Fundraisers, church picnics, craft fairs, debates, media interviews, parades and meetings with community leaders – These are just a few of the events and commitments in which a successful candidate must engage to successfully introduce themselves to the voters.
The candidate cannot adequately put all of these pieces together and at the same time run for office. They need help.
Continuing our series about the roles within a campaign, we review the tools and skills a candidate should look for in a good event coordinator and/or scheduler.
The event coordinator will set up the campaign events, help recruit volunteers to participate, and make sure the campaign has the needed collateral materials whenever and wherever they are needed. They also accept and decline invitations on behalf of the candidate.
This position is vital to making sure that the campaign is in attendance and represented well at all the major events. They make sure the campaign looks and feels professional while ensuring the most efficient and effective use of the candidate’s time.
They should be an organized individual, immersed in the district’s political activities. They need to know or be able to find out important details about events to which the candidate is—or could be—invited, including, attendance numbers, and average ideological lean of attendees for the events. They should also be likable and adept at securing volunteers to help run events and represent the candidate.
Similar to the campaign manager, it is vital that the person in this role is organized and knowledgeable. They should also be very adept at handling people, and telling them “no”. Since a candidate may deal with conflicting invitations, it is the scheduler’s responsibility to tactfully turn down unnecessary engagements.
A strong event coordinator, familiar with the area and events, can make or break the momentum of the team. A candidate should be able to depend completely on this person and trust them to pick the right events at the right time. For more insight on what every candidate needs to build a strong campaign team, visit our previous installments in this series!