Thinking through layout
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See the Exhibit Configuration layout maps on the next few pages to give you a better idea of how to set up the layout.
ssess the space, determining where most visitors will be approaching from and which of the two banner stories should be most prominent. If there will be many people passing through the exhibit area who are not viewing the exhibit, provide a clear pathway to one side or down the middle by adjusting banner locations. If the space is smaller than ideal, or visitors approach from the middle of the long side, for example, adjust the set-up to work in the space you have; keep in mind that visitors should generally start and end with the double banners and all Ruth banners should face one general direction so visitors don’t jump back and forth between the two main stories.
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The one-sided banner is intended as a “signpost” and can be located anywhere outside of the exhibit but in its general vicinity to attract visitors, point them in the right direction, and explain the purpose of the exhibit, particularly when visitors don’t see the exhibit in the context of a live presentation or event.
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Arrange the banner bases in approximately the correct locations before pulling them up because they are more difficult to move and more easily damaged once up.
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Orient all the “Ruth” banners in one general direction so all the “Microbicides” banners will face in the opposite direction.
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Place banners 1 and 2 and 9 and 10 as closely as possible to each other so they “read” as one wide unit.
Pulling up the Banners
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See the picture on the next page to get a better understanding of what these panels look like when you are setting them up!
sturdy low step stool or very stable chair will help shorter people attach the banners easily and see what they are doing without damaging the parts — especially until you get the hang of attaching the banner to the pole by touch. It is easiest to be standing “behind” the banner you are going to pull up and attach.
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Assemble and attach the pole before pulling up the banner. At the top of each pole, you will place the “t-ball” or doubler that is found in the little end pocket of each black case. Attach these T-balls or doublers to the poles as centered as possible to help ensure that banners are straight.
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After setting the exhibit up, approach the exhibit from the direction visitors will be approaching and adjust angles as needed. It may be helpful to mark the floor with tiny pieces of masking tape so banners that get bumped or moved can be returned to their original locations.
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Banners generally have a slight curl, particularly when first set up. They will flatten out while they are up — but will never be perfectly flat. This is the trade-off with a highly portable system.
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Save all the packing material in the cases.
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The banners are rugged, but a lot of unnecessary handling and touching will result in a shorted lifespan. To remove fingerprints, use a soft slightly damp cloth and very mild soap if needed.
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Be careful to control the banners as they roll back into the bases to avoid damage.
No two spaces are exactly the same so actual placements should be adjusted. Start with this as a general plan.
Orient the double-banner (In Her Mother’s Shoes) to face the major flow of traffic entering the space.
If the Microbicides story should be more prominent for a particular event, put the double banners for that story towards the main traffic entrance.
Arrange banners so visitors generally experience the banners in the correct order for the Martha story:
1&2 In Her Mother’s Shoes (double)
3 Marry
4 Touch
5 Listen
6 Mourn
7 Martha
8 Witness
9&10 Care (double)
Place tables close to the banner with which they are associated.
Placement of tables can help fill a larger space or make the set-up more compact as needed.
The 11th one-sided banner should be situated further away from the main exhibit in a high-traffic area.
No two spaces are exactly the same so actual placements should be adjusted. Start with this as a general plan.
Orient the double-banner (In Her Mother’s Shoes) to face the major flow of traffic entering the space.
This general set-up will fit in a slightly smaller area if banners are lined up at 90 degree angles to the side of a wide corridor and more closely spaced with tables immediately adjacent to banners or omitted entirely.
Arrange banners so visitors read the banners in the correct order for the Martha story:
1&2 In Her Mother’s Shoes (double)
3 Marry
4 Touch
5 Listen
6 Mourn
7 Martha
8 Witness
9&10 Care (double)
Place tables close to the banner with which they are associated. Placement of tables can help fill a larger space or make the set-up more compact as needed.
The 11th one-sided banner should be situated further away from the main exhibit in a high-traffic
A Quick Note on Artifacts
If anything is missing, damaged, or needs to be replenished, please let Katie West at the Global Campaign know! kwest@path-dc.org
Along with the banners, you will be receiving a set of five artifacts that compliment the main exhibit and will reinforce concepts and/or insight into daily life that has already been introduced in the main section. We have included artifacts that the viewer can touch and that is not of high value as we cannot guarantee the security of these items.
As you will see when you receive the exhibit, the artifacts have been packaged, labeled, numbered and color-coded to correspond to the table at which they should be displayed. Please use this list, the photos and tent cards to set-up each of the artifact tables that you choose to use. When you have finished with the display please package each item the way that you found it and use this list to ensure that you have collected all items that were sent to you. The artifacts do not have to appear in any particular order.
SHOES:
Around the world, 14 million children have already been orphaned by AIDS. These shoes represent just a few of the children like Martha and Tafadzwa who will have to fill their parents’ shoes too soon. [Artifact = children’s shoes]
M
AIZE and APRONS:
Ground Maize is the staple that nourished Ruth and her family. Food production in Zimbabwe is declining as women farmers die and graves encroach on fertile farmland. PICTURE
MICROBICIDE SAMPLES:
Microbicides are being developed in many forms: a gel or cream inserted with an applicator, a sponge or time-released suppository, or an intra-vaginal ring that could be used for months at a time. The samples here do not have proven microbicidal properties, but more than two dozen products are currently under investigation by scientists. [Artifact = applicators and placebo microbicides.]
V
AGINAL HERBS:
To please men who prefer “dry sex”, Zimbabwean women often use herbs, cloth, or astringents to dry and tighten their vaginas. Elsewhere, women use douches and sprays as vaginal cosmetics. All these practices increase vulnerability to sexually transmitted diseases. Picture
OBITUARIES:
Funerals in Sub-Saharan Africa are unrelenting. Stigma limits mention of AIDS, but behind the silence, everyone knows that 20- to 30- year olds are not supposed to die. [Artifact = obituaries from newspapers in Africa]
Some coalitions have had posters printed up to thank funders or cosponsors at the event. These posters can be quite costly to print up. Kinko’s gave us a quote of $10 per square foot for printing in color PLUS $5 for mounting onto foam board. These posters are a good opportunity to seek in-kind contributions for a printing place. The following is a sample of a poster that the Northwest Microbicide Coalition used. Katie West at the Global Campaign can provide you with the template for this poster if you are interested.
Things You will Need on the Day of the Event
General:
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10 panels, Artifacts, Tent cards explaining the artifacts
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Introduction information for the speakers
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A list of thank yous that need to be publicly acknowledged
Signs
Local Campaign banner or signs for near the registration table or podium
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Duct tape
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Posters or signs pointing people in the right direction
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Poster or sign announcing co-sponsors
For Volunteers
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Food or drinks for volunteers who will be there a long time
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Volunteer roster (see next page)
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Handouts for volunteers – it is helpful to have one sheet of paper with: key talking points, the program for the day, the names of the speakers, phone numbers, web addresses, and email addresses etc.
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Clipboards and evaluations forms
Music / Film
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In Women’s Hands film and VCR if you will be playing the film
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CD player and Music – there are two CDs that travel with the exhibit
Volunteer Roster / Expectations
For any event that takes this many people to put together, it is helpful to have a clear set of roles and expectations for volunteers.
You may also consider having a
volunteer coordinator who is charged with:
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Recruiting volunteers
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Assigning roles
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Communicating these roles and expectations to volunteers
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Confirming schedule the week before the event
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Handling no-shows
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Providing any training that is necessary
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Thanking volunteers afterwards
Volunteer Needs / Roles – Before the Event
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Fundraising
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Spreading the word via listservs
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Putting up fliers
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Dropping off invitations
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Coordinating with caterers
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Reaching out to local press
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Tabling at local conferences / events to publicize the event
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Transporting the exhibit by car
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Setting up the exhibit and artifacts
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Putting up signs to direct people on the day of the event
Volunteer Needs / Roles – During the Event
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Greeting people at the main entrances
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Handing out programs
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Explaining the flow of the exhibit
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Answering questions about the exhibit and artifacts
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Keeping an eye on the artifacts
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General security – especially if the exhibit is up for many days
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Ushering people into the auditorium or a specific area for the speaking portion of an event
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Personing the registration and materials table
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Coordinating with the caterer
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Talking to the press
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Coordinating with and welcoming the speakers when they arrive
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Introducing speakers
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Taking pictures
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Keeping an eye on the exhibit and fixing any panels that need adjustments
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Going around with a clipboard and asking people to fill out evaluation forms **
Volunteer Needs / Roles – After the Event
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Breaking down the exhibit
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Sending thank yous
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Transporting the exhibit
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General clean-up
Registration / Materials Table
This exhibit and surrounding events are a great chance for publicizing your local group and doing some basic microbicides education. Consider having the following at a registration or materials table at your event:
Handout material:
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GCM palm cards with logo
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“Take home” postcard with Martha's picture on front
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Buttons and pens
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Brochure that includes the names of speakers, local campaign information, thank yous to host committee and vendors, the program for your event – we have a template you can use
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Local Campaign brochure
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Global Campaign brochure (should be ready by the end of 2005)
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General fact sheet about HIV, microbicides, the Take Action fact sheet is handy one to use.
Things for people to do:
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Sign up sheet for GC News and/or your local campaign email list
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Petitions to be signed
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Donation box
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A laptop with the Global Campaign website for people to look at
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Order form for In Women’s Hands
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Media sign-in sheet
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Tee-shirts for sale
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Letter to representatives or senators
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Information about who your representative / senators are
Evaluations
Please please please have viewers fill out half-page evaluation forms during the event
(appears on the following page)
AND
Send copies of these evaluations back to the Global Campaign after your event!
Evaluation forms should be administered to at least 20 exhibit viewers selected at random by a volunteer surveyor asking the questions verbally or by the viewers themselves.
Please try to get a diverse sampling (age, gender, ethnic background, organizational affiliation) of viewers who have no prior affiliation with the local campaign).
Answers should be brief. The entire evaluation should take 3-4 minutes. All responses will remain anonymous.
The evaluation form appears on the following page. Please ask Katie West at the Global Campaign for the electronic file if you want to alter it in any way.
G
iving Women Power Over AIDS: Exhibit Evaluation
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This should be administered to at least 20 exhibit viewers selected at random by a volunteer surveyor asking the questions verbally or by the viewers themselves.
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Please try to get a diverse sampling (age, gender, ethnic background, organizational affiliation) of viewers who have no prior affiliation with the local campaign).
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Answers should be brief. The entire evaluation should take 3-4 minutes. All responses will remain anonymous.
1. How did you hear about the exhibit?
2. Which part of the exhibit did you find most effective and/or compelling? Please explain why.
3. Which part did you find least effective or totally ineffective? Explain why.
4. Do you think you will tell anybody about the exhibit and/or microbicides? If so, who?
5. Are you interested in learning more or getting involved with microbicide or HIV advocacy? If so, in what way?
Giving Women Power Over AIDS: Exhibit Evaluation
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This should be administered to at least 20 exhibit viewers selected at random by a volunteer surveyor asking the questions verbally or by the viewers themselves.
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Please try to get a diverse sampling (age, gender, ethnic background, organizational affiliation) of viewers who have no prior affiliation with the local campaign).
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Answers should be brief. The entire evaluation should take 3-4 minutes. All responses will remain anonymous.
1. How did you hear about the exhibit?
2. Which part of the exhibit did you find most effective and/or compelling? Please explain why.
3. Which part did you find least effective or totally ineffective? Explain why.
4. Do you think you will tell anybody about the exhibit and/or microbicides? If so, who?
5. Are you interested in learning more or getting involved with microbicide or HIV advocacy?
If so, in what way?
