A health fair is an event
where organizations have an opportunity to disseminate health information to
the public at booths and/or to provide health screenings.
Health fairs are usually
co-sponsored by groups, including hospitals, churches, sororities, and
community organizations. They may last anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
This document will give
you planning tips on how to coordinate a health fair in your community.
Ten Planning Steps
1.
Develop
a budget and form a committee. Check on legal requirements, insurance coverage,
and waiver forms for your organization.
Establish operating rules, including
reimbursement procedures, status reports, sponsor support, storage locations
for materials/donations, and committee member back-up.
Delegate
responsibilities, including those related to obtaining clearances, security,
transportation, parking, vendor recruitment, publicity and other printed
materials, volunteer recruitment, refreshments, vendor lunches, display setup/breakdown/cleaning,
contracts, donations, and insurance. Establish milestones and timelines.
2.
Determine
the date and confirm the location. Identify a guest speaker for opening remarks
at the kick-off ceremony.
3. Initiate
logistical efforts, including those related to clearances, contracts, security
requirements, parking, and transportation. Determine the number of vendors the
location can accommodate. Determine if you want vendors that represent
business, non-profit, and/or government organizations. Vendors should all have
a health mission.
4. Develop
materials, including a letter and brochure for vendors and product donors about
the event and its sponsors, evaluation forms, and an event logo.
5.
Contact
vendors. Send an initial letter announcing the event and its sponsors. Follow
up with telephone calls and emails. Contact donors or purchase items to be
given away at the health fair.
6.
Send
out a confirmation to vendors who have agreed to participate. Include
directions to the event, vendor name tags, lunch options, and parking passes.
Confirm donations and material delivery options (i.e. where to unload on the
day of the event or where to ship).
Confirm the guest speaker and obtain
speaker support, including a podium, microphone, and audio visual equipment.
Send a letter to the VIPs, such as directors and department heads.
7.
Finalize
logistical efforts, including those related to vendor display/table layout,
table skirts, event bags, audio visual needs, signs, vendor lunch selection,
confirmation of vendor delivery time, trash cans, reserved parking, water/cup
delivery, kick-off ceremony cake, room set-up schedule, time the room is
accessible to volunteers, and photographer arrangements.
8. Obtain
volunteers, establish responsibilities and a work schedule. Responsibilities
include meeting and escorting vendors, providing refreshments in the morning or
afternoon, setting up, cleaning up, serving as host/hostess, distributing
vendor lunches, working the reception desk, giving out event bags, and
distributing and collecting evaluation forms.
9. On
the morning of the event arrive at least one hour before it begins. Meet with
volunteers to answer questions and to set up the reception area (i.e. arranging
bags, evaluation forms/drop box, donated materials, and hostess name tags).
Ensure the vendor lunch payment and delivery are covered. Meet vendors and
assist with setup.
Announce the speaker, thank the volunteers and committee
members, identify restroom locations, and explain the role of the host/hostess
(i.e. answering logistical questions, locating booths for specific information,
and providing emergency assistance). Cut the cake and take pictures.
Midway through the event, thank the morning volunteers for their assistance and
meet with the afternoon volunteers. Replenish refreshments.
Remain after the event to meet with volunteers responsible for clean-up,
finalize payment for vendor lunches, collect any undistributed materials, and
ensure all equipment signed for is returned. Collect the evaluation forms from
the drop box.
10. After
the event, analyze the evaluations and develop a list of lessons learned.
Include any recommendations for the next health fair such as additional topics
or vendors. Send thank you notes to the volunteers and sponsors.
Helpful Hints
- Pay
attention to small details, including those related to trash cans, water
locations, electrical outlets, smoke alarms (if you have something like a
popcorn machine), lost and found items, and name tags.
- Have
a back-up plan for last minute vendor cancellations or no-shows. Always have a
co-chair on the planning committee, and plan knowing you will probably lose
some members of the committee during the planning process.
-
If
this is your first health fair, pay special attention to getting the word out
about it in your community. Vendors and organizations that participate rely on
having people with whom they can interact. Poor attendance should be avoided as
much as possible.
-
Prepare
an historical binder of vendors, evaluation forms, time lines for each planning
step, sample letters, publicity materials, and lessons learned to help with
future planning efforts.
Above information excerpted from the Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA.
