Participation level:
- Medium (Opinions noted)
Innovation level:
- High (Innovative)
Facilitator skill level, and other support required:
- High (Specialist skills)
- Medium (Computer & other expertise)
Can be used for:
- Showcase product, plan, policy
- Engage community
- Discover community issues
- Communicate an issue
Community fairs provide a fun venue that will draw a crowd of all ages and backgrounds, and then use many different ways to inform and engage the participants on a community issue.
The community fair will raise awareness of an issue or proposal, and provide a venue for collecting contact details and getting signatories to any submissions or alternate proposals. (See the case study linked at the end of the page; a proposal was opposed on environmental grounds, and the community fair was a focal point for raising public awareness).
- Focuses public attention on an issue.
- Can create interest from media groups and lead to increased coverage of the issue.
- Allows for different levels of information sharing.
- Builds social capital, that is, people who are more willing and able to participate in community decision-making and management.
- The public must be motivated to attend.
- Fairs can be expensive to do well.
- The project's reputation can be damaged if the fair is not done well.(IAP2)
Organizing Community Fair
How many people to organize?
- Medium (2-12 people)
Time required:
- Medium (6 weeks-6 months)
- Short (< 6 weeks)
Cost:
- High (> AUD$10,000)
- Medium (AUD$1,000-AUD$10,000)
- Select a date and venue that will encourage the greatest number of participants to attend (generally weekends or public holidays). Liaise with key groups to avoid clashes.
- Arrange for a number of activities and events of interest to various groups in the community (i.e. all ages, children, young people, adults, the elderly)
- Provide low cost or free activities (rides, sausage sizzles etc.) to encourage attendance.
- Advertise and publicise the event with emphasis on the issue to be considered. Advertise starting and closing times.
- Provide adequate staffing and consider the employment of volunteers.
- Determine appropriate consultative activities for the fair. Organise the necessary duty of care and insurance issues.
- Consider employment of an events manager.
- Develop a plan of the site, and ensure all those participating know where they are to go. Consider some form of marking out sites (tape or stakes).
- Prepare a traffic plan for trucks/cars etcetera, including a site for parking.
- Allow adequate time for setting up.
- On the day, ensure that coordinators circulate to assist participants to focus on the major issue and to Facilitate Participation.