Checklist for organizing a lab tour#

This is a checklist for organizing a lab tour/group visit for guests.

For the department/group#

  • Find the labs participating in the tour

  • Distribute this list

  • Inform them about time limits and numbers of participants

Organizer of the tour#

Each group should designate someone responsible for planning a lab tour, this will often be the PI.

In general#

  • Decide which things and objects you want to highlight

    • Prioritize 1-2 things and don’t try to show everything

    • Think how to distribute the highlights across people running the tour

  • Discuss with the group members how the lab should be introduced

  • Write down what requires access and how to give guests the access

    • If you cannot give access, reconsider what you want to show; avoid talking in the corridor.

    • Also note special requirements (clothes, shoes, no phones, etc)

When planning a concrete tour#

  • Check the number of participants and that you can accommodate them

  • Find people responsible for:

    • Meeting the guests and bringing them to the place

    • Showing the lab/explaining the research

  • Check the schedule and relay it to the people running the tour and the guests

  • Go over their checklist with people running the tour

People running the tour#

Before the tour#

  • Check what the guests might know and what they would like to learn

    • If they are familiar with the equipment, emphasize how it relates to the research

  • Think about the time you will have available and prepare what you would like to show in that time

  • Decide how much detail you need to explain, for example:

    • If showing equipment, tell its name, explain what it is and briefly how it works

    • If showing a figure: explain axes, quantities, findings, how it was produced, why it is important

During the tour#

  • Don’t leave the guests waiting before, during, or after the tour.

  • Introduce yourself with information relevant to the audience

    • Name

    • Role

    • Research topic

  • If time and number of guests allows, ask if they need a break or a coffee

  • Introduce the lab research

    • What is the field that you work on

    • What questions are you trying to answer

    • What methods or equipment do you use

  • Show the highlights that you would like to share

  • Leave room for questions

  • Tell how to reach you after the tour

  • Follow the schedule

  • If the guests need to go for another tour afterwards, offer help