EVENT PLANNING WORKSHOP

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EVENT PLANNING WORKSHOP

• How to Plan Successful Events for Your Student
  Organization

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WHY SHOULD MY STUDENT ORGANIZATION PLAN
EVENTS/PROGRAMS?

• To develop a positive community and to interact
  with your fellow students.
• To provide an outlet for something positive to
  do. It relieves stress and gives them a break
  from their regular routine.
• To educate students about themselves and to learn
  skills and broaden their worldview, which they
  may not learn in the classroom setting.
• To help your members develop valuable skills such
  as time management, budget planning and
  management, securing resources, marketing,
  volunteer management, and good oral and written
  communication skills.

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STEP 1 DETERMINE WHAT EVENT(S) TO HAVE

• Assess the needs of your members and/or the WSU
  student body.
• Very important because it gives them a sense of
  ownership with the program and your event
  attendance will likely be greater.
• Assessment ideas
• Suggestion box
• Survey of students
• Asking informal questions of students (e.g. What
  events would you come to campus for if you
  already didnt have class that day?)
• Seeing what issues are being discussed in The
  South End or
• Listening to what students are talking about in
  the dining hall, residence hall floors, in class,
  fitness center, on Facebook/MySpace, etc.
• Can either be done face-to-face (at meetings,
  literature table, Student Organizations Day,
  etc.), via email listserv, or from your groups
  website.
• Dont forget to ask for days and times
  members/students would most likely attend your
  events.

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STEP 1 DETERMINE WHAT EVENT(S) TO HAVE

• Determine what programming is already available
  and decide if you can co-sponsor an event so as
  to not duplicate an event.
• Places to look for programming or ideas
• http//events.wayne.edu
• Workshops offered by University offices (e.g.
  Career Services, Counseling and Psychological
  Services, Dean of Students Office, Academic
  Success Center, Recreation and Fitness Center,
  Athletic events, etc.)
• Events held by a WSU school/college (e.g.,
  Performances by CFPCA departments, Business
  School events, Medical School events, etc.)
• Events/resources in the surrounding Detroit
  community (e.g. festivals, museums, libraries,
  community service/volunteer agencies, etc.) or
• Alumni speakers can talk about their
  experiences, give advice, or talk about their
  area of expertise. (If you dont know who your
  groups alumni are, go to the Alumni Affairs
  office for assistance.)

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STEP 1 DETERMINE WHAT EVENT(S) TO HAVE

• Determine how many events a semester your
  organization can handle. Your group may not want
  to sponsor multiple events or large events if
• Your are a newer group and/or group with only a
  few members. Typically these groups dont have
  the membership or volunteers to support the work
  needed to successfully carry out the event(s).
• If your group has a history of trouble with
  getting members to volunteer or they dont
  follow-through once they volunteer.
• If your group has a couple of members who do the
  majority of the planning, organizing, and running
  of the group. These people will burn out quickly
  and your entire group will suffer by not being
  able to accomplish its goals for the year.

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STEP 2 DETERMINE COSTS FOR THE EVENT

• This includes such things as performer/speaker
  costs (including travel and hotel), audio/visual
  equipment needed, publicity, etc.
• Determine how your group will pay for the event.
• Dont forget to have the group approve event
  costs when they approve the event.
• If your group is requesting funding from Student
  Council, then your group must complete the online
  Budget Workshop and Quiz and submit a Budget
  Request Packet. For more information, visit this
  site http//www.doso.wayne.edu/financialforms/re
  ference/Student_Council_Budget_Information.htm

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STEP 3 RESERVE SPACE FOR YOUR EVENT

• Decide on time, date and location.
• Keep in mind what students said about best days
  and times when you assessed them.
• Determine the proper location of your event.
• Indoor vs. Outdoor? - Depends on requirements of
  performers/speakers, time of year, and costs
  (typically outdoor events are more expensive to
  do than indoor events).
• How many people do you expect to attend the event
  (be realistic)?
• What audio/visual and staging needs are required
  for the event (e.g. stage, sound, lighting, LCD
  projector, etc.)?
• Reserve space for the event.
• Must fill out an Event Planning Form (EPF) and
  get approved by the Dean of Students Office
  (DOSO). Form can be found here
  http//www.doso.wayne.edu/financialforms/index.htm
  
• Make sure to have alternative dates, times and
  locations decided by the group in case the space
  isnt available.

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STEP 4 ARRANGE EVENT NEEDS WITH SUPPORTING
SERVICES

• Examples of these are
• A/V - Media Services, off-campus vendor
• Food AVI, Subway, LaPita Fresh, Pizzeri Venti,
  etc.
• Publicity The South End, UGL Wallpaper,
  Kinkos, Student Center Graphics, etc. and
• Performance fees/Speaking fees/Honorariums Dean
  of Students Office (DOSO).
• Supporting Services information can be found at
  the DOSO website http//www.doso.wayne.edu/financ
  ialforms/index.htm
• Complete and submit correct financial forms to
  DOSO to process payment for services
• For off-campus services (e.g., paying an
  entertainer/speaker, using off-campus vendor to
  order supplies/publicity/rental of A/V equipment,
  speaker honorarium, anything requiring a
  contract, etc.) - a minimum of four to six weeks
  prior to your event date (must be six weeks for
  services requiring a contract).
• For on-campus services (e.g., Kinkos on campus,
  AVI Foodservices, Media Services, room rental
  fees, The South End, Student Center Graphics,
  etc.) - a minimum of two weeks prior to your
  event date (must be longer for Student Center
  Graphics orders).

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STEP 5 DETERMINE YOUR MARKETING PLAN

• Set up meeting with your groups PR Marketing
  officer (if applicable) 3-4 weeks before the
  event to talk about publicity ideas and give them
  specifics about the event.
• Information to include in publicity
• Title of event, date, time and location
• Name of your group and contact information (e.g.,
  website, phone, email, etc.) in case someone has
  questions or wants more information and
• If there is a cost for the event (e.g. admission
  fee, donations, etc.).
• Publicize early (at least 1-2 weeks before the
  event) and often in many different ways and
  locations so people know about the event.
• Ask The South End if they will write an article
  about your event before it takes place. This
  becomes free publicity for your event and they
  are publicizing campus life as well.
• Dont forget to do a last minute publicity push
  the day of the event either through publicity,
  Facebook/MySpace or word-of-mouth to remind
  people your event is today.

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STEP 6 GET VOLUNTEERS FOR YOUR EVENT

• Typically needed for set-up, during the event,
  and tear-down.
• Create a sign-up sheet (to pass around at
  meetings or via email) with how many people are
  needed for the event and a description of what
  they will be doing (e.g. decorations, load-in
  performers equipment, put up flyers, etc.).
• It is also a good idea to have shifts for
  volunteers if the event is long or labor
  intensive.
• If your event is a large event, you will want to
  have an overall chair and sub-committee chairs
  (e.g. marketing, logistics, hospitality,
  security, etc.).
• Dont forget to check speaker/performer
  requirements if they need a particular number of
  people to assist with load-in and load-out.
• Finally assign a host for the speaker/performer
  for the day of event (if applicable).
• Can be chair of event or some other reliable
  person to provide hospitality.
• Will stay with speaker/performer from the moment
  they step on campus to the moment they leave.
• Responsibilities are to greet them, answer
  questions, direct to event location, direct to
  restrooms, get more water, etc.
• This helps you to attend to any last minute
  requests, leaves a great impression with the
  speaker/performer, and gives your group a great
  reputation of friendliness and professionalism.

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STEP 7 ADVANCE THE EVENT

• This step is completed 3-5 days before the event.
• Contact the speaker/performer/agent to make sure
  their travel arrangements are set, determine
  where you will meet (e.g., at airport, at hotel,
  at a specific location on campus, etc.), and if
  they have any last minute request you need to
  deal with.
• Double check that all services are set and get
  emergency contact numbers so you dont have to
  deal with any last minute surprises (e.g.,
  technician doesnt show, food not delivered on
  time, room not set-up correctly, etc.).
• Send a reminder email to volunteers about their
  times and responsibilities and to email you if
  they can no longer volunteer (so you have time to
  find replacements).

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STEP 8 DAY OF EVENT

• Get there early to make sure room is unlocked and
  set-up the way you requested.
• Have a list of your emergency contact phone
  numbers of services and volunteer contact numbers
  so you can contact them on-site if something is
  wrong or they dont show.
• Make sure that everyone knows that your group is
  sponsoring the event they are attending. This
  can be done by
• Announcement before the main speaker/performer
• Staffed table with your groups information on
  how to join, how they can find out about future
  events, etc. or
• If your group has member shirts, have them wear
  them at the event or have nametags for volunteers
  with the their name and the groups name.
• Be flexible! In event planning typically
  something unexpected happens the day of the
  program. Dont get upset or frustrated just
  deal quickly with the issue and move on.
• Go around location after event to make sure
  decorations, flyers, handouts, food containers,
  etc. are removed/discarded.

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STEP 9 AFTER THE EVENT

• This step is completed within one week of the
  event.
• Celebrate for putting on such a great activity!
• Write (not email!) thank-you notes to
  speaker/performer within one week of event and to
  any on campus service that went above and beyond
  the call of duty to help your group out.
• Thank and recognize your members that volunteered
  (e.g., public recognition at meeting, thank you
  note, small gift, etc.).
• Make sure everyone has been paid and all
  borrowed/rented equipment has been returned.
• Take one day and have your members walk around
  campus to take down any flyers still posted.

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STEP 10 EVALUATE THE EVENT

• Often an overlooked stage, but vital. To
  improve, you must know how youve done.
• After each program, candidly discuss with others
  who helped you plan the event how the program
  went.
• Make sure to ask those in attendance what they
  thought, either through a quick written
  evaluation or through verbal feedback.
• Make a few notes and keep in a folder with all
  the other event information so that your group
  can reference it if they decide to do a similar
  program again.
• In the process, youll learn more about your own
  skills and be better able to meet the students
  needs by producing a more successful event next
  time.

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RESOURCES

• The following resources can be found at the
  following link (insert link to Form and
  Reference or Student Organizations page here)
• Event Planning Checklist
• Sample Assessment and Evaluation Forms and
  Websites

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QUESTIONS?

• Contact a DOSO Campus Activities Professional at
  [phone].