Helpful Hints and To do List For Starting A Tea Party

Print this page and use as a guide to help you organize your event. Download a Tax Day Tea Party banner for your website.

1. Event
   • Pick your Tax Day Tea Party event date, April 15th 2010 is on a Thursday.
   • Select your event begin and end times, 2-3 hours is best.
   • Events on Tea Party Patriots are added to a Tea Party group. So create your group if it does not already exist.
   • After your group is added enter your event information here on Tea Party Patriots so people can find you.
2. Location
   • IMPORTANT! Get your location permits now, some cities and counties have lengthy permit processes. It is important to start this process immediately. Start by contacting your city hall, mayors office or county courthouse.
   • Ask if insurance is required.
   • Talk to local law enforcement.
   • Consider available parking.
   • Check for nearby bathroom facilities.
   • Check for nearby electricity.
   • Ask if you are allowed to build or bring a stage.
   • Consider alternate locations in the event of rain.
   • Determine if there is an internet connection for streaming live feeds of the event.
3. Speakers
   • Consider having 5-8 speakers.
   • Quality speakers that engage the crowd is important.
   • Speakers should elicit responses from the crowd often.
   • Note: Most people do not want to have politicians speaking at Tea Party events.
   • CL Bryant is an example of a great Tea Party Patriots speaker who energizes the crowd. If you would like to have CL Bryant at your event, send an email requesting information.
4. Other Activites
   • Find a band that can play patriotic tunes.
   • Break up the speakers with patriotic music.
   • Pick a child or group of children from the crowd to lead the pledge of allegience.
   • Get the name and contact information for everyone who attends so you can add them to your email lists.
   • Consider having a live audio or video feed of your event.
   • Enter the URL/CODE for your audio or video live feed widget into the live feed module on Tea Party Patriots. (Coming Soon)
   • Consider gathering items for a local charity. Solider angels is great cause as well.
   • Consider setting up a letter writing booth.
   • Consider having petitions available.
   • Hand out local or Tea Party Patriot literature with instructions for people who want to get involved.
   • Consider having concessions.
   • Consider setting up a Be Heard booth. A Be Heard booth allows people to be interviewed on camera, audio or local radio voicing their concerns. This can be a side attraction put on by a local radio or TV station or just a volunteer with equipment. Hold it while the speakers are speaking. Also have the speakers go through the Be Heard booth.
   • Announce the Be Heard booth at the beginning of the event.
   • Announce that you will pick 3 of the most passionate participants from the Be Heard booth to speak for 5 minutes on stage.
   • Consider holding a sign making party in the days leading up to the event.
   • Ask a professional photographer or videographer to create a DVD of the event that you can sell as a fundraiser.
5. Marketing
   Note: Some of this requires funds be available, but there are many free ways to promote the event.
   • Design and sell t-shirts. Tea Party Patriots has t-shirts that you can sell as well.
   • Find out if any conservative talk show hosts will hold a Tea Party call in show in the days immediately before the event.
   • Call in to the local conservative talk show programs to promote the event.
   • In the weeks before the event organize neighborhood canvass groups to put fliers on doors.
   • Build a website, or you can use the one provided for your group here on Tea Party Patriots.
   • Cross promote your event with other groups in your region or state be exchanging links on websites.
   • Hold signs on sidewalks advertising the event.
   • Go to the websites for local businesses and organizations such as newspapers, join their forums and post entries announcing the event.
   • Contact local conservative bloggers who would be willing to write about your event.
   • Write a press release about your event one month out. Send a reminder press release ten days out.
   • Write to the newspaper op-eds about your event.
   • Add the event to your local chamber of commerces online event calendar.
   • Add the event to your local Convention and Tourist Bureaus online event calendar.
   • Add the event to your cities online event calendars.
   • Add the event to your cities public announement shows.
   • Add the event to television stations public event calendars.
   • Billboard and Radio are two types of advertising that are affordable and work.
   • Craigslist - Free postings under "Community," and then either "Events" or "Politics." Keep your listings current every few days for best results.
   • Facebook - Create a local group and an "event," so you can begin inviting people and promoting your event.
   • Radio - Reach out to local or regional friendly talk radio hosts. See if they will promote your event, or broadcast live from your event. In smaller communities, radio advertising may be cost effective as well.
6. Fundraising
   • Collect donations from attendees at events.
   • Local corporate event sponsors.
   • Create a PayPal account so you can accept credit card donations. Add PayPal donate button on your website.
   • Some people prefer to mail in checks, so make sure you have an address where checks can be sent.
7. Volunteers
   • Find volunteers from your online networks.
   • Use some of the Marketing ideas from above to find volunteers.
   • Provide volunteers with a free t-shirt.
8. After the Event
   • IMPORTANT! Find your event page here on Tea Party Patriots and enter the attendance numbers. (To find your event, login and click on My Account > Events then enter the attendance numbers.)
   • Upload your videos and photos to your online albums.
   • Share your video and photo links here on Tea Party Patriots. (Feature coming soon)
   • Send thank you letters to all who volunteered for your event, especially your speakers.