Sample Café Timeline

3 Months Before

• Define the goals for your Science Café.
• Check out other cafés, in person (check out Find a Café for the café nearest you) or online at Café Stories and Science Cafés in the News.
• Consider the audience that your café will serve.
• Develop a budget and consider funding sources as needed.
• Contact potential sponsors, community groups, and/or partners to generate support for your café.
• Search for a moderator if you are not going to moderate the café.
• Choose a venue (visit in person if possible), and set a date and time for the event.
• Select topics for the first two café events.
• Name your café and register it (http://sciencecafes.org/register) to join the online community and get access to in-depth information. (You can always change the name later!)

2 Months Before

• Investigate potential guest scientists for the first two café events.
• Choose a moderator and confirm his or her participation.
• Create Facebook and Twitter pages, and/or website for your café.
• Select guest scientist(s) for the first two events and invite them to present.
• Consider and plan how you would like to evaluate the cafés.

1 Month Before

• Consider any audiovisual needs you will have.
• Develop a promotion plan.
• Reconfirm date, time, and other arrangements with the venue.
• Confirm the guest scientist’s availability and participation. Request his or her bio and contact information as well as any links to videos or multimedia (but NOT PowerPoints!)
• Develop text for email invitations, calendar listings, flyers etc. to promote your café.
• Share promotional information to partner organizations.
• Send out online invitations via email, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media.
• Send out calendar listings to as many online and print publications as possible

1 Week Before

• Repeat online invitations via email, Facebook, and other social media.
• Prepare handouts, trivia questions, etc. as needed.
• Create a survey form and make copies.
• Check in to verify that the guest scientist is ready, share the schedule, and to help with any last-minute needs or questions.
• Confirm the schedule with the moderator.
• Gather all supplies needed for the café, including: audiovisual equipment, sign-in sheet and evaluation forms, pens and pencils, and NOVA scienceNOW DVD.
• Send out reminder online invitations.
• Don’t get nervous—get excited instead!

Day of the Cafe

• Arrive at the venue, arrange the furniture, and set up audiovisual equipment.
• Check sound levels and cue up the DVD.
• Make sure any refreshments you’ve arranged will be ready.
• Introduce the moderator and guest scientist to each other; chat together over drinks or appetizers.
• Greet early arrivals.
• Prepare/distribute the sign-in sheet.
• Let the crowd know that the event will be starting soon.
• Don’t fret about starting exactly on time, but don’t stray too far from the schedule.

Enjoy!