Posting an Open Dinner

DMV OPEN DINNER GUIDE SUMMER 2018

Whether you want to host new people at the table or take a break from organizing and head to someone else’s dinner, we’re making it as easy as possible by curating unique Shabbat dinner experiences all over DC.

POSTING AN OPEN DINNER 1. POST IT Log into your OneTable host profile, scroll over your picture and click: Create Dinner.

PRO-TIP: We recommend posting your dinner on the platform and sharing on social media at least two weeks in advance to give potential guests a chance to find your dinner and commit to attending.

Choose what type of dinner you are hosting. “Open” dinners are open to anybody to see details and location of your dinner, and sign up to attend. This is intended for public spaces.

"Host approval" means that while the description of the Shabbat dinner is public, only guests that you approve will be given the full details about your dinner (time, address, other guests, etc). You will receive the name and email of everybody who requests a seat so you can communicate them to determine if the dinner you’ve planned is the right fit. PRO-TIP: Invite some friends. Host approval dinners look exciting on the platform when a few guests have already RSVPed. Let your friends know there will be some new faces at your Shabbat, and ask for their help making everyone feel welcome. They might even have ideas on who else to bring to expand the circle.

Dinner name: Be creative with your images and catchy with your dinner title, think about including dinner themes, specific age ranges, tags and conversation topics in your description.

Let guests know who your target audience is. We’ve seen that these dinners fill up more easily.

Update your host bio: New guests want to know who they are going to be meeting.

Maximum seats: How many people do you want at your dinner? How many can comfortably fit? Note: Do you need to know prior to the night of the dinner how many people will be attending? Set an RSVP deadline. NOTE: Guests cannot RSVP after this deadline passes.

Start Time & End Time: When’s your dinner starting? When do you want it to end?

Add a Co-Host: Are you hosting with someone? Here’s where to add them! This is an awesome way to host your first Open Dinner - takes some of the pressure off!

Cost: Choose “free” if your dinner is free. If you plan to charge, select “paid” and enter the cost at a price level that makes sense for you and your guests.

Description: Add a few sentences about your dinner. What will be happening? What can guests expect? What is your intention? We all have a little bit of FOMO. Your guests are more likely to sign up for your meal if they know what to expect. Plus, it helps you stay organized and plan for your dinner so by the time it’s Friday, you’re ready to be a rockstar host.

Alcohol Policy & Dietary Restrictions: Select options based on your preference (and the policies of the venue) What’s for Dinner? This is the fun part! Add the dishes you plan to serve.

PRO-TIP: Use your Hub Manager and Shabbat Coach as a resource. They are at the center of the community in all of our hub cities. They know people who are looking for open dinners and would be happy to connect them to yours!

POSTING AN OPEN DINNER 2. PROMOTE IT Did you know we have a DC Metro Area OneTable facebook group? This is an amazing place to post a link to your open dinner.

Share your dinner in relevant Facebook groups. For example, hosting a vegan Shabbat? Host in some vegan Facebook groups or invite friends who are vegan to invite others they might know.

Post to your Facebook and be clear about wanting new people at your table!

Share your dinner out on Insta with the #linkinbio Post it to the GatherDC calendar Share it out in relevant neighborhood blogs or groups With enough anticipation, the OneTable team can also help - be in touch!

Invite people you’ve met and have been wanting to get to know better. That guy who is always in front of you at yoga? Yeah, him!

Post it on 730dc- just submit it pretty early!

3. COMMUNICATE When you have guests that you don’t know, communicating with them before the dinner is key it will make them feel more comfortable and even more excited to join your table.

Let guests know how excited you are to meet them, what to expect, confirm location, etc.

4. FOLLOW UP Pat yourself on the back. BOOM. You did it. We’ve found that a quick post-dinner note works wonders, send along a recipe from the night if guests loved it, or share some photos. Encourage your guests to sign up to attend other dinners, or as OneTable hosts themselves.