WOD Leader
Event Planning Guide
The Women of Denver
www.thewomenofdenver.com
WOD Leader
2015 Leadership Guide
A Platform to Lead
WOD Leaders facilitate meetings by creating a supportive, energetic, and welcoming
environment. As a WOD Leader, it’s your job to facilitate the growth and development of
others during events and represent the WOD vision.
Being a WOD Leader has several benefits:
▪ Opportunities to grow as a public speaker, trainer and facilitator.
▪ A platform to build your brand as a thought-leader.
▪ Authority and influence that leads to greater credibility as a professional.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, or in a corporate career, WOD Leadership can help
you build your influence and develop a powerful network of Denver leaders.
The Ideal WOD Leader
WOD Leaders do not need to be experienced facilitators, but they should embody these
characteristics.
▪ Be a connector - look others in the eyes, use their names, be happy to see them.
▪ Be vulnerable - accept others without judgment, and bring positive intent.
▪ Listen first, then share – always put the needs of others first.
▪ Be value focused - the more value you give to others, the more you’ll get back.
Planning and Scheduling
An event planning form is provided in this workbook to assist in developing your event.
If you’re interested in facilitating a Women of Denver event, submit an event plan to
Krystal Covington at [email protected] or fill out the form on our
workshop page.
You will be contacted to discuss details, and determine the appropriate date and
location for your event.
Our Events
Women of Denver events are hosted by leaders who care about helping women grow.
Each event offers a learning opportunity as well as discussions and exercises to help
women build connections during the event.
The goal is for each guest to learn something new and connect with at least one person
who can be a mentor or supporter on her journey.
WOD Leaders do not need to be female. Men are welcome to lead and attend Women
of Denver events.
To review previous events check our event recaps.
Event Topics
Events can cover a wide range of topics including leadership, success, prosperity, and
well-being. Most of our guests are entrepreneurs, so business related topics are
especially popular.
Event Structure
WOD Leaders are given creative freedom to develop their event, but the structure
should remain the same.
Each event should begin with a high-energy icebreaker that allows guests to get to
know each other. The event must also include discussions or activities that engage
guests as a group. The #1 goal is always to facilitate connection. The information is
always second to the overall experience.
IceBreakers
The goal of an icebreaker is to kick off the event with energy and connection. A wellexecuted icebreaker builds the energy in the room and allows guests to feel that
everyone in the room is accessible to them.
Simple Icebreaker – Ask each guest to stand, face the crowd, and tell their name and
what they would like to ultimately take away from the event.
Complex Icebreaker – Give each attendee a piece of paper and ask them to write their
name and one thing that is special about them. Then request that they ball the paper up
and throw it upwards and away from them. After that, each person will pick up a ball that
isn’t theirs. Finally, each guest will stand, state their name, and read the piece of paper
they have in front of them. The other person will identify themselves with a wave.
Activities
The goal of activities is to give guests a chance to connect with others in the room,
while also putting to use the knowledge they are learning from the WOD Leader.
Activities can be as simple as discussing a brief topic with the people at their table, as
complex as a worksheet that is completed as a team.
Simple Activity – Ask a question related to the event topic and open up to the entire
room for responses. Try to engage as many guests as possible in the discussion.
Complex Activity – Ask attendees to count themselves off into small groups and find a
location for their group to congregate. Give the group an exploratory activity to complete
that will require them to receive feedback from one another or work as a group to
accomplish a task.
Follow-Up
Event follow-up is essential. You are welcome to bring a sign-up sheet for your personal
mailing list or you can craft a message and send it through the Meetup portal.
Your follow-up should thank guests for attending the event, remind them of who you are
and what you do, and tell them how they can get in contact with you in the future.
A nice additional touch is to add links to resources discussed during the event.
WOD Leader
ICEBREAKER
Lecture 1
Exercise/activity 1
Lecture 2
Exercise/activity 2
Closing