Wisconsin Farm Technology Days - Timeline

Revised 1.22.15_Final Wisconsin Farm Technology Days - Timeline

Note: This timeline is very specific, this timeline could change as educational activities and/or FTD procedures change, therefore, this timeline can be flexible.

ANRE = Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension WFTD = Wisconsin Farm Technology Days CALS = College of Agriculture and Life Sciences PP = Progress Pavilion APD = Associate Program Director ATC = Applied Technology Center PA = Program Assistant

Timing – when it Activity – what needs to be done Responsibility – who needs to Additional needs to be done make sure it gets done comments 2 years prior to event Identify Education Coordinating APD with assistance from the September/October Committee Co-chairs. Usually an past year’s co-chairs and ANRE Agent/Educator and a State exhibitors AND the host Agent Specialist (Executive Secretary for corresponding WFTD) 2 years prior to event Identify possible Education Co-chairs working with host Coordinating Committee Agent, APD and ANRE PA September/October members and contact them to see if they would be willing to be on the committee – obtain their name, address, phone, e-mail address, etc. 1 yr prior to event Develop e-mail list serve for ANRE PA Education Coordinating Committee 1 to 1 ½ yrs prior to Organize a face-to-face Committee members, Co- event meeting(s) of the Education chairs, APD and ANRE PA Coordinating Committee; begin and finalize discussions of the educational themes & educational thrusts the host county and Educational Coordinating Committee would like to see at their event; 1 to 1 ½ years prior to Provide information about Co-chairs This information is event planned educational themes and used in promotional efforts to host county WFTD brochures Executive Committee January of event Promote, encourage and solicit For ATC: Co-chairs, theme year /prior to event exhibits and exhibitor coordinators and committee participation for PP and ATC members; For PP: ANRE PA, (and/or theme tents) APD, Co-chairs One year prior to the Call for lodging for the next year’s ANRE PA event event – lodging for State Specialists, ANRE PA, APD & some County Agents that will be coming to help out One year prior to Co-chairs are strongly Co-chairs and possibly ATC Are there exhibits to event - the WFTD prior encouraged to go to the current theme coordinators invite back next year? to the event being year’s WFTD to learn about the Are there exhibits planned process, view exhibits, signage, that show promise, PP and ATC tent set up, etc. but could be improved? No later than January Add Lorre Kolb to the WFTD ANRE PA prior to event teleconference list to help with media work (ATC and PP) No later than January Work with the Educ Committee Co-Chairs, Committee and APD prior to event (6-8 where the PP and ATC (and/or mos before event) other theme tents) will be located in Tent City January prior to event Make budget request to Dean of ANRE PA See example letters (6-8 mos before Cooperative Extension, Dean to Rick, WFTD Inc. & event) UW-Madison CALS, Wisconsin CALS; get amounts Farm Technology Days and correct County WFTD Executive Committee January prior to event Plan size of PP and ATC (and/or Co-chairs, theme tent other theme tents) coordinators, committee January prior to event Work with UW-Extension ANRE PA Get started early on Purchasing to initiate sole service this! provider for Freeman Decorating Freeman Decorating - Display Units used in PP January prior to event Contact previous year’s Progress ANRE PA See examples from Pavilion exhibitors to see previous year whether they are planning to exhibit at this year’s event

6 months prior to Discuss decorations for PP and Committee Contact host county event ATC (and/or theme tent(s)) Master Gardeners? February/March entrances. Does the committee want to contact the host county Master Gardeners to help with decorations? (cover costs?)

6 months prior to Make final decisions on any new Committee, ATC theme If necessary get bids show outdoor signs and sign wording. coordinators, Co-chairs, APD for work that needs February/March Order signs and/or banners to be done 6 to 4 months prior to If there are any new Progress ANRE PA working with APD Freeman Decorating show Pavilion Exhibitors that will be using the display units, order new display signage through Freeman Decorating 6 months prior to Work with Lorre Kolb on publicity Co-chairs, ATC theme Try to obtain a show strategy – communicate themes coordinators, APD and ANRE paragraph February/March and events; decide what exhibits PA summarizing each to highlight at media day, etc. exhibit – provide at media day and use in other promotional efforts 4-6 months prior to Work with Lorre and local Co-chairs and APD event publicity committee to get information about the ATC and PP into the official WFTD Bulletin 8 – 6 months prior to Obtain from exhibitors their ANRE PA Exhibitor materials event tables, chairs, stools, etc. needs – Request Form (for An Exhibitor Materials Request each exhibitor) Form should be completed for each exhibit 8-6 months prior to Completed Exhibitor Materials ANRE PA event Request Form and Tent Summary Request Form for the ATC and PP Put into Tent maps 5-3 months prior to Prepare ATC and PP order for ANRE PA Send to Matt Glewen event Briggs 5 to 3 months prior to Develop layouts for ATC and PP. Committee and Co-chairs; event For ATC, inside tent and outside ANRE PA and APD areas; For PP inside of tent - exhibit spaces

3 months prior to Develop electrical layout for ATC For ATC – Committee and Co- Send electrical event and PP chairs; layouts to Ron For PP: ANRE PA and APD Schuler, Anna and Chuck Maenner – examples available. Media Day Attend event, meet WFTD Lorre Kolb, Co-chairs, APD and Highlight as many committee chairs (signs, grounds, ANRE PA theme tents/exhibits etc). Meet and work with media as possible. Provide to highlight ATC and PP – themes, written summary for special features, individual each exhibit so media exhibits, etc. can look through at later dates for story ideas. Media Day Try to arrange for a skid steer and Co-Chairs and APD Skid steer needs to safety cage for putting up the be able to raise high banners in the PP and ATC yet be low enough to get into the tents 2 to 1 month prior to If local Master Gardeners are For ATC: Co-chairs and theme event going to be involved, follow up to coordinators; discuss entrance decorations For PP: Co-chairs, ANRE PA and APD 2 months to 6 weeks Establish date to stake out the Co-chairs, ATC theme Try to arrange for a prior to the event ATC area and tent (and/or theme coordinators, Committee and lot of extra help on tents) and PP APD one main set up day – usually Thursday prior to the event so that Friday can serve as a rain date 2 months to 6 weeks Develop parking pass list of ATC ANRE PA complete summary Send summary pass prior to event (and/or theme tent) and PP for ATC and PP list with admission exhibitors and volunteers – tickets and parking number of exhibitor admission pass requests to tickets and parking passes Anna and/or Chuck at needed etc. WFTD

Don’t forget entrance and parking tickets for Co-chairs, Deans office admin, chancellor, Info specialist 1 month prior to show Contact the host county FTD sign Co-chairs, ANRE PA and/or (or at Media Day if committee chair – inform APD he/she is there) him/her about the two sign boxes and other items that should have come from the prior year’s show. Request that boxes, etc. be delivered to the PP and/or ATC tents on site 1 month prior to event Contact grounds committee - APD or Co-chairs arrange for a forklift at host farm site – to unload materials from Freeman Decorating truck(s) 1 month prior to event Develop signs for signage to go Co-chairs and APD on sandwich boards highlighting the exhibits in the PR and ATC 2 weeks prior to event Contact Sevie Kenyon in CALS APD and/or ANRE PA Communications (BSE Building) about getting CALS logo plaques for PP display units 2 weeks prior to event Send entrance tickets and ANRE PA sends to PP & ATC (1 parking passes to all exhibitors contact person for each and volunteers exhibit) exhibitors admission tickets and parking passes te the admission tickets and parking passes to the exhibitors and volunteers in their theme area 2 to 1 week prior to Make name tags for Extension ANRE PA event Specialists, ATC exhibitors and volunteers. We do not need to make name tags for PP agency partners Thursday and/or Stake out the ATC and the PP for Committee, Co-chairs, APD and APD often buys Friday the week the exhibits – need 200’-300’ possibly ANRE PA lunch! before the event - tape measure, flags, garden after you know the PP stakes or lath for exhibitor sign and ATC tents are up cards, staple gun, staples, markers, etc. Thursday and/or Locate the sign boxes – Committee, Co-chairs and APD The grey tub with Friday the week containing the ATC and PP signs, blue tub containing before the event PP tent city directional signs and the banner brackets the PP exhibit signs that should should also be there have been delivered from the previous year’s sign committee Thursday and/or Make arrangements with the FTD Committee, Co-chairs, ATC Friday the week sign committee to have the theme coordinators and APD before the event signage for the ATC and PP mounted on 4x4 posts outside of the ATC area and PP (on each corner at about a 45 degree angle-for sight lines) Thursday and/or Make arrangements with Briggs Co-chairs and APD Friday the week to place the tables and chairs in before the event the ATC and PP tent exhibitor spaces Thursday and/or Hang the UW-Extension banners Co-chairs and APD Want to have the Friday the week and PP partner banners up in the bottom of the before the event ATC and PP. banners about 8’6” Special equipment is needed for from the ground this –apple picker type skid steer. Make arrangements for skid steer and driver. Safety first! Thursday and/or If available, order wood chips or Co-chairs, ATC theme Friday the week wood shavings for the entry ways coordinators and APD before the event to the PP and ATC; spread the chips/shavings around, as needed bury electrical lines Monday morning, Make sure each exhibit in the PP Co-chairs, ATC theme prior to the event and ATC has the exhibit materials coordinators, committee and requested – large exhibit APD backdrops, central storage cabinets with side tables, tables, chairs, tall stools etc. Make sure each ATC (and/or theme tent) exhibitor has the tables, chairs and/or stools requested and that any staging etc. is correct; check that required electric is available; internet service Monday morning, Prepare the entrances to the PP Co-chairs, ATC theme prior to the event and ATC tent/area – wood chips coordinators, committee and and/or shavings, decorations, APD signage, etc.; Clean and if needed paint the 4x4 sign posts outside of the Progress Pavilion and ATC Monday morning, Optional: At various locations Co-chairs and APD prior to event around tent city mount the Progress Pavilion directional signs on corner posts – jot down where the signs have been placed (makes it much easier to find them after the show)

Thursday and/or Take the ATC and PP exhibitor Co-chairs, APD or ANRE PA This pass list is Friday (at the latest and volunteer pass list to the FTD needed for insurance Monday) prior to the headquarters – give to Anna, purposes and/or in event Chuck and/or WFTD General case one of the Manager. Note: If the pass list is persons needs to be not complete for all exhibitors found for emergency and/or volunteers, try to obtain reasons this information from those exhibits that are missing – just take the additions to the FTD headquarters – staple additions to the original Monday, prior to the Welcome the exhibitors to the Co-chairs, ATC theme event ATC and PP – help as needed coordinators, Committee, ANRE PA and APD Monday, after the Close the tent flaps down on the Tents are more likely exhibitors are in place ATC and PP tents to collapse in a storm if tent flaps are not down Monday P.M. Attend the FTD Banquet All that are invited – it varies During event Obtain information about ANRE PA APD Lodging can possible lodging for the next disappear fast! year’s show – make lodging reservations for APD, Co-chairs, ANRE PA, Specialists, etc. During event – Open entrances to the ATC and Co-chairs, ATC theme mornings prior to PP; pick up any trash from the coordinators and/or APD opening previous day, clean tables in the center of the PP, etc. Make available toweling and cleaning materials During event – at If it is dusty, ask the grounds Co-chairs and/or APD Wetting the shavings about closing crew to wet down the wood down will make the shavings/chips during the night tents less dusty the next day During event – at On at least the first night, suggest Co-chairs and/or APD If a storm comes up about closing to exhibitors that they lay down and there are strong all stand up exhibits, box up or winds, all will be glad weight down handout materials, this was done etc. During event – after Close PP and ATC tents down Committee, ATC theme closing completely – if a storm comes up, coordinators, Co-chairs, it is best to have tents completely exhibitors and/or APD closed down Last day of event – Take down CALS and UW- Committee, Co-chairs and APD Bring back to after closing Extension Logos and all banners Madison Last day of event – Take down exhibit name signs Co-chairs and/or APD Place in box to go to after closing from the Freeman Display units the next county Last day of event – Take down PP directional signs (if Co-chairs and/or APD Place in box to go to after closing they were put up) the next county Last day of event – Take down the large PP and ATC Co-chairs and/or APD – Place in box to go to after closing or soon signs from outside of the PP tent probably instruct sign the next county after and ATC area committee, host ANRE Agent and/or WFTD staff to make sure they understand what needs to be done Within 1 week after Return CALS logo signs to Sevie Co-chairs, APD and/or ANRE PA the event Kenyon – CALS Communications Office Within 1 month after Complete FTD wrap-up report Co-chairs with input from ATC Provide copies to the event theme coordinators, host Agent, APD, next committee members, host county ANRE exhibitors, ANRE PA and APD Agent and next ECC Within 1 month after Complete financial wrap up – APD, ANRE PA the event process all approved reimbursement requests - from exhibitors, Freeman Decorating, etc.

Additional notes:

1. Things to bring to Farm Technology Days - 2-300’ measuring tape - flags - garden stakes/lath - possibly a saw to cut lath - 4”x 6” cards - garden rakes for chips - interior screws (#6 1 ¼”) for Progress Pavilion directional signs - Phillips screw drivers - several rolls of toweling - windex (cleaning material) - liquid soap - small bucket/pail - handiwipes/cloths for cleaning - staple guns - staples - wire - wire cutter - small vice grips - hatchet with hammer head - Velcro - duct tape - hammers - 16’ ladder (Dave’s?) - level (for signage) - shovel (bury electric lines) - several maps of ATC and PP layouts (in plastic sheaths or laminated) - strip ties for securing banner brackets (100 per year)

2. For local county Master Gardener Exhibit – inform the coordinator(s) of the exhibit that the exhibit should not be any more than 14 feet wide (need to check this). On the PP map this exhibit outline should be longer than wider (in the tent). We don’t want to skimp on room for people walking inside the Progress Pavilion. 3. Based on a negotiated agreement, the tram loading area for field demos and farm tours must be located at the edge of tent city adjacent to the ag education tents.