Planning an Event

Event Planning

Hosting a successful event on campus can be very rewarding for a student group, but it requires plenty of planning to ensure you maximize your event's potential to generate attendance and visibility for your group.

Be sure to look for TIPS, suggested by Student Activities Advisors and student groups.

Getting Started

Don't go it alone. Share the responsibilities of event planning by forming an Event Committee with a few key members of your student group. Meet well in advance of your proposed event date and discuss ideas.

Here's a few initial questions to review with the Event Committee.

1. Goals and Type of Event; What goals do we have for our event? What are we hoping that people will take from the event? What type of event accomplishes that goal?
2. Schedule; When will the event be best scheduled? When will the program have the best attendance? Where could we host an event like this? What venues are available?
3. Funding; What kind of funding do we need to make the event happen?
4. Marketing; What kind of marketing do we need to make the event successful?
5. Permits; What types of permits or permission do we need to get clearance for our event?
6. Timeline; What will our timeline look like?
7. Evaluation; How will we evaluate and measure our success?

Don't let the planning start and end with brainstorming though. Work together to assign tasks and identify how and when you'll follow up as a group with ongoing plans. Each of the above questions correlates to part of the Event Planning Process.

Goals & Types of Events

What your group could achieve from a Lecture can be very different from a Date Auction. Starting with a clearly identified goal will help ensure that you're planning an event that's tailored to meet that goal. For example, to create more awareness for a specific cause, it may be more appropriate to host an event that features an expert on that issue or cause rather than hosting a dance. If you're looking to foster community and create connections amongst students, hosting an event that's social in nature makes more sense.

Determining what goals you have for the event will help make the rest of the planning process simpler.

• Do you want the event to be educational, social, or a combination?
• Do you want the event to be open to the public or for group members only?
• Do you want the event to focus on a certain topic or point?
• Are you providing for diversity of interests/points of view?

Types of Events

Lectures and dances require very different event planning. Make sure you choose to plan an event that meets your goals. Here are some events that have been hosted in the past:

• Lecture by one or several speakers
• Dance
• Date Auction
• Concert
• Art Show or fair
• Panel Discussion
• Presentation
• Theatrical Play
• Cultural Festival and Celebration
• Community Service
• Fundraiser

Scheduling your Event

In your Event Committee, identify a timeframe you'd like to host the event, along with a few back-up dates and times. If you will require space to host the event, you'll want to identify spaces that meet your needs.

Here are a few commonly used facilities with reservable spaces. Make sure to give yourself ample time (one month or more for large events) to meet with the facility's Events & Conferences Office.

Coffman Memorial Union:

http://www.sua.umn.edu/reservations/coffman/

Part of the Student Unions & Activities, you receive free and discounted rates on space as a registered student group. Offers meeting rooms and large event spaces.

St. Paul Student Center:

http://www.sua.umn.edu/reservations/spsc/

Part of Student Unions & Activities, you receive free and discounted rates on space as a registered student group. Offers meeting rooms, and large event spaces.

Classroom Management:

http://www.classroom.umn.edu/scheduling/index.asp

Schedules all events held in general purpose classrooms. Requests for events should be submitted by fax or email at least 30 days in advance. Requests should contain complete identification and contact information of the requesting group (including the student group registration number) as well as details of the event.

Outdoor Space:

http://www.outdoor.umn.edu

Outdoor spaces on campus including Coffman's Front Plaza, the West Bank Plaza and the St. Paul Mall are all available to reserve for outdoor events. If you are interested in reserving these spaces, fill out your outdoor space application in accordance with the appropriate deadline (some events require up to 12 weeks for proper planning). Registered student groups and University departments must submit the Outdoor Space Application a minimum of ten business days in advance of event, twenty business days if security or traffic management may be required or the event involves an outdoor display. Large outdoor events, including concerts, will require additional planning time, please submit application up to twelve weeks in advance.

Outdoor Space Application: http:// www.sua.umn.edu/groups/forms/

Additional Spaces

Large auditoriums like Ted Mann and Northrop are available for reservations. Contact a Student Activities Advisor to discuss how to plan a large-scale event.

Funding your Event

So you've got a great event idea, now you need help with funds right? There are different options available to you including grants and fundraising.

GRANTS

http://www.sua.umn.edu/groups/funding/grants

Student Unions & Activities provides a one-stop shop of 5 different grant opportunities for student groups, totaling more than $200,000 per year. These grants include the Event Partnership Grant, Administrative Grant and three Coca-Cola(R) Grant Initiatives: Academic, Campus Life and Community.

FUNDRAISING

http://www.sua.umn.edu/groups/funding/fundraising.php

Fundraising is one of the best ways to make your group self-sufficient while gaining valuable experience for the participating members. However, it's critical that all fundraising activities follow all University policies and procedures in addition to local, state, and federal laws. To fundraise, you'll need a Sales & Fundraising Permit. The reason for the permit is to protect student groups from outside vendors. This permit must be turned in a minimum of two weeks prior to your event.

When planning a fundraiser, always keep the following in mind:

• Activities conducted by student groups using University facilities must not interfere with orderly University operation.
• Fundraising activities involving the sale of goods, must apply for a Sales and Fundraising Permit in the Student Activities Office.
• Vendors sponsored by student groups are restricted to designated areas in Coffman Memorial Union and the St. Paul Student Center and must abide by policies and procedures defined by those facilities and/or their responsible administrator(s).
• Fundraising activities shall not be conducted in classrooms, campus offices, residential facilities, and/or other University buildings, except with the express consent of the instructor or appropriate administrator.
• Fundraising activities involving food must comply with the Policy for Serving Food or Refreshments on University Property in Association with Meetings, Social Gatherings, and Special Events; including filing all necessary permits with the Department of Environment Health and Safety. Baked Food Sales can occur once/semester/group.
• The name of the sponsoring student or student group must appear prominently in all advertising and other communications connected with the fundraising effort.
• Please see the Official Handbook's Fundraising page for more information about taxes and raffles.

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, plus 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 market the event to a broader population. Here are some suggestions:

Posters

Posting fliers on campus is still a very effective 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.

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, and in a frequency that readers want. Many readers will "tune out" if they perceive the message to be irrelevant or sent too often. 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.

Newspapers

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

Press Release

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. Make sure to highlight why your event is newsworthy, especially to those who may have no affiliation to your group. Most 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's practically free.

Chalking

Using sidewalk chalk to write promotional messages about your event can be very useful and economical. Chalking is allowed throughout the campus, but is specific locations. Make sure to follow the University's Policy on Chalking.

University Events Calendar

Student groups have access to post events. To learn more about account information, visit or call Student Activities.

Visit http://events.tc.umn.edu/ to see the campus wide events calendar.

* RSG's can also reserve FREE contact tables and display cases to promote their events.

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/.

• 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.
• 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.
• Sales/Fund-Raising: Will your event be selling any items or will your group be fund-raising through your event? If so, you must fill out this permit.
• 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
• Insurance: Is your event outside, will it include alcohol or is it meant for more than 100 attendees? If so, you will need student group insurance. Proof of insurance must be shown prior to your reservation.
• Sound: Events that produce sound outdoors will only be permitted between the hours of 12pm & 1pm during weekdays, from 5-10 pm on Fridays, and 12-10 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. There are no exceptions for student groups to the sound policy.
• 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 10 business days in advance. Please contact Events & Conferences to make arrangements.
• Films: In order to screen a film, you must submit a film showing application and copy of a public performance license agreement.
• Dances/Concerts: If your group would like to hold a dance or concert, contact Events and Conferences immediately to discuss your needs, additional fees (security, etc.), and event policies. You must contact Events and Conferences one month in advance of your proposed event date.

Planning Timeline

It is really important to keep your timeline clear as you plan ahead for your event. Make sure that you are organized and that the event is well thought-out so that you can ensure success. Check out the general Event Planning Checklist.

Do we have a true timeline for events with 6-months out, 2 months...and so on?

Implementation

Make sure to draw up a plan for day-of event implementation that details responsibilities for each member of the Event Committee. Try to find volunteers to help out with set-up, event implementation and take-down.

Evaluation

Congratulations! The event is done, and it's time to measure how effective you were. Revisit your goals, and see how your implementation measured up to the goals. Have a post-event meeting with your Event Committee to celebrate your successes and review areas for improvement. Check out the Post-Event Evaluation for specific questions.