Publicity and Marketing

[Lavina]

PhilSEDS (SEDS Philippines) is still in its first year of operation, and the one thing I've found to be be of some trouble is getting people excited enough to make the effort to participate in our activities.

Yeah, stargazing and rocketry (among other things) are exciting activities in themselves, but people here are not all too open to it; they need to be inspired beyond listening to me and some of my officers talk passionately about what we do.

That said, I'm looking for any ideas that you might have to improve this.

[Darrell]

Speakers, trips to local space industry related places, or workshops. Anything that gets the people actively involved and working their own ideas is a great help. Food also helps as well, though we're always careful to not provide too much.

Ultimately it's always an uphill battle. You want people to become passionate and excited about the space industry and you want the people who have the potential to become such, not the people who feel they are being forced to be there.



-Darrell

P.S. in other words, there is no solve all answer. There are events which will attract lots of people who don't particularly care outside of the event and there are events that will attract a small number of passionate people who will never say die. You ultimately need to decide what you want from SEDS and where you want the club to go.

Right, just a comment, know that this doesn't provide much specifics to help...sorry :)

[jneeskans]

I would agree with Darrell. There's no one way to get it right. Especially, if your country doesn't have a space programme (I'm talking generally) and if it's not yet thinking about one.

For your specific case, I have heard (I dunno how true this is) that NASA and space agencies have many people from Philipines (who settled there and got US citizenship, I suppose) work there. Have you tried asking for help from any one of them?

As Paul, Florian and Alex promised, maybe they can help too?

Pradeep

[jneeskans]

You might also want to think about posting your questions to the advisers on this forum? - http://forums.seds.org/showthread.php?t=2592

[starfish]

why would a person be interested in Space Research ....... in a developing country like Phil. or even India....... what is the motivation....is it only out of personal interest (hobby gone too serious) that people would opt for the field or does the nation even understand the need/req./benefits of Space Exploration....
I feel we have a larger role to play in making the common man understand the need and requirement for Space Research and its benefits for him!

Think it over! what SEDS (in developing countries specifically) would be worth if we are not able to bring to light Space Exploration and its benefits for community in these countries!

are we still talking about the backyard sky watchers club who meet ever second Saturday and largely forget about it when they take up careers??????

[Lavina]

Darrell, thanks for the advice :) I AM looking into speakers who will come and speak. As for the trips, I have considered trips to our observatory, but being as it is so far, the logistics are a problem (especially given the red tape at our school).

Pradeep, I have already considered that and talked with someone in the government who can help us get in touch with them; the only thing is they're more likely to communicate remotely and a web-inar requires technology that our school doesn't yet have. Still looking into my options, though :)

[Lavina]

why would a person be interested in Space Research ....... in a developing country like Phil. or even India....... what is the motivation....is it only out of personal interest (hobby gone too serious) that people would opt for the field or does the nation even understand the need/req./benefits of Space Exploration....
I feel we have a larger role to play in making the common man understand the need and requirement for Space Research and its benefits for him!

Think it over! what SEDS (in developing countries specifically) would be worth if we are not able to bring to light Space Exploration and its benefits for community in these countries!

are we still talking about the backyard sky watchers club who meet ever second Saturday and largely forget about it when they take up careers??????

That's precisely it. There are astronomy societies that cater to hobbies, but very few who've made a career out of space. One of the major challenges of PhilSEDS (and goals) is to get people interested in making it their career.

Someone recently suggested that we hold workshops for people in each degree program to show how their course of study can be applied to space. What we need for that are resource speakers, though.

[jneeskans]

Creating genuine interest among members is a very difficult(but not impossible) ask. It is more likely to happen with more innovative TV programs or maybe when something like Appolo missions happen. Its a collection of various complex brain functions that finally make our mouth say: To Space and Beyond!!!

What we can do is to nurture that interest once sparked. One-on-One discussions, group meetings discussing cool (even if its impossible) ideas - this makes boring ideas more interesting..since they later make the above cool idea possible, lectures, if you can afford it, getting film and other personalities to talk about space exploration. Cool animations. Hubble Images( I know this is an old idea..but depends how you use it). Space sounds. Sometimes even helping kids. They can ask irritating questions that you feel want to answer properly and can sometime spark interest.

Read this in the Carnival of Space (http://www.universetoday.com/carnival-of-space/): A blog by a mom (http://tzt.blogspot.com/2007/10/jupiter-is-everywhere.html)of 6 yr old kid whose favourite planet is Jupiter and sees it in his surroundings in daily mundane objects. Cute! But such fascination can later lead to space scientists and engineers of tomorrow. Hope he becomes one too! He's atleast teaching a lot to his mother, right now. You can also read blogs to learn of more ideas of how people in different parts of the world are popularizing space science.

I agree that there is a need to tell people the importance of space exploration. But, that will more likely lead to better investments or better still faster policy implementation. I dunno how many people got interested in space exploration because they came to know about how it would help humanity.

The best thing, I believe, SEDS can do today is to help individuals realise their space exploration dreams.

Last but not the least. You. How did you get hooked to space exploration? If someone else got you hooked to it, how did he/she do it? These answers will give you better answers, I hope.

Pradeep

[Lavina]

*nods* Point.

Thanks.

[starfish]

Hey All,

been a long time since posted answers to the questions i already stated on this thread!
check out the attachment.....
A pdf document stating the modes of membership for SEDS India....

have a look.....let me know howz it?

we're givin here a period of 3-months as provisional membership time in which the user can decide whether he/she is serious enogh to continue with SEDS...

cheers!
Anmol