The Community Fair Subcommittee, co-chaired by Linda Arellano-Rivera and Karen Dwyer, with Grace, Uyen Yi, and Aviva Le present, reviewed vendor recruitment (securing El Centro Nola and Junior Achievement,  with outreach to others pending), logistical planning (including weather contingencies and sound system needs), and budgeting ($100 allocated for advertising).  Next steps include a March 21st deadline for vendor sign-ups and a follow-up meeting on March 17th to review progress.

Details
 

• Community Fair Subcommittee Meeting The Community Fair Subcommittee meeting, held on February 24th, 2025, focused on updates and discussions regarding the upcoming community fair.  Linda Arellano-Rivera and Karen Dwyer co-chaired the meeting, with Grace, Uyen Yi, and Aviva Le in attendance.  They reviewed progress on securing vendors and sponsors, addressing logistical concerns, and planning for potential weather-related contingencies .  A significant portion of the discussion centered around advertising and budgeting for the event .  They established a March 21st deadline for vendor sign-ups and planned a follow-up meeting on March 17th to review progress.
• Vendor Recruitment and Partnerships  Linda Arellano-Rivera reported securing partnerships with El Centro Nola (offering scholarship and internship resources) and Junior Achievement (providing a professional panel and a fair table). Grace reported contacting several organizations, including NOR, the Japan Society, the art museum, and Tulane Newcomb Center, but didn't receive confirmation from all of them. They also discussed alternative food vendors to replace Weeds, which was unavailable. Uyen Yi mentioned contacting the library and Droopies, but also without confirmation yet.  The group discussed strategies for reaching out to additional potential vendors, including cold-calling and leveraging personal connections.
• Logistical Planning and Budget  The subcommittee discussed the location of student performances (considering space limitations in the indoor stage area) and contingency plans for inclement weather on April 5th (deciding against rescheduling).  They addressed the need for sound systems for both indoor and outdoor performances. The group debated advertising budget allocation, aiming to minimize costs while ensuring sufficient visibility .  They decided on a $100 budget for advertising materials, primarily focusing on a banner for the day of the event and potentially some additional signage.  Additional advertising strategies included leveraging social media, utilizing existing flyers, and potentially offering student incentives. They set a March 14th deadline for RSVPs and later revised it to March 21st.
• Alumni Outreach and Resource Gathering The need to reach out to alumni for support and volunteer assistance was highlighted.  Grace volunteered to update the alumni contact list, while Karen Dwyer offered to provide an existing list. They discussed challenges in accessing comprehensive alumni data and alternative methods to connect with alumni, such as utilizing social media and yearbooks.