How to Host an Instructables Show and Tell

This is a guide for running an Instructables Show and Tell. It is based primarily on an event held at Instructables on Friday, March 9, 2007, but also on the previous incarnation of this event, the Squid Labs Light Salons.

The goal of a Show and Tell is to bring like-minded people together in person to share their projects, ideas, and knowledge.

Step 1 Set a date, set the schedule, and advertise

Choose a date that's best for the host. Our events have been drawing 50-100 people and running around 4 hours, from 7 PM - 11 PM. Weekday evenings conflict less with social events, while weekend evenings are more schoolchildren-friendly. We usually pick a Friday or Saturday evening.

Here's the schedule we've been using
7 - 8 PM : mingle and eat snacks; sign up to present a project
8 - 9:30 : Show and Tell
9:30 - 11 : mingle, finish the snacks

The Squid Labs Light Salon was initially advertised among our personal emails lists and the MIT Club of Northern California's mailing list. Over time we collected enough people to start our own Salon mailing list, and eventually people would hear about the event and ask to be added to that list. This time around we added the notice here on Instructables to the mix.

Comments

[Kiteman]

Looks like a lot of fun. It's tempting to run one over here, but I live on the edge of nowhere.

[Goodhart]

I live in Amish country....you can't much more "non-techie" then that LOL

[Warlrosity]

What about australia?

[Kryptonite]

I think Australia is fairly advanced, where do you live?

[Warlrosity]

Oh, no, I mean we are yery advanced and such, but like we dont have such a large maker community. Oh me? Victoria! Northen Suburbs baby! B.O.G.A.N YEEAH

[Kryptonite]

*glare*
*slap*
East Gipsland, for the win!

No I haven't actually been to the Northern Suburns but I used to live in Bairnsdale.

I like Jaycar, sadly DickSmith has been bought out by Woolworths, and their supply of useful things are lacking, seriously lacking.

[Warlrosity]

Oh, LA-DEE-DAH East Gippsland! With your legal medication, and 2 bedrooms! HMPH!

[Goodhart]

Do they Purposely avoid anything electrical or gasoline powered? The Amish do. No phones (unless not located on their own property, they can use payphones; O_o ), no vehicles driven by gasoline, no electricity to the house, no cell phones, etc.

[Warlrosity]

No offence, I mean. I just meant well, you are In america, you have radioshack. I hope I havent offended you.

[Goodhart]

No offense taken :-) I just meant that my area, despite the city being only a block or so away, only recently got rid of computer Punch cards, as compared to the rest of the nation that was using midframes, while the company I worked for was still filling a room with a computer that didn't have the computing power of my current desktop :-)

The Amish, however, shun ALL technology (they can use it but can't own it....which to me is silly, but whatever :-)

And Radio Shack? Well, you can buy devices there, one could at one time buy all KINDS of parts (IC's, etc.) but no longer. They have a little drawer with a few stock parts in it. *sigh*. I have to get ALL my stuff Mail Order now.

As far as Altoids tins are concerned, they are certainly a nice size fora project box, if you don't mind it being metal. I get a LOT of my plastic project boxes from All Electronics and the Electronic Gold Mine (again, mail order).

[Warlrosity]

Oh ok then, but... how do you still have a computer?

[Goodhart]

I am not an Amishman LOL Some people in the area have imported technology into their homes and businesses, but the area is backwards still on the whole. My computer is an old Gateway ;-)

[Warlrosity]

I see

[Warlrosity]

And you have altiods tins

[stasterisk]

Looks like you've been wanting to start something up for a while, Kiteman!

[Kiteman]

Hello?

You following me, Star?? ;-)

_{That is a wink, by the way}

[Zujus]

Don't be so sad. :) You live in England ;) I live in Lithuania... So my nowhere are more deeper then yours. :D

[duck-lemon]

Ooh ooh my friend nick (nicola(boys name)) comes from Croatia and for some reason he always mention Lithuania.

[gyromild]

So my nowhere are more deeper then yours. :D

Tell me about it :D

[Goodhart]

The one I had thought about last year, that I wanted to do THIS year, is not going to pan out, unless some very weird things happen :-)

[mg0930mg]

Would you mind doing one in Jersey??? ;D

[Labot2001]

Looks like loads of fun! Is the Show & Tell open to any Ibles member who wants to go, or do you have to be special?

[ewilhelm]

So far, anyone who wants to show up has been welcome.

[Labot2001]

cool! is it in CA, then?

[TheMadScientist]

where did the rubber-chicken gong mallet come from?

[ewilhelm]

A piece of steel and a rubber chicken...?

[Vendigroth]

wish i'd gone to Squid Labs...

[royalestel]

!stnih eht rof sknahT