Host An Event

Forward Fest has a Board that sets overall direction for the Festival, and several committees who work on promotions, tech and outreach. We’re always looking for more volunteers to help - let us know if you’re interested!

Anyone can host an event during Forward Fest, as long as the event:

• Is open and inclusive

• Cross-promotes the Festival and other events

• Is related to entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity

The first step to hosting an event is filling out the event form on the website. Once you’ve submitted, we’ll follow up and let you know of any questions.

You can choose any venue that you like in the greater Madison area; there are no required or “central” venues during the Festival. We find that events near downtown Madison often get more attendees than those farther away, but it’s totally up to you. Let us know if you need suggestions! 

This year, many or all events may be virtual, and we can help you figure that out. Please contact us with questions.

The Forward Fest team is here to answer any questions you have and help you with anything you need! Our goal is to make this a smooth event for you and your attendees. We maintain the ForwardFest.org website, handle the Forward Pass ticketing, and can help set up your registration page, if you like. We will provide you with social media tools and guidelines to help you promote your event, and do some promotion to our email lists and social media followers. If there’s anything you need, just ask!

The Forward Pass allows access to a large percentage of Forward Festival events. As an event organizer, you can decide if you would like to participate in the Forward Pass or not. 

When someone buys a Forward Pass, they’ll get a promo code to register for your event. If you have a paid event and choose to be part of the Forward Pass, this code will give them a free ticket, and the Forward Fest team will reimburse you for the number of Forward Pass holders who register with that code. Please let us know if you have limited capacity, so we can be sure that Forward Pass holders know your event is first come, first served for them.

You do not need to pay a fee to be part of the Forward Festival. You are welcome to host an event, as long as you follow the guidelines outlined in this FAQ.

You can sell tickets, solicit sponsorships, or ask for in-kind donations to fund your event. The Festival will recognize any sponsors that give more than $2,500 across all events (including in-kind donations, such as event space), which will get their names on signs at the Festival's 50+ events. 

In order to do that, we ask that you please let us know of any event sponsors who commit to supporting your event.

There will be some attendees who find your event from the Forward Fest website and other promotions, or through your listing with the Forward Pass.  However, because the calendar is so busy, you should plan to get the majority of your attendees through your own network and promotions. Remember that your event can be any size you like - in fact, some of the most effective events are smaller in scale.

Forward Festive-ale is beer brewed specifically for Forward Fest by a local brewery. You can order this beer in kegs of various sizes on the event form, and serve it at your event. An invoice will be handled through your event venue, or sent directly to the person you indicate on the event form. Please be sure you are following the alcohol service policies of your event venue, which may mean having your caterer order the beer directly. We can help if you have questions.

See here for the most up-to-date information on how Forward Fest is handling COVID-19. We also recommend you subscribe to our newsletter. 

Webinar from Meetup.com: "Bringing Events Online: How to keep your group engaged, healthy, and growing"