The Community Event Programming Template

EVENT NAME: [Your Community Name] Weekly [Format: Roundtable / Q&A / Coworking / Hot Seat / Office Hours]

DAY AND TIME: Every [Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday] at [TIME] [TIMEZONE]

DURATION: [45 / 60 / 90] minutes

FORMAT THIS WEEK:
- First [10] minutes: Open welcome and one win per member (no more than 60 seconds each)
- Middle [30] minutes: [Topic or Guest or Hot Seat or Open Agenda]
- Final [10] minutes: One action each member commits to before next week

WHO HOSTS: [Primary host name] with backup [Backup host name if primary is unavailable]

WHERE: [Zoom link / Discord stage / Circle / Slack huddle / In-person venue]

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: [Yes, link here / No, open to all members]

RECORDING POLICY: [Recorded and shared in [location] within [timeframe] / Not recorded to protect open discussion]

PRE-EVENT REMINDER COPY:
Send 48 hours before: "[Event name] is on [day] at [time]. This week we are covering [topic or format]. Come with [one question / one win / one problem]. See you there."
Send 2 hours before: "We are on in 2 hours. [Zoom link]. No agenda required. Just show up."

EVENT NAME: [Community Name] Member Spotlight: [Member First Name] on [Topic]

DATE: [First / Second / Third / Last] [Day of week] of each month at [TIME] [TIMEZONE]

DURATION: [30 / 45 / 60] minutes

FORMAT:
- [5] minutes: Host introduces the spotlight member (use their own words from the intake form below)
- [20] minutes: Member shares [their story / a framework they use / a result they achieved / a mistake they made and fixed]
- [15] minutes: Live Q&A from the community

SPOTLIGHT MEMBER INTAKE FORM (send 10 days before the event):
"Thanks for agreeing to be our [Month] spotlight. A few quick questions so I can introduce you well:
1. What do you do and who do you help?
2. What is the one thing you want to share with the community this month?
3. What is one mistake you made in this area that others can avoid?
4. What is the single most useful takeaway you want people to leave with?
5. What are you working on right now that the community could help with?"

HOW TO SELECT THE SPOTLIGHT MEMBER:
[Option A: Rotating alphabetically through member list]
[Option B: Open nomination form posted in [community channel] on the [date] of each month]
[Option C: Host selects based on recent wins or activity]

PROMOTION COPY (post in community 1 week before):
"This month's member spotlight is [Name]. [One sentence on what they do]. They are sharing [topic] on [date] at [time]. Come with your questions. [RSVP link or confirmation that it is open to all members]."

EVENT NAME: [Community Name] [Quarter: Q1/Q2/Q3/Q4] Deep Dive: [Topic]

DATE: [Specific date, scheduled at least 6 weeks in advance]

DURATION: [2 / 3] hours with a [15-minute] break at the midpoint

FORMAT OPTIONS (choose one):
[ ] Workshop: Members build or complete [specific output] by the end of the session
[ ] Expert panel: [2 to 3 guests] answer questions around [theme], moderated by host
[ ] Audit session: [X] members submit work in advance and receive live feedback
[ ] Implementation sprint: Members work on [task] in real time with coaching available

FORMAT THIS QUARTER: [Paste chosen format above]

TOPIC THIS QUARTER: [Topic]
WHY THIS TOPIC NOW: [One sentence explaining why this is the right focus for this quarter]

OUTCOME MEMBERS LEAVE WITH:
By the end of this session, every member will have [specific deliverable or decision or skill].

FACILITATOR: [Internal host / External guest / Member expert]
GUEST BIO (if external): [Name], [title], known for [one specific thing]. [Link to their work or LinkedIn].

PRE-WORK (optional): Before attending, members should [read / complete / bring] [specific item]. This ensures we skip the basics and go straight to [depth].

PROMOTION TIMELINE:
- [6 weeks before]: Announce the topic and date in [channel]
- [3 weeks before]: Open registration (or confirm open access)
- [1 week before]: Send pre-work if applicable
- [48 hours before]: Final reminder with any logistics
- [2 hours before]: "We are on today" message with link

POST-EVENT FOLLOW-UP (send within 24 hours):
"[Event name] is done. Here is what you missed / here is the recording: [link]. The one thing we all agreed on: [key takeaway]. Next deep dive is [date]. Mark it now."

USE THIS WHEN: A member asks for a specific session, topic, or format that is not in the existing programme.

STEP 1: GAUGE INTEREST BEFORE COMMITTING
Post this in [community channel] before scheduling anything:
"[Member name] has suggested we run a session on [topic]. If you would attend, drop a [emoji / yes / thumbs up] below. We will schedule it if we hit [minimum number, e.g. 5] responses by [date]."

STEP 2: DECISION RULE
[ ] 5 or more confirmed members: Schedule it as a one-off event
[ ] 3 to 4 members: Offer to cover it inside an existing weekly session
[ ] Fewer than 3 members: Decline gracefully (template below)

STEP 3: IF SCHEDULING, USE THIS BRIEF
EVENT NAME: [Community Name] Community Session: [Topic]
DATE: [Date, ideally within 3 weeks of the request]
DURATION: [45 / 60] minutes
WHO LEADS: [Requesting member / Host / External expert member suggested]
FORMAT: [Short intro, Q&A, or working session as appropriate]
NOTES: This is a one-off. If demand is high, it may become a regular format.

STEP 4: DECLINE TEMPLATE (if interest threshold not met)
"Thanks for suggesting [topic], [Name]. We did not hit the threshold to run a standalone session this time, which usually means the timing is slightly off rather than the idea being wrong. I have noted it for [Q3 / next quarter / the next deep dive planning round]. If it is urgent for you, bring it to our next weekly [format] and we can dig in there."

STEP 5: TRACK REQUESTS
Keep a running list of declined or deferred requests in [your community management doc / Notion / Airtable]. Review it each quarter when planning the next deep dive. Patterns in declined requests are your roadmap for future programming.

USE THIS WHEN: You are handing a specific event to a co-host, guest host, or team member.

EVENT DETAILS
Event name: [Name]
Date and time: [Date] at [Time] [Timezone]
Link: [Zoom / platform link]
Recording: [Yes, save to [location] / No]

PRE-EVENT CHECKLIST (complete 30 minutes before start)
[ ] Test the link and audio
[ ] Have the run-of-show document open on screen (see below)
[ ] Know the names of registered attendees (or the first 10 if open access)
[ ] Have one backup topic ready if the planned content runs short
[ ] Know the community rules to enforce if needed: [list 2 to 3 key rules]

RUN-OF-SHOW DOCUMENT
[TIME]: Open the room, welcome early joiners by name, keep it light
[TIME + 5 min]: Official start, welcome everyone, state the format for this session
[TIME + X min]: [Core content or activity]
[TIME + X min]: [Q&A or discussion or breakout]
[TIME + X min]: Closing round (each person states one takeaway or next action)
[TIME]: End on time. Do not run over.

DURING THE EVENT
- Use first names when calling on people
- If silence hits, say: "[Name], what is your take on this?"
- If one person dominates, say: "Great point. Let me bring in a few other voices."
- If tech fails: "We have a tech issue on our end. Give us 60 seconds." Then fix it or move on.

POST-EVENT (complete within 2 hours)
[ ] Save and upload recording to [location] if applicable
[ ] Post a one-line recap in [community channel]: "[Event name] done. The key point: [one sentence]. Recording here: [link]."
[ ] Note any member who asked a great question or shared something worth following up on: [Names and notes]
[ ] Flag any issues to [community manager name] via [channel]: [Notes]

COMMUNITY NAME: [Name]
PROGRAMMING YEAR: [Year]
PRIMARY HOST: [Name]
SECONDARY HOST: [Name]

RECURRING WEEKLY EVENT
Name: [Event name]
Day and time: Every [day] at [time] [timezone]
Owner: [Name]
Next review date (to assess format and attendance): [Date]

Q1 ([Month] to [Month])
Monthly Spotlight: [Month] [Date] [Name TBC / Confirmed: Name]
Monthly Spotlight: [Month] [Date] [Name TBC / Confirmed: Name]
Monthly Spotlight: [Month] [Date] [Name TBC / Confirmed: Name]
Q1 Deep Dive: [Date] Topic: [TBC / Confirmed topic]
Ad Hoc Slots Available: [0 / 1 / 2] within the quarter

Q2 ([Month] to [Month])
Monthly Spotlight: [Month] [Date] [Name TBC / Confirmed: Name]
Monthly Spotlight: [Month] [Date] [Name TBC / Confirmed: Name]
Monthly Spotlight: [Month] [Date] [Name TBC / Confirmed: Name]
Q2 Deep Dive: [Date] Topic: [TBC / Confirmed topic]
Ad Hoc Slots Available: [0 / 1 / 2] within the quarter

Q3 ([Month] to [Month])
Monthly Spotlight: [Month] [Date] [Name TBC / Confirmed: Name]
Monthly Spotlight: [Month] [Date] [Name TBC / Confirmed: Name]
Monthly Spotlight: [Month] [Date] [Name TBC / Confirmed: Name]
Q3 Deep Dive: [Date] Topic: [TBC / Confirmed topic]
Ad Hoc Slots Available: [0 / 1 / 2] within the quarter

Q4 ([Month] to [Month])
Monthly Spotlight: [Month] [Date] [Name TBC / Confirmed: Name]
Monthly Spotlight: [Month] [Date] [Name TBC / Confirmed: Name]
Monthly Spotlight: [Month] [Date] [Name TBC / Confirmed: Name]
Q4 Deep Dive: [Date] Topic: [TBC / Confirmed topic]
Ad Hoc Slots Available: [0 / 1 / 2] within the quarter

ANNUAL ANCHOR EVENTS (mark these now and build backwards)
[ ] Community birthday or anniversary: [Date]
[ ] Annual member survey close date: [Date]
[ ] Programming review and next-year planning: [Date]

QUARTERLY REVIEW QUESTIONS (answer these before planning the next quarter)
1. Which event format had the highest average attendance?
2. Which spotlight member generated the most member engagement or follow-up?
3. Which deep-dive topic produced the most post-event discussion?
4. What did members ask for that we have not run yet?
5. What should we stop doing because attendance or feedback does not justify the effort?

USE THE ANSWERS to build the next quarter. Delete what does not work. Double down on what does.