Event Planning

Student groups participate in and organize many events throughout the year. This section deals with event planning and key items that will assist you in creating success as a student group.

A few key questions to ask your group when event planning:

1. What goals do we have for our event? What are we hoping that people will take from the event?
2. When will the program have the best attendance or when is the best time to have the program?
3. What kind of funding do we need to make the event happen?
4. What kind of advertising do we need to make the event successful?
5. What types of permits or permission do we need to get clearance for our event?
6. What will our timeline look like?

In planning a successful event, planning is half the battle. For a complete event planning checklist, please visit: http://www.sua.umn.edu/groups/forms/event_planning.pdf

Contents

• Types of Events
• Scheduling your Event
• Funding your Event
• Promoting your Event
• Event Approvals & Permits

Types of Events

There are many types of events that you can have as a student group. Determining what goals you have for the event will help make the rest of the planning process more simple.

1. Do you want the event to be educational, social, or a combination?
2. Do you want the event to be open to the public or for group members only?
3. Do you want the event to focus on a certain topic or point?
4. Have you provided for diversity of interests/points of view?

Examples of student group events include:

1. Bringing one or several speakers to campus
2. Organizing a dance or concert
3. Art fairs
4. Organizing a lunch group/roundtable for people to exchange ideas
5. Celebrations of culture
6. Community Service
7. Fundraisers

Scheduling your Event

When scheduling your event, there are several things to keep in mind:

1. Check the U of M Events Calendar to find any conflicts for that date/time
2. Work with the reservations offices that apply (Events and Conferences, Office of Classroom Management, Ted Mann, Northrop, etc.)
3. If your event is outdoors, fill out your outdoor space application in accordance with the appropriate deadline (some events require up to 12 weeks for proper planning) For a copy of this application visit www.sua.umn.edu/groups/forms/.

Funding your Event

There are options available to you if you are interested in looking for funding. Several grant programs exist on campus, and you may also fundraise.

1. Grant information and applications can be obtained from www.sua.umn.edu/groups/funding/grants. Student Unions & Activities provides a one-stop shop of different grant opportunities for student groups. For more information, please see the Grants section of this handbook.
2. Fundraising for your event? Don't forget that you need a Sales/Fundraising Permit, which can be obtained in Student Unions & Activities or through www.sua.umn.edu/groups/funding/fundraising.php. The reason for the permit is to protect student groups from outside vendors. This permit must be turned in a minimum of 10 business days prior to your event.

Promoting your Event

Your event's success is directly related to the amount of marketing you plan and implement prior to the event. Depending upon the goals of your event, the marketing strategies are different.

For example, if your event is meant for group members only, an e-mail to your Listserve or a few phone calls and meeting announcements will probably do the trick; however if you are hoping for a larger audience, you will need to engage in more large scale practices to ensure that the message gets out. Here are some suggestions:

Posters

Posting fliers on campus is still a valuable way to inform people of your group and event. Academic buildings and off-campus businesses have different policies on posting. You should ask for permission and specific procedures at each building. We recommend dividing campus locations and businesses so that your members don't all poster in the same areas.

You can also post fliers and posters at Coffman Union and the St. Paul Student Center on the posting strips. Ask for details at the Coffman Union and St. Paul Student Center Information Desks.

Listservs

Listservs are messages sent via email to a specific group. We recommend starting a listserv for your group to take advantage of the efficiency and free medium! Have a sign-up sheet at your table, office, Web site and at events to generate more members. Make sure you send information that's relevant and interesting to the group, as many readers will "tune out" if they perceive the message to be irrelevant to them. We also recommend having info on how to unsubscribe at the bottom of each email. Student Unions & Activities will not send out an e-mail regarding your group's event due to the large number of registered groups on campus. However, feel free to send it out to your own Listserv or check out the student group listings on our website and send the announcement out to the groups that may be interested in your program. You can also start a listerv through the University by visiting: http://lists.umn.edu/

Newspapers

Advertising in on-campus publications like the Minnesota Daily or The Wake can be very attractive, as many students are frequent readers. Costs vary depending on the size. We recommend contacting each paper to inquire on costs for student groups.

You can also submit a press release which details the "who, what, where, when and why" of your event to attract media coverage at your event. Local papers, web sites and on-campus newsletters accept press releases. Please note, this is not a guarantee they will cover your event, but it does increase your chances!

Chalking

Chalking is allowed throughout the campus in accordance with the chalking policy. Visit http://www.sua.umn.edu/groups/handbook/policies.php for a copy of this policy, or see the University Policy section of this handbook.

University Events Calendar

Visit http://events.tc.umn.edu/ to see the campus wide events calendar. Student groups have access to post events. Visit our office in Coffman Union for account information.

Be Creative

The groups that are creative in their marketing tend to benefit from the extra effort. Think outside the box and create new avenues to get the word out!

Event Approvals & Permits

When event planning, there are many things to take into consideration. Here are a few forms, you may need. If you do find that you will need a permit for your event, you can find them all on our website www.sua.umn.edu/groups/forms/.

1. Food Permit: No matter if you are just planning to have a few snacks or if you are throwing an all-out banquet, you must have a food permit on hand at your event.
2. Bake Sale Permit: For the protection of the student group and for those purchasing foods, the Bake Sale Permit must be completed and approved.
3. Potluck Event Permit Potluck: events are defined as closed events where no money is exchanged and where homemade food is provided by group members to be consumed by group members.
4. Alcohol: Occasionally serving alcohol at an event is allowed. If you are interested in applying for the application to serve alcoholic beverages, you will need to fill out the form and get it in at least fifteen business days in advance. http://policy.umn.edu/Forms/upo/um23p.pdf
5. Sales and/or Fundraising: Will your event be selling any items or will your group be fundraising through your event? If so, you must fill out this permit.
6. Outdoor Space: Are you interested in having your event outside? No matter what you want to do, whether it be tabling or having an outdoor concert you will need an outdoor space application, which starts the process to reserve the space for your event. This application is available at www.outdoor.umn.edu.
7. Sound: Events making use of amplified sound outside will only be permitted between the hours of 12pm & 1pm during weekdays, from 5-9 pm on Fridays, and 12-9 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. There are no exceptions for student groups to the sound policy.
   1. In such instances, the sounds level at 50 feet from the source shall not exceed 90 decibels.
   2. Sound measured off the property where the equipment is allowed under the permit shall never be more than fifteen (15) dB(A) above the ambient noise level.
   3. The University retains the right to control all volume levels if sound interferes with regular University business.
8. Security: For some events, the University requires that you hire UMPD to serve as security officers at your event. You must schedule this at least two weeks in advance http://www1.umn.edu/police/events.html
9. Copyrighted Works License: Federal Law requires that if you want to show a movie or play video games in a public venue, you must purchase a license. See copyright section of this handbook for more details.