How to Find the Right Venue

When searching for an event space, consider the following:

• Find a venue where your Answerers naturally gather
• Find a big enough space
• Community Centers are your friend
• Make sure you can bring food
• Trust your gut and make sure it’s the right fit

You know your event best, so don’t be afraid to deviate from our suggestions.

Recruiting Askers

You can recruit people from the constituency of your organization, agency, or business. Reach out. See who would like to learn and participate in a civil conversation. A great way to gather contact information is through an online survey. Here is an example of a form we use when making new events.

Recruiting Answerers

This group could be a little more challenging to find, especially if it’s one you’re not familiar with. Start by asking people within your organization. Utilize any available resources – on-air announcements, newsletters, or email lists – and see who has any helpful insight. Take a look at some sample copy on our Resources page.

Finding Food

Providing a meal during each event is a big part of the experience. Remember to:

• Order food caterer or restaurant in the Answerer’s community.
• Have the food delivered about halfway through the event.
• Don’t forget the cutlery!
• Ask participants about dietary restrictions.
• Don’t have a food budget? Make it a potluck instead.

Dinner is a fun way to wrap up your event, so make sure there’s something for everyone.

Setting up the Space

We’ve designed a recommended layout for events with 24 attendees (12 Askers and 12 Answerers). You can view this and some additional setups on our Resources page.

Selecting your Askers

Carefully select each applicant based on diversity, age, backgrounds, and the questions they would like to ask. Find links between what they’re interested in, and what the Answerers want to discuss. These bonds will help facilitate a more conducive conversation.

Selecting your Answerers

Try to include people who might surprise and bewilder any expectations. Again, it helps to choose people with varying backgrounds and personal stories; try to choose participants that will not speak for their entire group.

Prepping Quality Questions

It’s best to ask open-ended questions that spark a more in-depth conversation. Each Answerer should have a valuable personal story that adds value to their group. Encourage participants to ask about these experiences and avoid bringing up specific media accounts.

Instilling the Values of Civil Conversation

It’s crucial that all participants understand that the goal is a civil conversation. Remember to emphasize this theme throughout the event repeatedly. We like to post signs in the venue that inspire the core values and tone necessary to make this process work.

Sending Surveys

An essential part of the ‘Ask A…’ series is to verify that the process improves the understanding and empathy between the participants. With the help of University of Washington professor Valerie Manusov and Ph.D. Danny Stofleth, we’ve designed a series of [online surveys] that each attendee will complete:

• Right before the event
• Right after the event concludes
• And one sent out three months later

So far, we’ve conducted surveys for six of our ‘Ask A…’ events. You can read the results on our Resources page.