weekend when people have time to relax and socialise. The partner venue is likely to be as keen as you to see the launch party packed with people and their marketing team can help with artwork and promotion, leaving you free to invite the people you most want to attend and promote through your wider networks. When people turn up to your event, make sure there are plenty of opportunities for people to play, and some other attractions for those that aren’t so keen to step up to the table

Do it right and your launch is guaranteed to grab attention. Try to include the following:

• A PR friendly display match, maybe a table tennis pro vs. a local celebrity

• Group activity, to involve lots of people! Big games of round the table are simple to organise and create awonderful spectacle. Seeing dozens of people circling a table is a great way to attract other passers-by

• Consider including an arts element – you could: invite a local artist to paint a table or a local drama groupto devise a 5 minute performance involving Ping Pong

• Think about what’s interesting for your audience - the Hull Football Club mascot playing the Mayor made agreat photo opportunity and also interested local football fans

10-3.

Section ten: Events

Host other Ping! events

The best and most effective way of putting on events is to encourage and support your Table Hosts to run their own events - e.g. if a gallery is hosting a table, then they may be interested in organising a Ping! Bling bat decorating session, while a Tenants Residents Association may wish to organise a family tournament or Ping Pong picnic to get everyone on an estate playing together.

Event titles

Potential guests might only see the event name as they scan the Ping! website or scroll through their social media feeds, so a great event name needs to grab attention and make the event sound exciting.

Below are some event names you can use for some of the most popular event types:

• For your programme of events try using Random Acts of Ping Pong

• For coaching or tips based events try School of Ping!

• For tournaments how about King Ping! or King Pong

• A cycle tour of the city’s tables could be called The Ping! Revolution

• General social sessions for everyone could be called Wiff Waff for the Riff Raff• If your outdoor event is hampered by the weather, you could change the promo on the day to advertise

Ping!ing in the Rain

• Alternatively create a title from the three main hooks, such as; Coffee, Cake and Ping Pong, BeerMusic and Ping Pong

Finally, your hosts or heroes may want to organise something on a regular basis. Again, this can be kept simple, something like Tuesday Night Table Tennis or Wednesday Wiff Waff.

10-4.

HOW TO PING! YOUR CITY

Taking Ping! to other events

Most cities will already be host to a programme of sports, social and cultural events taking place at the same time as Ping!. These can create opportunities for Ping! to be part of larger events, and to benefit from the event’s existing reach.

Don’t try to do too much, and always make sure you know what you want to achieve by delivering or taking part in an event.

Try to create something that will ensure everyone leaves having had a great time. Create a short programme designed to get as many people involved as possible, challenge expectations about table tennis and promote other places to play.

In the past we’ve been successful with:

• Beat the Robot – hit two small targets as many times as possible within 60 seconds. The ping pongrobot is a machine that can be programmed to shoot ping pong balls across the table at differentspeeds and with different spins. Speak to us to find out how to borrow one for an event

• Round-the-Table – an addictive and extra social multi-player game. Perfect if you want to minimisewaiting time and get everyone playing at busy events

• The Generation Game – matches between different generations, in mixed doubles

• Singles for Singles or Meet Your Match – a ping pong speed dating game. Play short gamesagainst other singles and then move on

Be there to talk to people and hand out Table Finder leaflets too.

Closing Ceremony

At the end of the project some of your tables may be relocated and the project moves into a new phase. Hosting a closing party can be a great way to celebrate a great summer festival, thank all the people who’ve made it happen and promote all the places people can play on.

In the past Ping! cities have hosted closing parties at partner venues and donation sites such as social table tennis bars. By working with another organisation with a vested interest in the success of the event, you can share responsibility for organising, promoting and hosting the event. They may also have an events or marketing manager and be able to supply sound equipment or refreshments as well as a venue.