Beers & Bytes is a networking event created by Foxtek to bring together our candidate community in the Netherlands. It was designed to be inclusive of all tech stacks and to present an opportunity for the candidates to meet other local developers, for Foxtek and the candidates to meet each other, and to celebrate the talent within the Foxtek candidate community.
The events are low-key and simple, but there are a number of factors you’ll need to consider when organising the event.
This guide will outline all of these factors and offer experience from previous events to help with the success of yours.
DATES & TIMINGS
EVENT VENUE: COST, ACCESSIBILITY, CONVENIENCE
GUEST LIST
ASPECTS TO CONSIDER WHEN ORGANISING THE EVENT
FLIGHTS & HOTEL FOR FOXTEK STAFF
SOCIAL MEDIA
THE NEXT PHASE
EXTRA TOUCHES
GENERAL ORDER OF PLANNING
Confirm the date of the event 1.
Establish the budget 2.
Book the venue 3.
Create the guestlist 4. Reactivate RSVPify and create the invite 5. Send the invites out to the guests 6.
Establish the marketing schedule (LI posts, follow up emails, phone calls) 7.
Gather flight & hotel options to present to Tom for Foxtek staff 8.
Book chosen options 9.
Liaise with the venue to pre-order food, discuss Fox coins, bar tab & budget 10.
Book a restaurant nearby to the venue for dinner after the event has finished for Foxtek staff 11
Ensure name labels are printed the day before with the final attendee list 12.
Ensure Foxtek staff have all the information required a couple of days before departure e.g. taxi pick-up times, boarding passes, hotel information etc. 13.
On the day planning 14.
Post event marketing 15.
DATES & TIMINGS
First, you need to establish the chosen date alongside TB.
Aspects to consider:
Are there any pre-arranged holidays within Foxtek?
Are there any bank holidays / public holidays around that time
Who is attending?
Flight, hotel & venue availability
Previous events have all been held on a Thursday and this is the best day of the week to arrange it for
Timings: 6:30-9pm is the usual time slot
GUESTLIST
You can find the November 2024 guestlist here
The list is compiled by the consultants based on their communications with different candidates
You can work off the list above, and have the consultants amend or add any new candidates they’d like there to the list
You can use the list to mark those that have RSVP’d as to either attending or not attending, so we can keep a track. That way, when it comes to calling candidates about the event, consultants will know who or who not to call
This list can then be used on the evening of the event as a register
BUDGET
To be discussed with TB
The budget for previous events has been around the EUR 1.5k mark
Aim to find a venue like Czaar that has no venue hire charge or minimum spend
Establish how much should be spent on food and then the rest can go towards the bar tab or any extras
On the evening of the event, ask the bar staff to inform you when you get to certain points on the tab so you can ensure it doesn’t go over
Always confirm whether the budget set is solely for the event or whether it’s to include hotels & flights etc.
IDEA OF SPENDING BREAKDOWN (PREV. EVENT)
Flights = £518 for four people (return)
Hotel = EUR 650 for three rooms (thereabouts)
Bar tab = EUR 1,000
Event catering = EUR 150
Venue hire = Free
BOOKING THE VENUE
The few most recent Beers & Bytes have been held at Cafe Czaar in Eastern Docklands
It’s a good location on the main transport links which is what you need
Make sure to secure the venue as soon as the date of the event has been confirmed
Czaar also don’t require a minimum spend or a deposit which allows flexibility
Essentially, we just need a venue that allows us to build up a tab on the night and pay everything off at the end, rather than anything in advance
Czaar works really well and I’d recommend continuing the events with them unless there needs to be a change of location area
LIASING W/ THE VENUE
Keep contact with the venue in the lead up to the event to confirm food pre-orders and numbers etc.
Cafe Czaar communicate well via email, their email address is info@czaaramsterdam.nl
On the night of the event, ask them to notify you when the bar tab reaches e.g. EUR 800 so you can ensure it doesn’t go over
INVITATION
We use RSVPify to create & send out invitations
We activate & deactivate the account for Beers & Bytes as we don’t need the account throughout the rest of the year
Login: operations@foxtekrs com // password: Foxtek2024
Via the portal, you’re able to see all previous events we’ve done and can create a new invite based on these
When it’s ready to send out, you upload the CSV file of the guestlist created
MARKETING SCHEDULE
There needs to be persistent (without being overkill) marketing to get attendees to the event
RSVPify allows you to set up scheduled emails - there should be one per week in the leadup to the event after initial invite email e.g. ‘limited spaces remaining’, ‘don’t forget to RSVP’, ‘one week to go’ etc.
LinkedIn posts should go out on the Foxtek page & the consultants pages
SourceWhale should also be used to send email reminders
Consultants should be calling their invited candidates to encourage attendance
INVITATION EXAMPLE
You can access this via RSVPify through the previous events tab
The Summer Party wording and the image associated should be amended based on the season / Christmas etc.
Keep the blurb simple, just use the above & amend slightly if needed!
PRE-EVENT MARKETING POSTS
Recommended schedule
RSVPify emails:
Initial invite 6 weeks before the event
‘One month to go’ email, 4 weeks before
‘Places snapping up fast’ email, 3 weeks before
‘Don’t forget to RSVP’ email, 1.5 weeks before
‘See you soon’ email, 4 days before
This is a recommended schedule, but may need altering based on invite responses etc., which needs monitoring.
Phone calls:
Consultants attending should be calling through to their attendees to try and confirm attendance
This method works really well so should be applied early on Getting a response to confirm whether they can or cannot attend is helpful & a phone call helps this
LinkedIn posts:
All consultants attending and the Foxtek LI page should be posting in the lead up to the event
Gains traction & excitement, finds new attendees etc.
Examples on the next page
FLIGHTS
Once the dates of stay are confirmed, start to gather flight options
Best to travel either on the first BRS > AMS flight, or the mid-morning one if available
This also depends on whether the trip is a one-night or more visit
Send the options & costs to TB
Once booked, check everyone in in advance and print their boarding passes
We have a Foxtek login for EasyJet registered under invoice@foxtekrs.com - ensure to use the account so all travel details are saved in an accessible place
Considerations:
Is anyone to have an extra cabin bag?
Transport to Bristol airport will also need to be arranged
EasyJet is the preferred airline, but check others if needs be e.g. Ryan Air, KLM
HOTELS
Once the dates of stay are confirmed, start to gather hotel options
Previously used hotels include Hotel Jakarta & Inntel Landmarks
Gather three options with costings and send to TB
Consider options that are within close proximity to the chosen venue, but also consider general location - should be close to amenities and not in the middle of nowhere!
Always select the bed & breakfast rate
Always book the flexible, free cancellation option
We also have a corporate rate set up with Inntel Landmarks so if in the area do consider using this one
OTHER FOXTEK FAVOURITES
Inntel (Group - they have numerous locations)
Ruby Emma
Urban Lodge Hotel
Social Hub
The Hoxton
EXTRAS
FOX COINS
We have made fox coins from poker coins with the Foxtek logo printed onto a sticker & stuck on them
These are handed out to guests on arrival (usually 3 or 4 each) and they use these to get their drinks - make sure you ask the bar to collect these and retrieve them back at the end of the event
RAFFLES/GAMES
For the Christmas Beers & Bytes, we did a raffle as an extra touch
Each guest got a ticket on arrival and won a prize if their number was pulled
Prizes included wine, books, chocolate, planners etc.
FOXTEK BANNER
We have a roll-up banner sign for Beers & Bytes that should be taken each time for branding
NAME LABELS
Every guest (and staff member) gets a name badge on arrival at the event
Should have their first & last name, plus their job title
You can order plain labels from Avery, and print out the names of the confirmed guest list a couple of days before
Order the 80x50mm self adhesive name badges & can then upload the template onto a word doc to add the names
POST EVENT DINNER
A dinner reservation for around 9:15pm should be made for Foxtek staff for after the event has finished
A recent favourite was Pizza Vagabond, just 5 minutes walk from Czaar and very delicious
Check out other options as well & ask TB to confirm which to book
ON THE NIGHT
Get to the venue 45 minutes before the guests are due to arrive to set up
Remember the banner, a laptop with the guest list, the name badges, fox coins & any additions
Set the laptop with the guest list up on a table near the entrance ready to mark off the guests as they arrive (giving their name tag & fox coins at the same time)
Put up the banner in a good location near the entrance so it’s clear what the event is (Czaar are always open to the public too, so needs to be clear to the guests)
Set the tables up in a sociable way so there’s space for sitting & for standing socialisation by the bar etc.
If there is to be a speech then be sure to incorporate this into the schedule
SOCIAL MEDIA & PICS
These trips are a great social media opportunity so lots of pictures should be taken throughout
This includes Bristol airport, the flight, the Amsterdam hotel, any client trips during the day, working from Amsterdam, the event venue, pictures throughout the event of guests, food, speeches etc., dinners, Amsterdam views
There should be Instagram stories of the travels, airport, views etc., anything that draws interest
There should also be an Instagram & LinkedIn post after the event
Examples on the next page
BEERS & BYTES - THE NEXT PHASE
SOME QUESTIONS FROM TOM TO CONSIDER
What do we want Beers & Bytes to achieve in 2025?
Is it possible for the event to invite different community networks to different events?
How often should Beers & Bytes be taking place?
Should we have skill centric nights (Python, Data & AI, Foxtek Alumni)
Freelance vs Permanent only nights?
Do we need to consider the support of those within the community for planning going forwards?
Should we change the type of event e.g. something smaller like a round table, guest speakers etc
