Co-hosting an event
in your region
Are you interested in co-hosting an event with us?
In the last few years, we’ve run some wonderful, co-hosted workshops in places like Fynbos in South Africa, Ljubljana in Slovenia, and Penticton in Canada. And we regularly co-host workshops in Bellingham in the US Northwest with Travis Tennessen of Washington State University.
For people in the region, local workshops are a way to participate in person without the expenses of flying to Portugal or Washington State. For people outside the region, they are an opportunity to participate in a workshop with a strong regional flavor and to broaden their network in your part of the world.
Expectations of a co-host
Here are four things you can offer as a co-host:
Access to networks. Co-hosting an event is an opportunity to convene people in local networks you are part of, regionally or nationally. We hope that it brings together people you care to engage with (and with each other) and that co-hosting raises your profile in your own networks.
Venue. You propose a convivial place to hold the event. We always try to convene our events in inspiring, beautiful, or unusual locations. In Portugal, it is our own house—which always makes it feel more personal, relaxed, and inviting. The architecture and the layout make a difference in social learning—views, places to sit, work, or relax in small groups, fresh air, and light, all contribute to the quality of the event.
Local catering and restaurants. Good food is an important part of a memorable event. We provide all meals—drinks, snacks, and lunches at the workshop, as well as dinners at local restaurants. You know the good places and providers in your area and you can manage the interactions with them.
Local activities. We also like to plan for a local activity during the workshop, such as a hike, a canoe ride, wine tasting or something else that connect participants to the region and to each other. Sometimes, co-hosts have also organized an activity with a local group they work with, as a way to engage with local people and expand the focus of the workshop.
Ideally, co-hosts should have participated in one of our other workshops so they have an idea of how they unfold.
Budget and finances
We assume full financial responsibility for the event. This includes:
- collecting all the payments and registration info from participants
- booking our own travel
- covering all expenses associated with venue, food, and activities
As co-host, you do not pay for participating in the workshop.
Once we have a good estimate of the costs, we can decide on the minimum number of participants for the workshop to be viable.