built for forum. tested in forum.
A free version of HAPPY Timer, purpose-built for EO/YPO/etc Forum: preset times for the parts of a Forum meeting that actually need timing, so the moderator can run the room instead of running the clock.
the origin
This app started as a frustration I had with juggling different alarms for the notifications before the deadline, or leaving the full time running and forgetting to give the one or two minute warnings because I was engrossed in the deep dive.
I've been a Forum member for years, I'm a founding member of EO Ireland and I am also an active member of the Europe Bridge Chapter, so I've moderated more than my share of these meetings. HAPPY Timer is colour-coded so a room can read the state at a glance without anyone checking a phone, and adding Forum-specific presets was an obvious next step: the segments don't change meeting to meeting, so the timer shouldn't make you set them up from scratch every time either.
how to use it
Same core app (quick-select or custom duration, two configurable heads-up notifications with distinct sounds, a background that shifts navy to teal to orange to red as time runs down, overtime tracking if a segment runs long), with one addition: a Forum preset pack that maps directly onto a standard Forum agenda.
These are general times and can be tweaked per session without any difficulty, so edit them to your preference before you start the timer.
Tap a segment, the timer's already set, and the two heads-up notifications are pre-configured to give a presenter fair warning before time's up. No setup at the start of Forum, no mental math halfway through a segment about how much time is left. Free, no account required.
- Notification #1: sounds a single blip and turns the screen teal
- Notification #2: sounds a double blip and turns the screen orange
- Time's Up: sounds four blips and turns the screen red, still counting up until you stop it with soft reminder blips every 30 seconds
bring happy to your chapter or forum
HAPPY Timer is a small, free tool developed by me through the HAPPY People Project.
I run various workshops and facilitated sessions in chapters and forums, built around the HAPPY framework (Highlights, Appreciation, Progress, People, Your Contribution), that take a group through a structured process to get real clarity on what they actually want, not what they've been told to want. I've already delivered it to EO chapters, chapter manager forums, regular member forums, regional council meetings and individual members, with results that go beyond the room:
"I've sat in a lot of rooms. The morning after Stephen's workshop was the first time in years I picked up a pen and started writing down what I actually want."
It runs as a Learning Day, a Forum retreat session, a chapter event, or a standalone workshop, in person or virtual, scaled to your group.
If your chapter, forum, region or something else is looking for a HAPPY Work Life MAP session to suit your group, get in touch.
about the facilitator
I'm Stephen Shortt, a founding member of EO Ireland and an active member of the Europe Bridge Chapter. I'm a former Global Chair of GSEA (the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards), and I've been involved in a range of regional and global EO portfolios, committees, and groups over the years. I MC'd and chaired the Global Leadership Conference in Dublin, and I regularly facilitate strategy sessions and Learning Days for chapters and regions.
Outside EO, I run four businesses across succession consulting, hiring, career development, and personal development, and I've spoken in 58 countries on family business, hiring, leadership, and the HAPPY framework.
Whatever your chapter or region needs, from MCing an event to running a forum or chapter retreat or just a HAPPY Work Life MAP for your members/SLPs/NextGen, it's the kind of work I do. Reach out and let's talk about what would actually be useful for your group.