The Ethiopia
screening plan.
Tia, thanks for talking this through today. If we move ahead, we’d love you to work alongside Jamie to bring the Yussef Dayes Experience Ethiopia screening together at EbonyLife Place, London.
You were clear that you’re not an event planner by trade, but have organised events and are open to taking this on. This brief sets out how we could work together. We’ll agree the scope, fee and support before committing.
What we want to achieve
Create an authentic moment for the Ethiopian community in London and the wider diaspora around Yussef and the film. Bring fans, cultural voices, community networks and press into the room, with food, coffee and conversation helping connect the screening to Ethiopian culture.
We want a well-attended event that introduces people to the music, creates useful social and press coverage, and avoids a loss. The priority is the cultural connection and the experience, rather than maximising ticket income.
Your role
Help drive the day-to-day planning alongside Jamie. Keep a shared action list with owners and deadlines, follow up with the people involved and flag decisions early enough for us to resolve them.
01 / Client & venue
Coordinate communication with Michael and the wider team. Pull together event times, access, staffing, screening and Q&A requirements, partner setup and guest arrival arrangements. Jamie stays closely involved in the relationship and key decisions.
02 / Partners & cultural voices
Research suitable Ethiopian food, coffee and gifting suppliers, community networks and potential hosts. Help organise introductions and follow-ups, and keep track of what each person or organisation could contribute.
For a Q&A, look for a presenter, DJ or creator who can hold a thoughtful conversation about the film. No host is confirmed.
03 / Social rollout
Coordinate the artwork, film cutdown, captions, ticket links and approvals with Barka and the team. Maintain a simple posting schedule covering the announcement, partner amplification, reminders and final event information.
04 / Invitations & guest list
Build a proposed list across community voices, influencers, press and guests. Agree allocations with Jamie, then coordinate invitations, RSVPs and reminders. Keep invited places and paid tickets clear across both screenings.
05 / Event preparation
Bring the running order, contact sheet, partner arrival details, guest welcome and technical checks into one final team brief. Agree who owns each task on the day and what support is needed on site.
Three types of partnership
Sponsors
Organisations contributing funding in return for agreed involvement or visibility. Ethiopian Airlines, through Barka’s connection, is one prospect. Jamie will lead the sponsorship offer and initial commercial conversations; Tia helps coordinate follow-through.
Amounts discussed on the call were examples, not confirmed packages or secured income.
Suppliers
Ethiopian food, coffee, drinks or gifting partners who could contribute to the evening. Establish what they would supply, whether they would sell or sample, and what space, equipment or support they need.
The starting idea is in-kind participation. No supplier terms are agreed. Outside food and drink must be discussed with Michael and The Afrobeat before anyone is promised a place.
Amplification & guests
Ethiopian Embassy contacts, Ethiopian influencers, Habesha/community networks, editorial contacts and relevant brand connections. The earlier shortlist also includes Sable Labs and Idris and Sabrina’s brand contacts.
Explore attendance, introductions, sharing the announcement and relevant coverage. These are potential contacts, not confirmed partners or guaranteed posts.
Time & project fee
Five to six full days’ equivalent
Your main dedicated days are Thursdays and Fridays, with intermittent follow-up at other times as available. Jamie will keep things moving between those days. We’ll map the work together so the plan does not depend on you being continuously available.
Project fee: to be proposed by Jamie.
As discussed, this will be a separate project fee, rather than a fee taken from the event budget. No amount has been agreed yet.
Before confirming: agree the total fee, payment schedule, expenses and whether attendance on Saturday 7 November is included within the estimated days. Any additional scope or cost should be agreed first.
Working plan & key dates
| 19–21 OctConfirm the foundations | Jamie circulates the overview to Yussef and Barka and resolves the event go-ahead. Keep initial research light until the plan is confirmed. The venue’s current hold ends Wednesday 21 October. |
| Thu 22 OctTarget confirmation | Jamie has asked Mo and Michael to extend the hold to Thursday and pencil in a call towards the end of the day. Both the extension and call time are awaiting confirmation. Agree the date, commercial terms, event timings and total duration. |
| 22–23 OctPlanning huddle | Jamie and Tia agree the scope, fee, working days, budget and responsibilities. Produce a prioritised action list, partner shortlist, guest-list approach and clear brief for the creative assets. |
| 26–29 OctBuild & approve | Barka’s proposed artwork window, subject to his availability. Tia coordinates campaign approvals, the event/ticket page, invitations and partner follow-ups. Resolve venue permissions and the film delivery plan. |
| 30–31 OctLaunch target | Publish the approved announcement and open ticket sales. A mailing-list release could go first. Saturday 31 October is one week before the event; 1 November was also discussed as a fallback, leaving a shorter sales window. |
| 1–6 NovFinal delivery checks | Follow up on RSVPs and partner contributions, issue reminders and finalise the running order, technical check, contact sheet and team responsibilities. |
| Sat 7 NovScreening day | Two proposed screenings, with guest welcome, partner activity and any agreed Q&A. Event-day staffing and Tia’s on-site role must be confirmed in advance. |
The event assumptions to resolve
- Format: two screenings in the 160-seat Amani Auditorium — up to 320 admissions before guest allocations, not 400 confirmed guests.
- Tickets: explore an early release around £5, followed by £10–£15. Prices, release sizes, booking fees and the ticketing platform remain to agree.
- Venue proposal: no hire fee, a 50/50 ticket split and a £500 bar/concession reception, with EbonyLife retaining food and bar revenue. Obtain written confirmation of the full terms.
- Budget: include the venue contribution and any approved production costs; do not rely on sponsorship that has not been secured.
- Technical: confirm the final film, DCP/5.1 requirements, delivery deadline and test screening with the venue and film team.
What we should have ready
- One action plan showing owner, deadline, status and decisions needed.
- A partner tracker separating sponsors, suppliers and amplification contacts.
- An approved launch plan with assets, copy, links and posting owners.
- A guest list and RSVP process matched to each screening’s capacity.
- A final running order and practical event brief for everyone involved.
Jamie leads funding conversations, budget decisions and team/venue confirmation. Tia coordinates the moving parts alongside him. Spending, partner promises and public communications are agreed before they go out.
View the partnerships deck ↗
Use the password shared in Jamie’s email.