The Feast of the Black Knight is behind us (and a huge success it was!).....National Volunteer Week is happening right now, with our Galt volunteer party also a thing of the past (until the next one!).....and I have had a few people since ask me, "How do you do what you do?"

Based on the number of courses available (both formal and informal) for people to learn about planning Special Events (and even the many different types of events and the diversity in ways of planning based on that fact alone), there is too much to explain here - and I don't think anyone would want to read my own personal book on how I do my job.

I do want to say though, that at any given time anyone should be able to stop me and ask me what I am working on, and my answer should be filled with discussion not only on an event taking place in the next few weeks (I average one event/month, typically).....but I also should be able to talk to you about an event that is 8 months down the road that I am working on. At the same time, I am thinking of ideas and ways to improve my annual events that I have just completed. Yes, I haven't even done my report on the Feast or the National Volunteer Week party, but I am already contacting potential performers and caterers and the like about what choices I may have for the 2009 versions of those events (which change theme based on our temporary exhibit at that time).

Good event planning is not only about working well in advance, but its also about having a strong volunteer group to call on and call from when you are planning, and for the event itself. If it weren't for our volunteers, I'd have never known about Cave Cantemus, a local musical group that sings songs from the Medieval times.....or about Ben Hart, a local theatre student who is a stilt walker, or about Jon Helm, a local musician and academic who has made replicas of some Medieval instruments and performs with them. And the help of working with groups like the local Lethbridge Medieval Club........

To me, event planning is about building those types of relationships, and that includes with donors and sponsors as well as the volunteers, performers, caterers, and local talents and organizations. If I have that, and I've given myself time to properly plan, an event should be a success.

If anyone has ideas for events they'd like to see, I'm always interested in hearing about them. It usually takes me a year (or sometimes I like more than that), to think about and plan something new, from scratch. I'm always open though so feel free to email me at lmitchell@galtmuseum.com or call me at 320-4219 and we can chat!