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Handbook
7 min read

Ecosystem Events

Ecosystem events are independently hosted by members of Hawaii's tech community — companies, founders, nonprofits, universities, and other ecosystem leaders. HTW's role is to be the platform that recruits, reviews, and amplifies these events. This playbook covers everything you need to do that job from day one.

Your Role

As Ecosystem & Events Coordinator, you are the primary point of contact for all ecosystem event hosts. You are responsible for:

  • Recruiting new and returning event hosts into HTW each year
  • Reviewing event submissions and providing feedback or approval
  • Supporting hosts with guidance, resources, and answers to their questions
  • Maintaining and improving the content that helps hosts succeed
  • Managing broad communications to the full event host group
  • Coordinating post-week follow-up and feedback

You are not responsible for planning, executing, or funding ecosystem events — that's the host's job. Your job is to make it easy for them to succeed and maintain a high-quality calendar.

Key Resources

You need access to all of the following before starting. If anything is missing, contact Michael.

  • Submissions Dashboard — (requires admin login) — review and act on event submissions
  • HTW CRMish (internal Google Sheet) — tracks event host pipeline, outreach history, and contacts
  • HTW Gmail — aloha@hawaiitechweek.com — all host communications go through here
  • Luma — luma.com/hitechweek — approved events are added here; hosts add HTW as co-host
  • Event Host FAQ & Guide — /handbook/event-host-guide — the primary resource you'll direct hosts to
  • Event Submission & Calendar — /handbook/event-submission-calendar — submission process and Luma calendar setup
  • Event Planning Template — /handbook/event-planning-guide — fill-in-the-blank planning template
  • Event Marketing Template — /handbook/event-marketing-guide — marketing checklists and copy templates
  • HTW Content Calendar (internal Google Sheet) — for scheduling content and marketing support around events
  • Google Drive — internal email templates, training materials, and historical records

Recruiting Event Hosts

HTW runs an annual call for event hosts. Your job is to drive that call, maintain momentum, and source strong submissions throughout the window.

Outreach Channels

  • Email cadence — Event host CTAs are baked into the annual HTW Content Calendar. Work with the Content & Social Marketer to ensure these go out on schedule.
  • Social media — Coordinate posts across LinkedIn, Instagram, and X promoting the call for hosts. Tag past hosts where possible to drive social proof.
  • Direct outreach — Use HTW CRMish to identify strong candidates: past hosts, sponsors, organizations that are active in Hawaii tech but haven't hosted yet, and new entrants. Send personalized 1:1 emails or DMs.
  • Webinars and Q&A sessions — From February to August, HTW conducts monthly webinar trainings for potential and existing hosts. Organize and promote these via the HTW calendar. Topics should include event planning, marketing, and platform updates.
  • Word of mouth — Ask current hosts and ambassadors to refer others. Ambassadors are a key channel for this.

Event Submission Window

The 2026 submission window is April 1 – June 30. Submissions after this date may be subject to a late fee at Michael's discretion. Communicate the deadline clearly and repeatedly in all outreach.

What Makes a Strong Host

When evaluating inbound interest and doing direct outreach, prioritize hosts who:

  • Have an established or growing audience, team, or community to bring to the event
  • Have a compelling, specific event idea — not just a generic mixer or "networking event"
  • Have the capacity and resources to plan and execute the event well
  • Are first-time hosts willing to invest in making their event great, or returning hosts with a strong track record

Handling Submissions

When a host submits via hawaiitechweek.com/host-event:

  1. A confirmation email is automatically sent to the host (and any co-hosts), with aloha@ CC'd — creating a shared email thread.
  2. The submission appears in the Submissions Dashboard with status submitted.
  3. Review within 5 business days (this is the commitment stated in the confirmation email).
  4. Take one of two actions: Approve or Reject. The host automatically receives an email notification.

Review Criteria

Refer to the Event Submission Rubric in the Event Host FAQ & Guide for the full criteria. At a high level, evaluate whether the event has a compelling concept, a credible host, a clear audience, and aligns with HTW's mission.

Approving an Event

  • Click Approve in the Submissions Dashboard. The host automatically receives an approval email with next steps (create Luma event, add HTW as Host with Manager status).
  • The approval email CC's aloha@ — so you can follow up on the same thread if the host has questions about Luma setup.
  • Once HTW has Manager access on the Luma event, it appears on both the website calendar and Luma calendar.

Rejecting an Event

  • Click Reject in the Submissions Dashboard. The host automatically receives a notification.
  • The rejection email is intentionally soft — it encourages the host to reply and discuss. If you have specific feedback, add review notes before rejecting.
  • Log the decision and reason in HTW CRMish.

Event Changes After Submission

Hosts email aloha@ with any changes to event details (date, time, venue, etc.). There is no self-service edit portal — handle changes via email and update the event in the Submissions Dashboard if needed.

Supporting Event Hosts

Once an event is approved, your job shifts to support. Hosts are independent — you're not managing their event — but you are available for guidance.

Common Support Needs

  • Questions about the Luma setup and adding HTW as co-host
  • Requests for advice on event format, marketing, or logistics
  • Introductions to venues, vendors, or speakers (use judgment; escalate to Michael for high-value intros)
  • Help understanding the marketing support HTW provides and what they need to do themselves

Content and Documentation

A big part of this role is maintaining and improving the resources that hosts use. When you get the same question more than twice, that's a signal to update the Event Host FAQ & Guide or create new content (a short video, a webinar topic, a new FAQ entry). Don't just answer — fix the source.

You are responsible for keeping the following up to date each year:

Broad Communications to Event Hosts

Throughout the year, you'll need to send non-public updates to the full event host group. These go out via Gmail with all hosts BCC'd (never in the To or CC field — hosts do not need to see each other's emails).

When to Send a Broadcast Email

  • Key deadline reminders (submission window closing, Luma setup deadline, etc.)
  • Important platform or calendar updates (new features, calendar launch date, etc.)
  • Pre-week briefings (week schedule, HTW team contacts, logistics reminders)
  • Post-week thank you and recap

How to Send

  1. Pull the current host email list from HTW CRMish (approved hosts column)
  2. Compose from aloha@hawaiitechweek.com
  3. Add all host emails to BCC only
  4. Use email templates stored in Google Drive — adapt as needed, don't start from scratch each time
  5. CC Michael on any broadcast that covers policy changes or sensitive topics

Calendar Management

The HTW calendar on Luma is the source of truth. Your responsibilities:

  • Confirm that every approved event has been added to Luma with HTW as co-host
  • Check for date conflicts and flag them to Michael if they're significant
  • Maintain a master list of approved events in HTW CRMish
  • Coordinate with the Content & Social Marketer to ensure the calendar launch and major milestones are promoted on social and email

Post-Week Follow-Up

After HTW week ends:

  1. Send a thank-you email to all event hosts (use BCC, template in Google Drive)
  2. Include a link to the host feedback survey — gather what worked, what didn't, and what they'd improve
  3. Ensure event host leads (sign-ups from Luma) are added to the HTW mailing list for the annual recap and report email
  4. Log notes from feedback in HTW CRMish — these inform next year's improvements to the guides and process
  5. Debrief with Michael on the overall event calendar quality and your recommendations for next year

Escalating to Michael

Escalate to Michael when:

  • A submission is a gray area (borderline quality, unusual request, or high-profile host)
  • A host is frustrated or escalating a complaint
  • You're making a high-value introduction (major sponsor, investor, or notable figure)
  • A policy question arises that isn't covered in this playbook
  • Something is broken in the submission system or workflow

When in doubt, ask. A quick message to Michael is always better than a stalled decision.

Last updated Apr 8, 2026