Host An Event
You idea should be mission aligned, suitable for the space and you should be willing to join the Little BIG Tribe and help other in the group.
How We Operate
We are passionate about alleviating loneliness and building stronger connections within our communities. Any and all events in the space should share that mission.
Why Community Events?
Shared activities are one of the most effective ways to encourage connection and combat loneliness at a grass-roots level. Attending an event here is often part of a individuals recovery plan or self development. By providing a space where locals can meet and neighbors can bond, we create opportunities for lasting friendships and vibrant communities and your event will be a part of that.
LBH Event Requirements
To take advantage of the community rate, you must be a Little BIG Tribe member. Before this is possible, your event will be assessed by our Management Committee (a diverse group of volunteers responsible for approving events) based on the following criteria:
1. Mission Alignment
We have a mission to reduce loneliness and create community. No matter what your idea is, it should have a strong focus on the participant’s ability to form bonds and make connections. Your application should clearly identify how you will achieve this.
2. Suitability
Our space isn’t suitable for every type of event as we have some practical limitations. Consider:
- Capacity: Max 50 people per floor (although bigger is not better – 12-20 people is the sweet spot of connection).
- Facility limitations: Our building is heritage listed and it has some quirks… upstairs spaces are only accessible via stairs (no elevator) and our kitchen does not include an oven or running hot water.
- Compatibility with other events: community events have access to one floor of the venue. This ensures we can accommodate multiple events, but it also means that you will hear noise from the other event happening at the same time.
- Frequency: Regular gatherings foster friendships and community engagement. As such, events must occur at least four times a year. Ideally more frequently (if possible). We don’t accept one-off events.
- Duplication: We avoid scheduling multiple events with similar themes or activities as we want to try and offer something for everyone! Events deemed ‘too similar’ may not be accepted.
- Closed groups: if you are a member-based group, and a new face can’t just join-in, we aren’t the space for you. Any form of closed meeting falls into this category.
3. Joining the Tribe
We believe in the power of collaboration so every person who hosts an event joins our ‘Tribe’ of community leaders. This is a network of volunteers and hosts where you will meet socially and have access to training and support. Hosts who participate in the tribe have the most successful events (in terms of participation numbers, positive feedback and reduction in loneliness). New event proposals should bring enthusiasm and a willingness to engage with the Tribe and their community.
Not a good fit?
If your event does not meet the above requirements, you are still welcome to rent our space at standard private rental rates. It’s just like booking any other venue. Find out more about private hire here.
The Management Committee
The Management Committee is a diverse group of volunteers who support the other volunteers. They assess incoming events suitability and are a goldmine of advice on making your event successful. The Management Committee is responsible for deciding which events best suit the venue and the community and also support those events (and hosts) to be a big hit!
Our Rates
Free Community Events
If your event is free for participants, we understand that you can’t be expected to pay a hire fee. Instead we just ask for a $2 donation for the entire year and a credit card on file in the case of major issues. This token amount makes you a contributing member of the Foundation and eligible to book the space.
Paid Community Events
Lots of events have hard costs that you might need your participants to contribute towards (life drawing needs to pay the model, for example). If you charge your participants a fee, we have a sliding scale of rental fee based on the cost of your event.
Why so cheap?
Our fees are significantly below market rate and we are really proud of that! We want to keep them as low as possible to keep the event cost as low as possible for all participants. These fees encourage event hosts to book the minimum amount of time needed (so we can offer the maximum number of events to the community).
In order to be eligible for these rates, we have some requirements – essentially being aligned with our mission and way of working. Please consider if your idea is suitable.
Submit your idea
Ready to submit an idea for consideration? We can’t wait to hear it!
