Don’t be an armchair tabler! Summers are for public engagement.
Are you inviting people over with intriguing visuals, offering a welcoming and focused display or activity, and ready with an elevator pitch to seal the deal? If not, you’re probably not collecting as many petition signatures, gathering as many new group members, or even having as many interesting conversations as you could.
Top 10 Tips for Tabling
1. Call our email early to get a table or booth at the summer street festivals, art festivals, markets, and community fairs near you.
2. Review our Activism Guide for links to online resources and materials you can order from us. Make sure you’re using our most recent materials!
3. Decide which campaign or action might attract the most attention and be the most relevant in your community.
4. Get out from behind the table – venture into the crowd, slow people down and point out the Amnesty table or booth. People want to be invited over.
5. Prepare a personal elevator pitch. You need to draw someone in, quickly explain the issue, why it is important to you and should matter to them, and the first step they can take to respond. That may be signing a petition, creating a water defenders solidarity banner, or posting a selfie with a hashtag. Practice your pitch!
6. Have two or three other petitions for people to sign while they’ve stopped by and a sign-up sheet to be added to Amnesty’s email lists.
7. Encourage people to fill out the petitions as completely (and legibly!) as possible – it is really important to collect contact information, especially emails.
8. Thank people profusely for taking action and helping to make a difference. Reward them with a sticker or button.
9. Let us know how it went! Send your petitions and sign-up sheets to our national office or contact a member of our Activism Team.
10. Have fun!
