Organising a public meeting

In this section we look at some of the things you need to do before during and after the event to organise a good public meeting.

Why organise a meeting?

A public meeting is a great way of creating public debate where there is strong opposition to a wind farm and pro-wind voices aren't being heard. A public meeting will give you a platform to make a strong case in favour of a local wind development, as well as being a useful tool for getting the local media interested in the story. But remember, if your campaign is going smoothly and there is little opposition to the wind farm proposal, you may not want to stir up controversy by organising a public meeting.

Organising a public meeting can be easy with the help of others. (Find out here how you can form a local group.) (LINK: 1.7.2) But you will need time, quite a lot of organisation and maybe some cash.

The organisation can be split into three main sections: pre-event, event and post-event. One of the best ways to start is by writing out a task list using these headings as starting points and sharing out the tasks. At this stage you also need to think about a timeframe and set a date for the meeting. Make sure you allow yourself enough time to get properly organised and to advertise the meeting. The date you set will also be dependent on the planning process. It's no good having a meeting once the planning decision is done and dusted, or submissions have closed.

The main things you'll need to think about to plan your event are as follows:

Pre-event

Find a date and a time
Make sure you are not competing with other events in your region. Check your local event calendar first. Think about a weekday and a time that many people can attend.

Share out the tasks
The whole organisational process will become much more easier if you have clearly defined responsibilities for every member of your team. For example every member of your team could be responsible for one of the following tasks:

Book a venue
Think about how many people you expect to come to the meeting. This might be hard to guess but it's worth giving it some thought. . You then need to find a suitably sized venue: Where in your community is there a central meeting place? Does it have adequate parking, and easy to find? Is it near public transportation? Most cities have rooms or auditoriums in libraries, community centres , church halls, schools, or government buildings that local groups can use free of charge. Make sure that you know what's included with the booking e.g chairs, tables and other equipment. Also find out what time you'll be able to get into the venue to set up and when you'll be expected to have finished clearing up.

Organise speakers
For balanced debate you should try to get a couple of speakers in favour of the wind farm and a couple of speakers against. For those in favour you need to think about who will be able to make a strong case and dispel the criticisms of the opposition. Think about contacting organisations such as Greenpeace or the NZ Wind Energy Association to see if they can help. You should also ask the wind developer if they could send someone who would be able to answer any questions about the plan directly. A local councillor who supports the proposal might also be able to make a strong case.

Hopefully it will be more difficult to find speakers against the wind farm. Think about which groups have spoken out against it and invite them to send someone. With all your speakers, brief them on when and where they need to arrive and how long you want them to speak for. Ask them if they need anything specific like a projector.

Select a chairperson
Wind power can be a very controversial issue and incite some passionate responses, so it's important that you have a strong chairperson for your meeting. You need to find someone who'll be perceived as being neutral and who'll be able to keep order. A prominent local figure, such as a councillor or journalist might fit the bill. Talk to them beforehand about the issue to check that they're not anti-wind and to let them know what's expected of them.

Organise technical equipment e.g PA, projectors, screen...
You may be able to borrow these from the venue, or hire them from an events company. Have a look in the yellow pages. Make sure you have someone there on the day who knows how to work them and can deal with any problems.

Publicity
The simplest way to advertise is to print up some posters and place them in shop windows, libraries, community centres etc. Make sure the poster clearly states what the meeting is about, its location and the time and date. Ask permission before you stick these posters on other people's property. Your local newspaper will probably have a local events listing. Call them and give them details of the event. Make sure you do this well in advance of their deadline.

Press announcement
As well as contacting the listings section of the local paper, you also need to tell the newsdesk about your meeting so that a journalist can come down and report on it. Local radio and possibly television may also be interested. This should be done in the form of a press release (see an example). (LINK: press release example in section 1.7.5) Event

Recording the proceedings
You need to have some record of what was said at the meeting. The easiest form of record to use afterwards will be notes or minutes. Try to enlist the help of one or two notetakers.

Refreshments
You may want to offer refreshments at the event, teas, coffees or little snacks. Although not essential, it might be a way of recouping some of the costs and it is an easy way to provide a good atmosphere for people to stay when the formal portion of the meeting concludes and chat a little bit. Again, ask the venue if they have any facilities you can use.

Information
Set up a little stall where participating groups can leave information such as leaflets and brochures for attendees to collect. If you have letters for submissions or a petition, make sure it's prominent, and that your speakers draw attention to it.
Collection box
Make sure you have a collection box so that people who want to support your campaign can do so.

Post-event

Press release
You should follow up the event with the press. Write a press release and call local journalists. Send thank you letters. Make sure you write to all your speakers and your chair to thank them for participating.

*Tip: when agreeing costs, whether for venue hire, printing or advertising, remember to emphasise that this is a not for profit, community event and you may be able to get a substantial discount.