Venue Manager observer to the board

Intro

In 2020, Brighton Fringe ran an election to recruit a Venue Manager Observer to the Board of Brighton Fringe, with the aim to aid in the ongoing mission to improve the transparency of the Brighton Fringe and ensure participant voices are heard. 

The position, currently held by JD Henshaw, had a fixed one year term which is now coming to the end. We’re re-opening the process for self-nominations, with the aim to have the new Venue Manager Observer in post in time for the March Board Meeting on 13 March 2023. The Venue Manager Observer to the Board of Brighton Fringe will work alongside the Participant Observer in bringing ideas and recommendations of the Participants and Venues of Brighton Fringe to the Board. This role is unpaid.

Timeline

Candidacy self-nominations open: Friday 6 January 2023 Candidacy self-nominations close: midday Friday 20 January 2023 Open Voting period: Friday 27 January – midday Friday 24 February 2023 Participant Observer announced: Wednesday 1 March 2023 March Board meeting: Monday 13 March 2023

Recruitment process:

• Venue Managers put themselves forward as candidates via this Google form, including a short profile about them and their motivations for joining as an observer to the board. Self nominations will close on midday Friday 20 January and is limited to one candidate per venue operator/venue management company. 
• The list of candidates will be advertised in e-newsletters and through social media (the private Venue Manager Group). Voting on candidates is via a Google form and open to all venue managers. Voting for this will open Friday 27 January and close Friday 24 February, midday. Voting is anonymous to other Venue Managers, although Brighton Fringe will be able to see the votes to remove any duplicates. 
• The vote will be ratified by the Board and announced in time for the March board meeting; the venue manager in receipt of the most votes will (assuming ratification) be invited as an observer on the board of Brighton Fringe for this meeting.

Conditions of voting

• One vote per venue operator/management company.
• Venue operators/management companies from the current or previous edition of Brighton Fringe are eligible to vote.
• ‘Meeting Point’ venues are not eligible to either be put forward for election or to vote.
• A venue operator/management company may vote for themselves.
• The decision of the Brighton Fringe board is final.
• If the Board does not ratify the vote, the vote will be run again.

Conditions of becoming an observer on the Brighton Fringe board

• The observer should have taken part in Brighton Fringe at least once previously, and within the last three years.
• The observer term is one year and runs from March-February. 
• The observer can be re-elected and serve up to two consecutive terms (of up to one year) but cannot be re-elected for a third consecutive term. They can be elected for any number of terms within these parameters.

Responsibilities. The observer should:

• Act in the interests of all venue managers.
• Attend at least 75% of monthly venue manager meetings - two hours per month.
• Attend all quarterly board meetings – two hours quarterly, Monday or Thursday evenings in March, July, September and December.
• Attend annual ‘Future of Brighton Fringe’ forum discussions, and annual participant forum discussions.
• Ensure that at least two weeks prior to each board meeting that they seek feedback/comment from other venue managers and have collected any points for raising on behalf of venues (Brighton Fringe staff will help with the administration of this process) and notify the Brighton Fringe CEO/Chair of any suggested additions to the subsequent board meeting agenda.
• Produce a board meeting report (min. 250 words) after each board meeting which will be published on the Fringe website and circulated to participants. 
• Co-Moderate the Brighton Fringe Venues and Participant Networking Group on Facebook.