the rewards are distributed in game
from killing a boss, or completing a
quest, or something special you’ve
managed to obtain that you want
to raffle off, rewards keep players
invested in your event.
from them can result in prizes being
donated and mentions on official
social networks. It’s a great way to
get the word out. Many developers
are happy to have players who want
to run events on such a large scale.
Build a schedule
When thinking of your event you
need to look at your own calendar.
For your event to succeed it must
be consistent. You need to have a
schedule and keep to it. From my
experience 3 month weekly events
tend to be the most effective. 2
Months is doable but by the time
the word gets around the event
series is almost over. More than
3 Months and players grow tired
of the staleness of the event and
participation starts dropping off.
The key to every successful public
community event is consistency.
Prepare for the worst, and
plan around it
Anytime you gather a bunch of
people together things will go
wrong. This should be expected
100% of the time. If it doesn’t it’s
a miracle. This is not just me being
cynical, it’s a hard truth. If you
come into an event expecting it, you
will be much calmer and more clear
of mind to deal with it. Having lofty
hopes and expecting everything to
be perfect is recipe for disaster. Any
time you lead the public you need
to expect them to do the opposite of
what you say. There will always be
people who don’t listen, don’t read,
or outright try to sideline your event.
It’s a fact of life and the sooner you
accept it as so, the sooner it won’t
tear down your event.
Spread the word
Once you have your plan set and
your concept visualized it’s time to
get the word out. First off it’s best
to have some place where your
event can be seen. Whether it’s an
entire website, or a forum post that
you can point people to, you need
a place for people to learn more
information about your event. Once
you have the information sheet in
place it’s time to promote it. I highly
recommend traveling to the major
hubs of the game you play and print
a message stating the who, what,
where and when of your event. In
addition hit up the social networks,
fan sites and official forums to drive
more interest. With a little luck
and perseverance your event will
be in the spotlight and hundreds
will come out of the woodwork to
attend.
Get developer support
Many people have no idea how easy
it is to get a little shout out or possibly
even some prizes for your event.
Simply sending the community
director an email outlining your
event plan and what you would like
Attitude is everything
Many people don’t realize how
contagious their mood is when their
leading an event. If you walk into
a room angry others in the room
will be quick to anger, defensive,
or cold. If you walk into the room
smiling others will smile too. The
attitude you bring to your event will
carry over your entire community
so be sure that you are the light in
the room mentally before getting
started. This will make your events
a lot more fun and keep the tempo
up.
Get Help
The burden of organizing and
leading hundreds is no easy feat
and you surely won’t be able to do
it alone. By trying it will lead to
premature gray hairs on your head
and a heightened blood pressure.
Gathering a few friends to help
you lead the mayhem will ease the
tension and help you keep things on
track. Plus it’s always good to have
a few people you can trust to pick
you up when things go sideways.
Foghladha’s Leadership Motto
There is something simple I teach
every leader in the Gaiscioch
family. “If you fail, it is your fault.
If you succeed, it is their fault.” The
biggest tip I can ever give you is, do
not pass blame on others. Instead
pull the blame on yourself and it will
show accountability and prevents
players from attacking one another.
You want to control the burden
and keep it from destroying your
morale. Simply saying “that was
my bad, sorry about that” can often
times lead to a few good laughs and
turn the setback into motivation. In
addition any time you succeed you
should praise your audience and
complement them. This returns
back to the deepest human desire.
Acceptance.
Final Thoughts
Leadership is not about power and
control. It’s not about telling people
what to do. It’s about inspiring
people to take action, to seek that
which is out of their reach. The role
of leadership is one of motivation,
appreciation, and acknowledgment.
If you can make people feel needed
and appreciated you have a much
easier time leading them to victory.
The road to leading a successful and
memorable public community event
is not an easy one. You will have to
put up with a whole lot of ugly to
make your event shine through.
However I can tell you firsthand
that when you see your event taking
off, see people discussing it and
praising it, it makes it all worth it.
Just keep your head up and roll
with the punches and remember to
have fun.
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