Programming SOPs

Ridgewood Commons Programming SOPs

Booking an event:

• Log into Ridgewood Commons Gmail, navigate to programming responses sheet in Drive

  • In the responses sheet, scroll to the bottom of the sheet, finding the first blank cell in the “Response Sent” column. 

  • Read the event details, noting date and time, space needs, and structure (ticket or donation based?)

    • Are any event details in direct conflict with Programming Restrictions?

  • Copy the event organizer’s email address in the “Email” column

• Open Ridgewood Commons Google calendar

  • Navigate to the requested date and time

    • Is the timeslot free for booking? Great! 

      • Put a hold on the calendar with the event name and booking time to hold the slot while you work out details with the organizer

      • Ex HOLD Knitting Group 3-5pm, Shea booking

    • Are there other events happening in the space at the same time, or overlapping?

      • Reach out to the organizer(s) of the event(s) / group(s) and ask about their capacity to share the space with the pending booking

      • The basement can be used as an alternate meeting space on a case by case basis 

      • If either of the above options isn’t doable, make a note of  alternate dates and times available for the event. 

      • Sometimes we can’t accommodate a request, and that’s ok! There are other neighborhood spaces with reasonable rental rates we can refer organizers to:

        • Supermoon $15/hr 15-25ppl depending on event (onderdonk and woodbine) 

        • Ridgewood Presbyterian Church - sliding scale, reach out directly, say Vanessa referred you

• Open Ridgewood Commons Gmail 

  • Write the event organizer

    • If no conflict exists with their requested date and time, let them know we can accommodate the event and that a hold is on the calendar. 

    • If other groups are meeting and can share with the requesting group, outline any space / noise restrictions necessary to sharing with the other group(s). Include alternate meeting dates and / or spaces in case the requesting group would not like to share. 

    • Ask the following questions:

      • What are your start and end times, including set up and breakdown?

      • will you be needing the use of our projector and screen?

      • will you need to use our soundsystem and/ or microphone?

      • will you be playing music? if so, what is the noise level? (see Programming Restrictions)

      • Is this event recurring?

        • If yes, is this group willing to move days or cancel if a rental booking needs this date (we try to avoid this but rentals do help pay the bills)?

      • Is this event free or will you be charging for attendance? 

        • If free, programming policy is for a donation ask to be made at some point during the event. Donation jars are upstairs for cash, we also have QR codes for WithFriends and Patreon. We do not and will not have Venmo but if organizers want to use their personal venmos to receive donations and pass to RC via check or wire transfer, they can. 

          • Cash donations should be placed in a white envelope, sealed, labeled with event name, date, and total of contents (ex Craft Night 2/17 $125) and placed in the dropbox.

          • Envelopes and pens are in the orange cabinet under the computer, the blue dropbox is mounted to the wall to the right of the computer station

        • If charging a ticket price but open to the public, request a percentage of the ticket sales be donated to RC (10% seems fair). 

        • If charging a ticket price and wants to be private- this is a rental. Refer to the rentals team to proceed.

      • Do you want us to promote on our socials?

        • If yes, have the organizer send a flyer with copy to promotions@ridgewoodcommons.nyc at least one week before their scheduled event

          • Email title should read “FLYER: Event Name + Event Date”

          • If event is recurring, clarify whether the organizer would like to use the same flyer for all iterations of the event or if they would like to submit a new flyer and copy with each occurrence (would follow flyer protocol each time)

    • Pass the RC closing checklist to the event organizer and get confirmation of their willingness to adhere to our closing policies

• Navigate back to RC calendar 

  • Finalize event booking with:

    • start and end times including set up and break down

    • Any privacy requests (group willing to share space, do not advertise on socials, etc)

    • Event description for weekly calendar listing 

    • Your name as booking POC/ bottomliner

Day of Event:

Event bottom liners are responsible for making sure RC policy is followed. 

Please do not give out the keycode to the space to organizers- you or a stand-in if you're unavailable should be present to let in the event organizers, make sure they have what they need for set up, and make sure they understand RC's expectations and policies for community events (see RC closing checklist and RC programming restrictions). 

Best Practices:

• Sometimes it takes a week (or longer) to complete a booking end to end- pace yourself!

• You can create a label for your communications to help keep track. 

• Don’t open emails you don’t plan on answering- this is a shared inbox so be mindful you aren't accidentally disrupting the comms of other programming team members.

  • If you do open an email you can’t/ won’t be answering, please label as unread so someone else on the team knows to respond. 

• Develop a cadence- check emails AND programming responses every other day or at whatever pace works for you. The important thing is to make it a habit. 

• Ask for help if you need it!

  •  If you don’t know an answer or need more info please ask! We’re all here to help. It’s ok to take a break or step back if you need to- you got this!