Planning on hosting a KWHSS? These steps will help guide you through the process.
Step 1
Be sure you’ve read the KWHSS page: https://heraldry.sca.org/kwhss/.
Step 2
Read past bids in OSCAR by typing KWHSS in the OSCAR search bar.
Be sure to read all the past commentary on a bid. This will help you anticipate needs on your proposed bid. If you don’t have OSCAR viewing privileges, ask your Principal Herald to help. Also ask your Principal Herald if anyone else in the kingdom is working on a bid, and if they can reach out to other Principal Heralds to find out if their kingdoms are bidding. Just because another group in your kingdom or another kingdom entirely is doing a bid doesn’t mean you should give up. The Sovereigns and commenting heralds love choices. Prep your bid, and if it’s not chosen this year it might be chosen another time.
Step 3
Speak with past event KWHSS stewards; you can find their names here: https://heraldry.sca.org/kwhss/kwhsshistoricaldata.html
Ask them about why they chose the city, what their break-even attendance was, how they formulated their budget, and what they did to raise funds if they needed to.
No question is silly! Ask away!
Step 4
Talk to the group you intend to work with that will be financially responsible for the event.
If you have a small local group and want to enlist help from nearby groups, great! What better way to help build community? It is vital that the groups undertaking the venture have a good working relationship and the financial health to carry the event to completion. Examples of up-front costs include site deposits, food costs, proceedings delivery, website hosting, and commemorative item costs.
Step 5
Consult your kingdom financial policy and kingdom law.
All correspondence with your kingdom officers should be in some textual format so that you can each refer back to them later. Even if you have a verbal conversation, be sure to do follow up emails or messages that reiterate what you talked about.
Questions to ask: Will our group have to pass a portion of profits or losses to the kingdom? Will our group have to make a report to the kingdom exchequer or the kingdom seneschal? Again, no question is silly.
It’s always better to ask!
Step 6
Prepare your budget.
While in general you don’t have to present a detailed budget to anyone unless asked, this will help you prepare your bid in step 7.
The budget can be flexible to a point, but it needs to include the site deposit and total cost. It should also include the sleeping cost for attendees and any obligations the group needs to meet to lock in that price. For example, if you must fill 150 sleeping rooms to get usage of a particular room for free, include that. You do not have to include that information in the bid.
It must include anything the group’s funds will be responsible for like food or commemorative items.
Step 7
Prepare your bid.
It should contain the proposed date, the name of the hosting group, proposed site with gate fee for both members and non-members along with the dates early reservation opens and closes, proposed sleeping arrangements and cost, a brief list of transit options such as airports and train stations, a preliminary list of staff such as the steward, deputy steward, the scribal and heraldic class track coordinators, the reservationist/gatekeeper/troll, the proceedings editor and royalty liaison.
It is a good idea to have notes about how general event information will be disseminated!
For a more comprehensive document on what to consider for your bid, click here (link to “Considerations for bidding KWHSS”)
Step 8
Take your bid to the proposed hosting group and answer any questions they may have.
Remember bids can be flexible and something will always change.
Step 9
Send the bid to your Principal Herald and copy the proposed group’s seneschal.
Your Principal Herald will offer any suggestions. Once this step is complete, your Principal Herald will post the bid for discussion in OSCAR. Some Sovereigns, staff, and commenting heralds may have questions. If you do not have commenting privileges in OSCAR, your Principal Herald may ask you and answer on your behalf, or they may give you commenting privileges so you can answer. If you already have commenting privileges, feel free to answer any questions directly.
Step 10
Generally, the Sovereigns will let the event steward with the chosen bid know they’re on deck going into that year’s KWHSS. This information is confidential until Laurel announces it.
If your bid is accepted, congratulations! If it isn’t and you want to keep trying, please do! There are many folks who can help you adjust your bid for next time. Your Principal Herald, Clarion Herald, and past stewards are all good people to help workshop your future bids.