So, maybe you want to set up a seminar at your rink for some reason. Bring in an olympic coach, do it for the club, have a fun party. Here is my advice.
1.Start planning 6 months in advance.
2....for a summer seminar. 'Cause the rink won't have ice free during hockey season.
3. Prol'ly for July because hockey training starts in August
4. And most people will be on vacation in the summer, so scale down your attendence expectations accordingly.
5. Get the availability of the coach in advance with her/his open days.
6. Costing is important. Does the coach have a minimum fee that you'll have to pay regardless of the hours?
7. Get permission from the skating director for the coach to teach privates on freestyle.
8. If you aren't doing this for the club, contact the club to see if they want in on the action.
9. You may find that if you're bringing in a famous coach that the local rink will have some loud, opinionated coaches who won't like bringing in an outside coach because that coach will 'steal their students'. So yes, the rink will have the same coaches circulating the same opinions and techniques even when you're trying to bring in an International, World, or Olympic coach to bring in some new techniques and knowledge. (see below for comment)
10. Set up ice time. If you are a regular at the rink you may be able to get a discount. I got 15% and considered myself lucky.
11. Touch base with the coach as time passes.
12. Get confirmations and payment from the attendees. I didn't have to worry about this.
13. Set up private lessons for the coach and make sure the cost etc is made clear to skaters wanting privates, and that they will have to pay even if they cancel.
14. As you get close to the date, make sure the ice time is on the schedule.
15. pay the ice time the day before the seminar (or earlier depending on your rink policies)
16. When the coach shows up, hand them a completed check immediately. Include mileage (AOT, .55 a mile)
17. Be there to get the private students to the coach,
18, Make a short introduction to the skaters before you get on the ice.
19. Have a good time!
(when the coach for the seminar showed up at my rink, one of the skating dad's asked me what it was about. I told him it was a private seminar for the adult skaters at the rink, and that the Club had turned down the opportunity to have a seminar for the kid skaters....he was mad. His kids missed the opportunity to take a seminar from a World and Nationals coach because the Club and some of the coaches didn't want to do it.)