HOSTING AN IFQ EVENT
Do you think you might want to host an IFQ event but are not sure what that entails? Well, then you've come to the right
page! We'll tell you a bit about hosting at IFQ and provide a handy email form at the bottom to contact us if you are interested in becoming an IFQ "HOST WITH THE MOST"!
The host of an IFQ event oversees all parts of the event. IFQ supplies a nifty administration area for each site wide event so hosting is a snap! A member may host an event that they originated or ask IFQ to assign them to an upcoming event that currently has no host. You can also co-host an event with a friend! ALL IFQ events have two hosts. This means that you have someone to work with and you both can cover each other if "non-quilting life" intervenes on occasion! If this is the first time that you are hosting, IFQ will match you with another experienced host to help you on your first attempt.
Before an event is launched, you will be sent a URL by IFQ that will allow you to see the event page before it is published so you can add your comments and also be very clear on what the rules of the event are. You will also be shown a copy of the email that is automatically sent out to participants when they sign up for the event.
Most IFQ events have a forum in the IFQ Forum. The host(s) is automatically the moderator of this forum. This is a convenient area to communicate with the participants of the event and answer any questions about the event. The host of an event needs to watch the forum and post answers and informational items about the event.
Each IFQ event has a special email address. This email will automatically forward to the host(s) of the event. All event communication go through this email address.
Each event has an ADMIN PAGE. This is where all your very handy administration tools are. You and your co-host will find a link on the main event page that will bring you to what will become (we promise!) your most favorite page!
Well it's a long list to tell EVERYTHING but we'll tell you some of the main points!
List of participants: You'll find a list of all the people who have signed up on this page. Beside each participant is a list of handy tools. You can: 
Remove a participant from the event: Sometimes people have to drop out of events. When they let you know this, just click this link by their name and you will take them off the list. You also use this after the picture posting deadline to remove participants who have not posted pictures of their FINISHED items.
Email the participant: If you wish to email a single participant, you can use the link by their name. There is also a link to email the entire group at once, but comes later when we discuss the ADMIN tool page.
A list of the participants past partners: Because IFQ is about making LOTS of new friends around the world, we like to make sure that people are always being assigned to new partners so they can form new friendships. Clicking on this link will give you a list of their events and the partners they were assigned.
Assigning a partner: After the picture posting deadline, and after you have removed the people who have not posted, you will assign partners (unless yours is a download only event). This is the link you will use.
Assigning a Team: If your event is a team event, you'll find a link to allow you to create and assign participants to team.
As if this weren't enough - you also have the: ADMIN TOOL BAR. This is a handy bar at the top of the page that opens up to give you even MORE tools! Here you can:
Print out a worksheet: A great tool to use when assigning partners. Our hosts generally like to assign first on paper since it's easier to make changes and then input the assignments.
Send an email to the group: This is a good tool to use when you want to remind the group of the picture posting
deadline or mailing deadline. This is ONLY to be used for event purposes.
Resend sign up confirmation email: Sometimes members lose the email that was sent to them when they signed up and often that can have important information in it. You can easily resend this email to a participant by using this link.
A list of the event's key dates: A click will bring up the event's dates if you need a quick reminder.
Open the picture posting and gallery: The picture posting is NOT to be opened before the sign ups begin. This button will open the sign ups and the gallery (the picture posting link will soon be automated). If your event has a HIDDEN GALLERY, do NOT use this link. James will open the picture posting.
Reveal Partner Link: This is to be clicked AFTER you have assigned the partners AND double checked several times. Both hosts should double check this (you can cause A LOT of disappointment if you assign someone twice and miss another one!). When you click this, the link will appear for participants who were assigned partners and are logged into the IFQ website. At this point, you should also post in your event forum that the link is up.
What do I do as host?
PRESIGN UP PERIOD
Before the sign up period, we ask that, when you are emailed the link to the pending event page and a copy of the confirmation email, you take the time to read both very carefully, looking for possible typos and confirming that it makes sense. James has to write a lot of pages for IFQ and sometimes she misses something if it's midnight, she's already done 6 pages and has 4 more to go before bed! We rely on you as hosts to be the final eyes over the page and the email.
SIGN UP PERIOD
During this period, you will receive notification when a member signs up. This is for informational purposes only. 
You do NOT have to reply to these.
Please check the forum often and answer any questions that may come up. If you are emailed any questions, please respond to them. Any mail going to the event email address will also go to your co-host, so, as a courtesy to them, please let them know that you have responded. An easy way to do this is to put the event email in the carbon copy box of the email (CC) and then we will all know that the question has been answered.
During this time, you may receive requests for another copy of the confirmation email. You can send that to the participant through the admin page.
If a member asks to be taken out of the event, you can also do this through the admin page.
PICTURE POSTING
During the time between the sign up closing date and the picture posting deadline, your participants will be busy working away on their items. They may have questions during this time period, so keep a 
special eye on the forum.
This is a good time to schedule an event chat too! Just let James know and she'll help you pick a date.
A few days to a week before the picture posting deadline, it is a good idea to send out a reminder email (done also from the admin page) to the entire group.
Some hosts send an email a week ahead of time and then two days or the day before the deadline.
If people have trouble posting pictures, please help them. Generally, there problem is that the file is too big or it is the wrong type of file - it must end with ".jpg" or ".gif". You can check our picture posting prep page too. If you are still stumped, please have them send the picture to the event email address and I'll try to help with it. But if they wait until the last minute, I probably won't be able to get to it in time. Keep on top of your participants since we hate to have ANYONE miss any of the IFQ fun!
The picture posting deadline is absolute. There are no exceptions. You, as a host, are expected to honor this. If you do not, you will not be asked to host another IFQ event. This has been put into place as an effort to prevent disappointment as best we can and we are firm on this.
Remember that each participant MUST post a picture of EACH item (if they signed up 7 times, then pictures of 7 items) and the item MUST BE FINISHED. Some participants have posted partially finished items and that is not acceptable. If you see this in the gallery, please inform the participant that you need a picture of the finished item by the picture posting deadline.
PARTNER ASSIGNMENT
Now the fun part! If yours is an exchange event, you get to assign partners and perhaps teams. Here are the steps.
told you it would be handy!)Let's get those packages in the mail!
OK, the first thing you want to do, to make your life MUCH easier, is to go into your event forum and create two new topics (if you are an exchange event with no teams) - SENT and RECEIVED. Please ask your members to post when
they have sent their package and when they have received a package there. You'll want to have this information in just two topics because it is much easier to find this way!
If you are hosting an event with teams, please create a topic in your forum for each team so they can post within the team topic.
AND - you can use your handy worksheet AGAIN to tick off who has sent and received items.
Again, you may have to remind your participants to get their items in the mail before the mailing deadline. Some members have been a bit lax on this and it has caused disappointment for their partners and we don't want that!
Some events don't have all of the steps above. The most important part of being a host is to know where the event 
stands at all times and to be there to answer member's questions. Of couse, James is always available to help too!
IFQ Event Hosts are a special group and we are always glad to welcome new people into this group. You'll find that there are lots of event hosts who are more than happy to help guide you if you have questions. And it's a wonderful way to get to know a lot of IFQ members! If you are interesting in hosting an event, please use the sign up form below.
If you have a specific event in mind, we'd love to hear about it. We've compiled a set of guide questions to let you know the information we will need. Click here to go to the Event Submission Page.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE PUT ON THIS LIST OF IFQ HOSTS?
Please fill in the form below.
All fields are required