In Ostend (Belgium), an event was organised to kick-off the SPEED-You-UP hub for the Ensor institute, a secondary school. The students and teachers of marketing, together with team marketing of the Economic House, provided a communication plan and a division of tasks. Also different stakeholders were involved, either from the Economic House or from the school. Even an official press release was foreseen! The students were actively involved and could also prepare for the pitch during the press moment. For more information on the event itself, see this news article on the website.
What was crucial in getting together a good kick-off event? Below you can find tips and tricks from this partner:
* Good communication plan ( which channels will I use? which target groups do I want to address? What do I want to achieve with the kick-off?)
* Make sure that all stakeholders are informed and can help propagate the kick-off moment ( school, partners, entrepreneurs, policy makers, social welfare organizations....)
* Provide some catering if allowed. That way you give it more of a feeling of a reception and not just a press moment.
* Make sure there is definitely something to see at the time and place of the kick-off. That way it is easier to get the press and other stakeholders excited.
* Provide varied speakers (student, teacher, someone from partnership, someone from the policy of the city...)
* The most important thing is the involvement of the pupils. For them, this can be a good exercise in developing their entrepreneurial skills to organize a first event!