Extended How-To Guide for the
Giving Women Power Over AIDS Exhibit
Revised April 11, 2005

This guide is intended to help sites think through many of the issues and processes involved in hosting the Giving Women Power Over AIDS exhibit. No site will use the exact same process, so we encourage you to modify this guide to serve your own purposes.

We encourage you to think broadly and creatively and figure out how to best use the exhibit to educate your community on women, HIV, and microbicides and identify and attract new allies. Many thanks to the Pennsylvania Campaign, Northwest Microbicide Coalition, and Georgia Campaign for being the pioneer sites with the exhibit.

In addition to what appears in this guide, we can send you numerous electronic files and templates including:

  • Sample proposals
  • Talking points for your event
  • Programs
  • A copy of the exhibit panels
  • Evaluation forms
  • A one and two page synopsis of the exhibit
  • A synopsis of where the exhibit has been
  • 1 page electronic invitation / flier (powerpoint template)
  • Thank you posters

PLUS we have thousands of “take home postcards” and postcard invitations that we can send you.

Thank you for all of your hard work. We look forward to working with you to bring this exhibit to your state. Please contact us with ANY questions at 202 822 0033 or by email.

- The Global Campaign Exhibit Team

Katie West –

Bindiya Patel –

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

The Seven Phases of Hosting the Exhibit

Initial Brainstorming (3-6 months before the event)

Kick Off Meeting – Making Decisions (2-4 months before the events)

Making it Happen – the Details! (1 week to 2 months before the event)

The Week of the Event

Day of the actual event

During your event

After your successful event

Background on “Giving Women Power Over AIDS”

Goals and Target Audiences

Partners

What Goes into an Exhibit Folder

Levels of Involvement for exhibit partners

Sample Host Committee Letter

Choosing a venue

Sample Informal Email to Partners and/or Venues

Planning an Event

Fundraising

Proposal Guide for North American Sites

Please include the following in your proposal:

Sample Fundraising Letter

Sample Speaker Invitation Letter

Security and Insurance

Invitation plan

Invitation and Flier Template

Language for a listserv / email invitation

Letter to Professors on Campus

Guide to Getting Media Coverage

Sample Media Advisory

Sample Press Release

Host a Night at the Exhibit!

How the Exhibit is packaged and shipped

How to Set up the Exhibit Panels

Exhibit Configuration for wider 20x30 foot space

Exhibit Configuration for longer 40 x 15 foot space

A Quick Note on Artifacts

Thank you / Cosponsor Posters

Things You will Need on the Day of the Event

Volunteer Roster / Expectations

Registration / Materials Table

Evaluations

The Seven Phases of Hosting the Exhibit

Initial Brainstorming (3-6 months before the event)

  1. Think through the goals/audiences, potential partners, and venues on your own or with your co-coordinator (see page 6-7)
  2. Consult with Global Campaign for Microbicides on potential dates / scheduling
  3. At a coalition or working group meeting, discuss and brainstorm the goals/audiences, potential partners, and venues. Think about how you want to organize the work (e.g., host committee, smaller working group)
  4. Venue: do your research! find out more details about potential venues and report back
  5. Partners: Invite potential partners to a launch or kick off meeting – make it sound exciting. Follow up with phone calls -See page 12
  6. Send invitations to your host committee – See page 10

Kick Off Meeting – Making Decisions (2-4 months before the events)

  1. Kick off meeting: review goals/audiences, potential partners, venue options, events Ask for feedback. Figure out how you want to shape your group -See page 9
2.Choose your venues and dates -See page 11
  1. Choose the type of event(s) that could fit with each venue -See page 13
  2. Immediately after you make these decisions, submit a proposal to the Global Campaign for funding! The processing of this grant can take more than 8 weeks, so it is important to do this as early as possible. Not everything has to be set in stone and it’s best to have grant check before you start your activities -See page15
  3. Approach other local funders or groups for in-kind and financial contributions -See page 19
  4. Brainstorm ideas for getting people to the event – what is the best way to get the word out?

Making it Happen – the Details! (1 week to 2 months before the event)

Details of the Event
  1. Find and book caterers as necessary
  2. Select and invite speakers for event - See page 20
  3. Figure out details of transportation and storage for the exhibit
  4. Write and send talking points to speakers – the Global Campaign has draft talking points that you can use
  5. Confirm speakers
  6. Collect basic introduction information for the speakers
  7. Arrange shipments / dates with Global Campaign staff
  8. Write out a volunteer roster, and have people sign up for tasks See page 40
  9. Draw up an agenda / program for each event with detailed timing for the day of the event and the actual event The Global Campaign can send you sample programs.
  10. Hire or recruit a volunteer photographer / “evaluation – takers”
  11. Have a meeting with the venue people to talk through audio visual needs, tables for food, catering instructions, tables for artifacts, sufficient lighting, timing for the events, traffic flow, and publicity.
Telling people about the event / invitations
  1. Create and follow through with your media plan – how will you reach out to local press? – See page 25
  2. Create an invitation plan - how will you get people to come to the event? See page 22
  3. Arrange to have the Global Campaign send you a shipment of invitation postcards
  4. Use the Global Campaign’s powerpoint template to create fliers and electronic invitations - See page 22
  5. Include directions in the invitations or on a website
  6. Print any posters and fliers and publicity material that you will need
  7. Create a “snail mail” mailing list with input from your entire coalition
  8. Print your local event details onto the cards (or onto separate labels)
  9. Print out mailing labels
  10. Have a mailing party to label and stamp invitations
  11. Send out invitations – preferably 3-4 weeks before your events.
  12. Drop off stacks of invitations in key locations
  13. Create an email list to circulate invitations
  14. Send emails out on listservs about the events – See page 23
Pulling together materials – See list on page 41
  1. Print up a flier / brochure about your local site – the Global Campaign can give you templates
  2. Decide what materials you will want at your registration / materials table (see list on page 41). Print things out in advance!
  3. Have everything printed and ready to go for your registration / materials tables. Keep these in a separate box for the day of the event.

The Week of the Event

  1. Receive the exhibit, store or set-up as appropriate
  2. Be very clear about transporting the exhibit
  3. Confirm with caterers
  4. Confirm with speakers
  5. Confirm timing, location and roles with volunteers
  6. Carry out your media blitz plan
  7. Put up fliers near targeted audiences
  8. Set up the exhibit
  9. Print out evaluation forms
  10. Have petty cash on hand for last minute expenses

Exhibit How To Guide – Version 4page 1 of 43

Day of the actual event

  1. Set up your registration / materials tables
  2. Check in with the caterers, make sure everything is set up
  3. Test any audio/visual equipment
  4. Have water available for speakers at the podium
  5. Put up signs or posters directing people to the event
  6. Set up the artifact tables

During your event

  1. Greet speakers
  2. Make sure all of your volunteer posts are covered – see page 40
  3. Collect at least 20 evaluation forms
  4. Make sure your photographer is taking a lot of pictures
  5. Identify and talk to any press that showed up
  6. Introduce the speakers
  7. ENJOY the event!

Exhibit How To Guide – Version 4page 1 of 43

After your successful event

  1. Follow up with reporters
  2. Package up the exhibit and artifacts and send on to the next site who will be hosting the exhibit
  3. Send thank yous to speakers, vendors, volunteers, host committee members, and coalition members.
  4. Consider holding a casual party or a festive next meeting to thank volunteers
  5. Think of ways to build on the momentum and all of your new potential partners you recruited
  6. Send evaluations to the Global Campaign
  7. Send in a final grant report to the Global Campaign including financial accounting
  8. Send pictures to the Global Campaign
  9. Send a few paragraphs about your events so that the Global Campaign can document and publicize your success!

Background on “Giving Women Power Over AIDS”

In 2003, reporter Paula Bock and photographer Betty Udesen of the Seattle Times traveled to Zimbabwe to get a first hand look at the reality of HIV/AIDS. The resulting photo-essay, In Her Mother’s Shoes, tells the story of Ruth, a mother who is dying, and Martha, one of some 11 million children orphaned by AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. Bock and Udesen have produced one of the most gripping visual representations to date for deepening the understanding of women’s vulnerabilities and the role that new prevention technologies, such as microbicides and the female condom, could play in reducing women’s risk. To view the article “In Her Mother’s Shoes go to:

The Global Campaign transformed this remarkable photo-essay into a traveling exhibit so that others, too, can break through the disbelief, isolation and “mind-numbing” statistics that serve as a barrier to understanding. The resulting exhibit, “Giving Women Power Over AIDS” is designed to serve as a centerpiece for local efforts to raise awareness and support for microbicide research and global AIDS funding. The exhibit is intended to give a compelling account of why citizens should care about global AIDS and embrace research into new prevention technologies -- especially for women. It is a walk-through exhibit of high quality, enlarged reproductions of the photos, together with captions, music, artifacts, and accompanying materials aimed at telling the story of why microbicides would be a critical new tool for addressing the HIV pandemic.

Goals and Target Audiences

Identify Goals

Why are you hosting this exhibit? How does it fit within your site’s goals? This conversation is important to have with your coalition because it will help motivate your group, guide future decisions about the exhibit, and identify targeted audiences…

Identifying targeted audiences

Who in your community knows about microbicides? Who should know about microbicides (because they will be powerful allies, because they are potential users)?

It might be helpful for your coalition to brainstorm who all you want to target. Think of new audiences or people who haven’t already been exposed to the concept of microbicides. Think of folks who have heard about microbicides but haven’t yet taken action. At the North American advocates meeting in April 2004, we identified many potential audiences. Who do you want to engage?

Exhibit How To Guide – Version 4page 1 of 43

  • Women’s health advocates
  • Reproductive rights advocates
  • AIDS service organizations
  • People living with HIV/AIDS
  • Gay men’s health orgs
  • Gay rights advocates
  • Congress people
  • City/state officials
  • International development orgs
  • Scientists/researchers
  • Gender equality advocates
  • Venture capitalists
  • Current / potential funders

  • Faith-based organizations
  • Clinicians/public health
  • The “average person” (what age, background, sex?)
  • Media
  • Students
  • Professors
  • Health disparities advocates
  • Social justice advocates
  • Legislators
  • Harm reduction movement
  • U.S. administration (NIH,FDA,HHS,CDC,USAID)

Exhibit How To Guide – Version 4page 1 of 43

Partners

Steering committee, host committee, honorary members, partners, planning group, advisory group, co-sponsors….how do you want to organize yourselves to make this exhibit happen?

  1. Current members:

Will everybody who comes to meetings participate in the organizing or will you have a smaller organizing committee? It is very helpful to designate 1-2 people who will take the lead—these people are not necessarily the site coordinators.

  1. Pulling in new people:

This exhibit is a great opportunity to pull in new partners. Invite potential partners to a launch or kick off meeting. Follow up with phone calls.

Other organizations may want to help host the exhibit. They may want to hold their own event at the same venue related to HIV and/or microbicides.

Start by making a list of prospective coalition partners, including (but not limited to) the "natural allies" listed above. Think of people you already know and have worked with before, as well as those you don't know who may be interested in microbicides. See if someone within your personal/professional network knows the people you'd like to invite who are unknown to you.

Whichever approach you use, make sure the invitation is reinforced personally. NGO staff and volunteers are busy and, often, over-committed people. They need to hear from someone they know about why they (in particular) are being asked to participate in this effort and why it is important. If you send the initial invitation via letter or e-mail, follow it up with a personal phone call.

3. Thinking BIG!

You may also consider asking for a few prominent leaders in your community to be involved and lend their name. Their participation may include:

  • Lending their name for the invitation
  • Coming to an event
  • Writing letters to other key community members
  • Asking one of their underlings to help out with the planning committee
  • Speaking on a panel

What Goes into an Exhibit Folder

When you are approaching potential partners, venues, and funders, it is helpful to provide them with information about the Global Campaign, about microbicides, about your local coalition, AND about the exhibit.

Katie West at the Global Campaign can help provide the materials for these folders – just get in touch with her a few weeks before you need them.

Things that should go into the folders:

General Global Campaign information on one side: general info on one side:

  1. Take action – factsheet #1 at
  2. FAQs – factsheet #2 at
  3. GCM endorsers – About the Campaign #1 at
  4. GCM palm card – if you have them handy
  5. Any good media articles that you have
  6. Information about your local site.

On the other side: the exhibit information: (need to figure out a better order)

  1. a sample invitation or takehome card (the Global Campaign can send these to you)
  2. 2 page description of the exhibit
  3. 2 pager on where the exhibit has been so far
  4. print out of a sample e-invite
  5. all of the panels and artifacts (or just a sampling of a couple)
  6. how to guide IF APPROPRIATE

Levels of Involvement for exhibit partners

It is helpful to outline explanations for different levels of involvement. These are just a few examples of how the Northwest Microbicide Coalition organized in December 2004. Feel free to adapt to your own needs.

Level / Your responsibilities / How your contribution will be recognized
Host organizations /
  1. Help organize one or more events
  2. Help staff one or more events
  3. Invite your colleagues, friends, and neighbors to come see the exhibit
  4. Help publicize the event through official organizational channels
  5. Join us for any/all of the events
  6. Option to host a night at the exhibit
/ Options
  1. Name on the postcard invitation
  2. Mention at every event if there is a speech
  3. Put your organization’s information on the table at events
  4. Included on a sign at the event
  5. Have a speaker at one event
  6. Option to host a night at the exhibit

Co-sponsors /
  1. Lend us your name, or your organization’s name, as a co-sponsor or member of the host committee
  2. Invite your colleagues, friends, and neighbors to come see the exhibit
  3. Join us for any/all of the events
  4. Option to host a night at the exhibit
/
  1. Mention at every event if there is a speech
  2. Put your organization’s information on the table at events
  3. Included on a sign at the event
  4. Option to host a night at the exhibit

Financial Sponsors /
  1. Make a financial contribution of $100 or more to one or more events
  2. Join us for one of the events
  3. Invite your colleagues, friends and neighbors to come see the exhibit
  4. Option to host a night at the exhibit
/
  1. Mention at every event if there is a speech
  2. Put your organization’s information on the table at events
  3. Included on a sign at the event
  4. Option to host a night at the exhibit

Sample Host Committee Letter

November 29, 2005

Dear [Insert Name – person with access to contacts]:

I am writing to let you know about an exciting event that the Pennsylvania Campaign for Microbicides is planning this fall, and invite you to be a member of our host committee.

As you can see in the attached description, the “Giving Women Power Over AIDS” exhibit gives the global HIV epidemic a human face. It is often hard to know how to respond to the catastrophe of AIDS. Microbicides, a range of different products that can prevent the sexual transmission of HIV when applied topically, are one answer – one concrete thing we can do.